“I am told by the doctor that we are not infectious,” the captain says in the footage – not knowing the ship’s British doctor would himself be in serious condition weeks later.
“He said it was due to natural causes,” Cenet recalled in an interview by video link.
“They didn’t even consider the possibility of having such a contagious disease,” he added.
“They didn’t take the problem seriously enough.”
‘Worst-case scenario’
Three of the ship’s passengers have now died, including the first victim’s wife and a German woman.
The World Health Organisation says that at least five others from the ship have definitely or probably been infected with hantavirus, a rare and potentially deadly respiratory disease.
Cenet said he was startled to see that “everyday life continued” on the ship after the captain’s announcement.
His videos show elderly passengers mingling around the buffet table.
“We again kept eating all together ... and we didn’t wear any masks,” he said.
To be safe, he and his cameraman decided to self-isolate, he told AFP.
“We didn’t know there was a virus, but we just took precautions,” he said.
A few days later, the ship anchored off Tristan da Cunha for the day.
Cenet remains haunted by that stop, fearing a “worst-case scenario”, he said.
“I wish we did not land there after the first casualty, because along with us, there were a hundred more passengers, and they were interacting with the islanders,” he said.
“This is one of my regrets, because the island is the most remote one, and they don’t have enough medical centres, enough doctors.”
A $16,790 trip
Cenet disembarked from the ship on the British overseas territory of Saint Helena on April 24, with about 20 other passengers.
The next day, he boarded a flight to South Africa.
It was the same one carrying the wife of the first victim.
She died the next day.
“She was in a wheelchair ... Her head was down. Apparently, the illness started getting to her,” Cenet said.
He remembered how after her husband’s death, many passengers on the ship had gathered around her to console her.
From South Africa, Cenet and his cameraman returned to Istanbul.
“When we got to Turkey, we were told that as long as we don’t show any symptoms, at this point we don’t have to be quarantined,” he said.
“We are trying to isolate ourselves as much as we can.”
The Hondius, which had been in quarantine off Cape Verde, has left its anchorage there for Spain’s Canary Islands.
An acquaintance still on board told Cenet the passengers were now isolated in their cabins and wearing masks.
“I think these kind of ships should have some sort of a lab or necessary equipment” in case of outbreaks, Cenet said.
He added that passengers had paid around US$10,000 ($16,790) each for the cruise.
“I think these kind of amenities are needed,” he said.
“One doctor wasn’t enough.”
– AFP
