DUBAI: The recent hantavirus outbreak on a transatlantic cruise ship will not deter Filipino seafarers from jumping onboard, according to a labor migration expert.
“This is an extraordinary event and there is nothing to be worried about. I am sure this incident will not discourage Filipino seafarers from going back to the sea, that is their livelihood,” Emmanuel S. Geslani told Arab News.
The Philippines is the leading source of maritime labor, accounting for up to 30 percent of all international shipping crews. More than 589,100 Filipino seafarers were deployed in 2025, with around 137,200 working on passenger vessels.
The Dutch-flagged cruise ship MV Hondius left Tierra del Fuego in Argentine Patagonia on March 20 with 149 people on board. Of the 59 crew members, 38 were from the Philippines.
After docking at Ushuaia, Argentina, it set sail again on April 1 to journey through the South Atlantic, which is where the outbreak happened. A total of 12 cases of hantavirus have been reported and three deaths registered.
“That is an exceptional case, it just so happened the passengers of the cruise ship were infected when they went inland and when they (re)boarded (the) MV Hondius, that’s when their symptoms showed up,” Geslani said. “There have been previous incidents similar to this, outbreaks like this can be contained and managed well.”
All Filipino seafarers aboard the ship tested negative and are currently serving a 42-day quarantine in the Netherlands. The Philippine government said 21 Filipino crew members had been flown to the Netherlands following health assessments while the remaining 17 remained on board the MV Hondius until it docked in Rotterdam on May 18.
“Medical personnel are constantly checking on them … and the owner of the ship I know will make sure their crew are safe and healthy,” Geslani said.
Official assurances regarding the hantavirus outbreak are enough motivation for many Filipinos who take advantage of the Middle East’s superior work opportunities to prepare for cruise ship work.
Among them is pastry chef Shaheen Tandong, who told Arab News: “After going through COVID-19, you become confident there would be a resolution to the hantavirus scare aboard MV Hondius … If there was an opportunity for me to board a cruise ship now, I will grab it.”
“I know I am not the only one who seeks experience in the Middle East region’s hospitality industry to bolster my chances to be hired aboard cruise ships.”
Most of her classmates from a school in the southern Philippines which specializes in maritime courses have been employed by cruise companies such as MSC Cruises and Royal Caribbean.
“While [cruise ship] work may be backbreaking, the opportunity to visit other countries is a major enticement for seafarers,” said Tandong, adding that, for her, the shorter contracts of between six and eight months were more important.
“(This is) compared with land-based ones, where sometimes it takes years to go on a vacation, which is difficult for a mother like me as I want to be with my child (as) often as possible,” she explained.
