Several cruise operators have postponed the restart of vessels currently stranded in the Arabian Gulf as maritime safety concerns continue around the Strait of Hormuz.
Since late February, six cruise ships from multiple cruise lines have remained docked in regional ports after companies cancelled the remainder of their seasonal itineraries. Cruise operators now expect services to resume in early May 2026, provided vessels can safely depart the region and reposition to Europe and the Red Sea.
MSC Euribia
- Cruise Line: MSC Cruises
- Current Location: Dubai
- Next Scheduled Departure: May 2, 2026 from Kiel
- Upcoming Itineraries: Northern Europe and Scandinavia
The MSC Euribia remains docked at the Port of Dubai after the cruise line cancelled the remainder of its Arabian Gulf season in early March.
The 5,400-guest ship is expected to begin its summer deployment with cruises to the Norwegian Fjords once it reaches Northern Europe.
Celestyal Journey
- Cruise Line: Celestyal Cruises
- Current Location: Doha
- Next Scheduled Departure: May 2, 2026 from Piraeus
- Upcoming Itineraries: Eastern Mediterranean and Greek Islands
The Celestyal Journey had all Mediterranean sailings cancelled through the end of April due to uncertainty over when it can depart the Gulf region.
The 1,260-passenger vessel is currently scheduled to restart cruises in Greece with itineraries across the Greek Islands and Adriatic Sea.
Celestyal Discovery
- Cruise Line: Celestyal Cruises
- Current Location: Dubai
- Next Scheduled Departure: May 1, 2026 from Lavrion
- Upcoming Itineraries: Eastern Mediterranean and Greek Islands
The Celestyal Discovery also cancelled all Eastern Mediterranean itineraries through April. According to the cruise line, the ship has been unable to begin its repositioning voyage back to Europe.
Mein Schiff 4
- Cruise Line: TUI Cruises
- Current Location: Abu Dhabi
- Next Scheduled Departure: May 1, 2026 from Palma de Mallorca
- Upcoming Itineraries: Western Mediterranean, Adriatic, Croatia and Greece
The Mein Schiff 4 recently had its repositioning voyage via Africa cancelled. It is now expected to restart operations in Spain with summer cruises in the Mediterranean.
Mein Schiff 5
- Cruise Line: TUI Cruises
- Current Location: Doha
- Next Scheduled Departure: May 1, 2026 from Heraklion
- Upcoming Itineraries: Eastern Mediterranean, Greek Islands and Turkey
The Mein Schiff 5 is another vessel affected by the situation after the cruise line cancelled its remaining Gulf sailings in early March.
The 97,000-ton ship is expected to begin its Mediterranean summer deployment once it reaches Greece.
Aroya
- Cruise Line: Aroya Cruises
- Current Location: Dubai
- Next Scheduled Departure: May 14, 2026 from Jeddah
- Upcoming Itineraries: Red Sea cruises followed by Eastern Mediterranean voyages
The Aroya had just completed its first cruise in the Arabian Gulf before the remainder of its regional season was cancelled.
The ship is now scheduled to restart operations in the Red Sea in mid-May, launching a new series of regional cruises before moving to the Mediterranean for summer itineraries.
Cruise Industry Monitoring Situation
Cruise operators continue to monitor security conditions around the Strait of Hormuz. Once conditions improve, the ships are expected to depart the Gulf region and reposition to their scheduled summer cruise markets in Europe and the Red Sea.
