Six Cruise Ships Exit Persian Gulf After Strait of Hormuz Opens

Six cruise ships held in Persian Gulf ports since late February have begun repositioning after a brief window allowed transits through the Strait of Hormuz, easing weeks of disruption to global cruise schedules and offering a path back to planned summer deployments in Europe and the Mediterranean.

A narrow opening for cruise ships to leave the Gulf

The ships had been effectively stuck in the region amid geopolitical instability that sharply reduced safe maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, the critical gateway between the Persian Gulf and open waters. Story A attributed the disruption to regional tensions following US-Israeli military actions against Iran, while operators and industry officials tracked the evolving security picture and waited for a viable passage window.

The breakthrough came in mid-April during what Story A described as a temporary ceasefire announced by Iran. Operators later confirmed multiple successful transits, with vessels sailing with skeleton crews and coordinating with relevant authorities.

Which ships were affected and where they waited

At the peak of the disruption, six cruise ships across four operators were held in ports in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, with Cruise Saudi’s Aroya also held in the Persian Gulf region. The vessels included MSC Euribia, TUI Cruises’ Mein Schiff 4 and Mein Schiff 5, and Celestyal Cruises’ Celestyal Journey and Celestyal Discovery.

• MSC Cruises: MSC Euribia (held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates)
• TUI Cruises: Mein Schiff 4 (held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates)
• TUI Cruises: Mein Schiff 5 (held in Doha, Qatar)
• Celestyal Cruises: Celestyal Discovery (held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates)
• Celestyal Cruises: Celestyal Journey (held in Doha, Qatar)
• Cruise Saudi: Aroya (held in the Persian Gulf region)

After the transits began, MSC Cruises said MSC Euribia safely departed Dubai and headed for Northern Europe, while TUI Cruises said Mein Schiff 4 and Mein Schiff 5 were en route to Mediterranean deployment. Celestyal Journey and Celestyal Discovery also navigated out and were expected to resume Eastern Mediterranean routes. Story A reported that Aroya remained docked in Dammam awaiting clearance to transit.

Passengers, crew repatriation, and minimum manning onboard

With guest voyages suspended, operators shifted ships into reduced-staff operating modes focused on engineering, navigation readiness, and essential safety tasks. Story A said initial repatriation operations evacuated more than 15,000 passengers via charter flights arranged by operators including TUI and MSC Cruises, with passengers and much of the hotel staff sent home while captains and technical teams remained to maintain vessels in a warm lay-up state.

TUI Group also highlighted crew movements. In a statement, TUI said: “In addition to its customers, TUI has also brought home approximately 1,500 crew members of the Mein Schiff 4 and Mein Schiff 5. Only a small crew has remained on the ships to handle essential tasks until it becomes possible to safely navigate the ships through the Strait of Hormuz.”

MSC Group’s Cruise Division Executive Chairman Pierfrancesco Vago separately described the minimum-manning approach for MSC Euribia while the ship awaited a safe opportunity to move.

MSC’s proposal: using cruise ships to help move stranded seafarers

While the cruise lines focused on restoring itineraries, MSC also floated a parallel idea aimed at the wider maritime disruption. Speaking during Seatrade Cruise Global 2026 in Miami Beach, Vago said MSC had ships “stuck in the Gulf for the time being” and that the company was in discussions with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) because “there are a lot of seafarers that can be moved out of the Gulf on these [cruise ships].”

He emphasized that there was no firm timeline and that the company’s goal was readiness if conditions permitted movement, adding: “We need to stay cool and be ready to move out as soon as the possibility comes by.”

Story B said that, collectively, the six cruise ships represented an estimated capacity of about 17,000 people, a scale that could support a significant seafarer movement operation if clearances and security conditions allowed. The IMO provided broader context, saying the six cruise ships were “amongst the many hundred of ships stranded west of the Strait of Hormuz,” and estimating there were about 20,000 seafarers across those vessels. The IMO also said outbound traffic was far below typical levels and noted that, for a period, no passenger ship had departed the region since March 1.

How itineraries were disrupted, then rebuilt

Even as passengers had largely been repatriated, the extended delay complicated positioning for the start of European and Mediterranean seasons. MSC Euribia’s schedule was directly affected while the ship remained in Dubai, including the cancellation of a scheduled May 2, 2026 departure from Kiel, Germany, for a seven-night Norwegian Fjords itinerary.

In a message to booked guests, MSC wrote: “The MSC Euribia was unable to leave the region as planned; consequently, its repositioning towards Northern Europe has suffered a delay.” The company also told guests: “Please believe that this cancellation is a direct consequence of the ship’s delay and not a discretionary decision.”

MSC offered guests the option to move to another sailing without a modification fee, with onboard credit on qualifying rebookings, or to cancel for a full refund. Story B also noted that MSC indicated it lacked certainty on departure timing for at least a two-week window at one point, contributing to further schedule changes for early May.

After Euribia later transited the Strait of Hormuz, MSC said the ship would return to service sooner than expected and confirmed that departures on May 16 from Kiel and May 17 from Copenhagen would operate as originally scheduled, with subsequent sailings proceeding as planned. Story A added that the Northern Europe season was set to begin with those departures.

Other operators also canceled or reshaped programs during the disruption. Story B said Celestyal canceled voyages and rescheduled its return to Eastern Mediterranean service, while TUI Cruises canceled a range of voyages tied to delayed repositioning for Mein Schiff 4 and Mein Schiff 5.

Routing challenges and what operators are watching next

Even with ships moving again, operators continued weighing routing options for onward voyages to Europe, including transiting via the Red Sea and Suez Canal or taking the longer route around Africa. Story A said repositioning voyages could involve lengthy routes and noted alternative transit risks around the Suez Canal, while Story B similarly said cruise lines weighed Red Sea and Suez versus the longer Africa option.

The disruption also landed as the Gulf has been positioning itself as a winter-season cruise hub, with ships typically deploying in the Middle East between November and April before shifting to Mediterranean itineraries for summer. Story A reported that some operators, including MSC Cruises, had already announced plans to reduce their Gulf presence next season, including deploying MSC World Europa to the Caribbean.

The IMO said it had developed an “evacuation mechanism” designed to allow ships that need and want to depart to do so “once it is safe to do so,” and operators indicated that ongoing security conditions would continue to shape the pace of maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz as schedules are rebuilt.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How were passengers repatriated during the Gulf disruption?

Story A reported that operators arranged repatriation operations that evacuated more than 15,000 passengers through charter flights, with cruise lines including TUI and MSC Cruises involved. Passengers were sent home while reduced crews remained onboard to maintain vessels in a warm lay-up state.

How many seafarers did the IMO estimate were stranded on ships west of the Strait of Hormuz?

According to an IMO spokesperson cited in Story B, the six cruise ships were “amongst the many hundred of ships stranded west of the Strait of Hormuz,” and the IMO estimated there were about 20,000 seafarers across those vessels.

Did MSC Euribia’s Northern Europe restart dates change?

Yes. Story B reported that MSC canceled the ship’s scheduled May 2, 2026 departure from Kiel while the vessel remained in Dubai. After MSC Euribia later transited the Strait of Hormuz, MSC confirmed departures on May 16 from Kiel and May 17 from Copenhagen would operate as originally scheduled, with subsequent sailings proceeding as planned.

Will cruise lines still operate in the Middle East next season?

Story A reported that some operators have already signaled changes. MSC Cruises announced it would reduce its Gulf presence for winter 2026-2027, including repositioning MSC World Europa to the Caribbean, while other cruise lines were expected to evaluate deployments based on geopolitical developments.