Hantavirus, Norovirus, and Even a Death – But Cruise Bookings Are Still Booming

A deadly hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship. A norovirus outbreak on another. Three passengers dead. And yet, millions of travellers are still expected to set sail this year. Industry representatives say the recent health scares are unlikely to dent demand, with cruise lines forecasting record passenger numbers worldwide in 2026.

Rob Kwortnik, an associate professor at Cornell University's Nolan School of Hotel Administration who closely watches the cruise industry, said that the cruise consumer "seems to be somewhat Teflon when it comes to stories like this." His choice of material is apt: non-stick, heat-resistant, and apparently impervious to news of vomiting, diarrhoea, and death at sea.

In its "State of the Cruise Industry Report 2026" published in April, the industry trade group Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) estimated that 38.3 million people would travel on ocean-going ships this year. That is 4 percent more than last year's record of 37.2 million passengers. Asked about potential impacts from the hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius, CLIA said it does not comment or speculate on bookings. Several big cruise companies – including Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and Carnival – did not respond to questions from The Associated Press about customer demand.

Oceanwide Expeditions, the Dutch company that owns the MV Hondius, said it does not foresee any changes to its operations. It has a cruise setting sail from Keflavik, Iceland, on 29 May.

Veteran cruise-goers appear unfazed. Jenni Fielding, who blogs and posts social media videos about cruise trips under the moniker Cruise Mummy, said she has eight cruises booked and will absolutely be booking another. She added that cruising is as safe as any other type of holiday, provided travellers follow sensible health advice and stay aware of official guidance. Scott Eddy, a hospitality influencer currently on a cruise docked in Monaco, said fellow passengers have not mentioned the hantavirus outbreak. "The average traveller understands that this is an isolated health situation and not something unique to cruise travel itself," he said.

The booking data supports the confidence. CruiseCompete.com, an online marketplace where consumers can compare offers from travel agents, booked 31.7 percent more cabins in the first half of May compared to the same period last year, according to CEO Bob Levinstein. He said he can categorically state that they have not seen any drop in demand. Levinstein noted that norovirus – an extremely contagious stomach bug that thrives in crowded environments – is conflated with cruises in the minds of many Americans because the US Centers for Disease Control requires ships to disclose when 3 percent or more passengers report symptoms. On a ship with 5,000 passengers, an illness impacting 3 percent of them "goes completely unnoticed by the vast majority of vacationers, and experienced cruisers know this."

Kwortnik added that current news cycles rarely impact passengers' decisions to join a cruise because trips are generally booked at least six months – and often as much as a year – in advance. "People who are booking cruises tomorrow are thinking about the holidays," he said.

During a conference call with investors on Thursday, Switzerland-based cruise line Viking said demand for its river cruises softened briefly during the first three months of this year after the Iran war began but then quickly rebounded. Viking said 92 percent of its 2026 cruises and 38 percent of its 2027 cruises were booked. The company did not mention hantavirus or norovirus.

Andrew Coggins, a cruise industry analyst and professor at Pace University's Lubin School of Business in New York, said that even if travellers set to embark on a cruise soon are unnerved by the latest news, they are unlikely to get a refund. "I think if there's any impact on demand, it would be in the long term," he said. "If you're cruising in the next few months, you're past the point at which you can get your money back."

Coggins thinks the hantavirus story got a lot of attention because it reminded people of the Diamond Princess, which was quarantined off Japan for two weeks in early 2020 after the coronavirus that grew into a global pandemic was detected on board. The COVID-19 pandemic devastated the cruise industry, shutting down many smaller operators. Cruises did not see an upswing in passengers again until 2022. There are still fewer cruise passengers from China and Japan than there were before COVID, according to CLIA. But Coggins said demand elsewhere is booming. "There are new ships on order out to 2037," he said. "The cruise lines are bullish. They see demand growing and they want to offer new bells and whistles, new ports, new destinations."

One reason for cruising's growth is broad appeal across generations and income levels. In a recent US survey, Bank of America found that Gen Z respondents and millennials were the most likely to say they planned to cruise over the next 12 months. The survey also found that cruise spending rose for lower-income households even as those households spent less on airfare and lodging. Cruise lines have been wooing those passengers in recent years with shorter, more affordable itineraries.

Kwortnik offered a final, compelling argument: "On average, it costs more just to stay at a hotel in Miami than it does to sail on a cruise out of Miami – and the cruise includes lodging, multiple destinations, food, entertainment, and transportation all in the fare." So, to summarise: you can pay more for a hotel room in Florida, or you can pay less for a floating hotel that may or may not have a stomach bug outbreak. The market has spoken. The ships are full. And the Teflon consumer is booking another cruise.

Written by Martina Kirchner