90-Second Read: Demand for cruises appears undimmed despite Hantavirus and other onboard outbreaks

Recent outbreaks of Hantavirus and norovirus on cruise ships are making headlines, but they Recent outbreaks of Hantavirus and norovirus on cruise ships are making headlines, but they're unlikely to dim vacationers' growing love of cruises. Rob Kwortnik, an associate professor at Cornell University's Nolan School of Hotel Administration, said current news cycles rarely impact cruise demand because cruises are generally booked at least 6 months, and often as much as a year, in advance. Passengers and crew at the Hantavirus-stricken cruise ship MV Hondius after arriving at the port of Granadilla in Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, Sunday, May 10, 2026.

CruiseCompete.com, an online cruise marketplace, said it booked 31.7% more cabins in the first two weeks of May than it did during the same period last year. And Viking said earlier this week that demand softened slightly in the first quarter after the Iran war began before picking up steam again. People walk past the British cruise ship Ambition, as French authorities have ordered 1,700 passengers and crew to stay on board due to a gastrointestinal illness outbreak, in Bordeaux, southwestern France, Wednesday, May 13, 2026.

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