Cruise Influencers Say Hantavirus Is Not the End of the World, They'll Keep Traveling

Hantavirus is not the end of the world ... and people should keep booking their cruises as normal ... according to cruise influencers Rich and Jasmine Ramnarine.

TMZ spoke to the content creators behind A Rich and Jazzy Life ... who go on about 11 cruises every year with their 2 young daughters, Reign and Royce, as well as their Melanin at Sea community. They tell us they aren't losing sleep that hantavirus could affect their travels or the cruise industry as a whole ... and they even plan to voyage on their next aquatic adventure starting June 5.

Jazzy tells TMZ she feels saddened that hantavirus has caught cruising some bad flak ... 'cause no one is going on a trip with intentions of spreading sickness. But she doubles down that no one should treat this like the end of the world.

She and Rich do address the potential that hantavirus could become COVID 2.0, but they feel cruises are safe amid such an outbreak because they're constantly being cleaned, and strict safety precautions are put in place. And, if hantavirus becomes such a problem that they need to test for sickness before boarding a vessel, they tell us they're well prepared and ready.

And BTW, if you are worried about hantavirus and want to cancel your cruise ... Jazzy and Rich explain why you should let the cruise line cancel the trip -- it's all in the clip.

As you know, a hantavirus outbreak erupted on the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius as it sailed across the Atlantic Ocean over the last few weeks. Three people have died from the virus, and a French passenger is in critical condition. Eleven people have had either confirmed or suspected cases of hantavirus tied to the ship, according to the World Health Organization.

There isn't a larger threat to society at the moment, per WHO, though 23 cruise passengers reportedly debarked the ship and traveled across the world before health officials tracked them down. 

Seventeen American passengers have confirmed they intend to remain in the recommended 42-day quarantine as a precaution. An American doctor, oncologist Dr. Stephen Kornfeld, tested positive for hantavirus and is quarantining in the University of Nebraska's biocontainment unit.