“The Simpsons” is known for a lot of things—one of which being its incredible powers of prediction.
Over the years, internet sleuths have pointed out just how many future details “The Simpsons” seems to get right. Some say the show predicted the campaign of Kamala Harris. Fans also note, despite not being a sports-centered show, just how right the cartoon’s sports predictions are.
The creators of the show have explained this away, saying that if you have a show for over 35 years, you’re eventually going to predict something almost accidentally.
That said, some of these predictions are so accurate that many are left wondering if there’s a crystal ball sitting somewhere in the writers’ room.
Recently, internet users have cited another example of this phenomenon. In short, did “The Simpsons” predict the hantavirus cruise?
Did ‘The Simpsons’ Predict The Hantavirus Cruise Situation?
In case you missed it, there’s a new virus on the scene. It’s called the Andes virus, and it’s a strain of what are called hantaviruses.
While it’s not thought to be particularly contagious, the potential effects of it are devastating. As reported by the World Health Organization, infection with this virus can lead to something called “hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS).” This is a severe respiratory illness with a fatality rate up to 50%.
Naturally, as soon as news of this virus spread—and the fact that many cases appear to be stemming from a single cruise ship, the MV Hondius—some are wondering if, somehow, “The Simpsons” predicted this.
In one video, which currently has over 5.1 million views, TikTok user @itsmccartyo6 simply asks, “So, what episode was the hantavirus on ‘The Simpsons’? So I can catch up and kinda, you know, figure out what’s gonna happen?”
Commenters were quick to answer him: season 23, episode 19. This is an episode called “A Totally Fun Thing Bart Will Never Do Again.”
TikTok users also began to share clips from the episode. In one clip, a general announces that there is a virus spreading across the world. In another, the ship’s captain announces that the virus is akin to a plague.
So, Was ‘The Simpsons’ Prediction Accurate?
Not really.
There are a few things wrong with this prediction. To start, the virus in the show was fake. In the episode, Bart shows the ship a clip from a movie to make the passengers believe that a virus has taken over the globe in order to stay on the cruise ship and extend his vacation. This means that the virus was not only not real but not on the ship at all.
Second, in the episode, fears of the virus result in the family and other cruise guests being stuck on the ship. With the real-life hantavirus, cruise passengers were allowed to dock in Spain, then repatriated to their countries under supervision.
There Have Been Other Cruise Incidents
Still, one might look at this situation and wonder how the writers even got the idea of having a virus-related cruise storyline in the first place.
The short answer is, “This has happened a few times before.”
That’s right—in the years leading up to this episode, there were numerous news stories about people being stuck on cruise ships, for virus-related reasons or otherwise.
The most notable (and potentially related) example of this is the 2009 P&O Pacific Dawn H1N1 outbreak. In May 2009, Australian authorities demanded that the ship stay at sea after several people onboard tested positive for the virus. The passengers were eventually allowed to leave but had to quarantine upon departure.
As cruise ships involve a lot of people living in the same, limited amount of space consuming the same food and drink, it’s not terribly surprising that viral outbreaks can occur on cruise ships.
In fact, the CDC has a website detailing the various gastrointestinal illnesses that have broken out on cruise ships under their jurisdiction. At the time of writing, there have been four outbreaks since the start of 2026 alone.
This isn’t to say that cruise ships are unsafe. Instead, it’s just a warning to take precautions when you’re traveling. And, just to be safe, maybe stay away from anywhere mentioned on “The Simpsons.”
@itsmccartyo6 #fyp #fypシ #hantavirus #cruise #thesimpsons what episode this one on?
BroBible reached out to @itsmccartyo6 via TikTok direct message and comment.