Several cruise ships remain stranded in the Persian Gulf as military conflicts continue to unfold in the Middle East, leaving their vessels unable to navigate to safe waters. Amidst escalating tensions, an estimated 15,000 passengers were initially trapped in the region but have largely returned home following repatriation efforts through charter flights and various travel arrangements.
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The situation escalated dramatically on February 28, when former President Donald Trump announced joint military actions involving the United States and Israel targeting Iran. In response, Iran retaliated with drone and missile strikes across multiple nations, including Israel, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq, and the United Arab Emirates. This turmoil has severely impacted cruise operations, with six ships belonging to four different cruise lines caught in the conflict, reported Euronews and CruiseHive. Among those affected are the MSC Euribia, TUI’s Mein Schiff 4 and Mein Schiff 5, Celestyal Cruises’ Journey and Discovery, along with the Saudi-owned Aroya Manara.
The vessels have been rendered unable to leave port due to navigational obstacles, particularly the need to pass through the Strait of Hormuz to reach safer waters. Moreover, the airspace in the region has been heavily restricted, complicating any potential return flights home for stranded passengers.
A recent report from The New York Times highlighted that around 15,000 cruise passengers were affected by the ongoing conflict. Since then, cruise lines have been actively engaged in efforts to repatriate their guests using private charters and other forms of transportation. For instance, MSC Cruises initiated a dedicated flight operation that included at least five charter flights to facilitate the repatriation of guests onboard the MSC Euribia, which remained docked in Dubai. According to statements from the cruise line, all passengers—over 1,500 in total—were successfully flown home by March 9.
Further updates from TUI Group indicated that all guests aboard their ships had safely returned home approximately two weeks following the onset of the conflict. Most of the passengers from the Mein Schiff 4, anchored in Dubai, and Mein Schiff 5, based in Doha, were transported back via a combination of 12 TUI Airlines flights and 26 organised charter flights.
While the returning passengers are now largely back in their home countries, the ships remain immobilised in the area. Reports from CruiseMapper indicate that the MSC Euribia, Celestyal Discovery, and Aroya Manara are still docked in Dubai. Meanwhile, the Celestyal Journey and Mein Schiff 5 are anchored in Doha, and the Mein Schiff 4 finds itself in Abu Dhabi.
As a direct result of the ongoing military tensions, cruise lines have been forced to adjust their itineraries, and numerous sailings have faced cancellations. TUI Group announced on March 25 that scheduled sailings for the Mein Schiff 4 up until April 11 were called off, while the Mein Schiff 5 has similarly cancelled its voyages through April 24. Additionally, Celestyal Cruises disclosed the cancellation of three of its voyages, including two planned Mediterranean sailings on the Journey and one Greek Island cruise aboard the Discovery.
For the MSC Euribia, the soonest that the ship can set sail is a round-trip journey from Kiel, Germany, scheduled for May 2. Meanwhile, Aroya Cruises has opted to cancel the remainder of their cruising season entirely, with disembarkation for all passengers in Dubai confirmed on March 7.
As the situation in the Middle East continues to change, cruise lines remain in a difficult position, navigating both the impacts of geopolitical unrest and the need to keep passengers safe while maintaining operational viability. A spokesperson for MSC Cruises commented that further updates on the situation would be forthcoming.