With the rapidly unfolding events in Iran and other areas in the Middle East, cruise ships in that region are on high alert for keeping their guests well and safe.

For MSC Euribia, that means remaining in Dubai for the time being rather than continuing on to other regional ports. The ship arrived in Dubai on the morning of Friday, February 27 and was scheduled to depart at 8 p.m. on Saturday, February 28.

Guests onboard have been informed of the situation and advised of how best to enjoy their extended time in city.

“We regret to inform you that we need to change our itinerary due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East,” a letter delivered to guests’ staterooms explained. “In alignment with the national authorities, it has been decided to remain in the port of Dubai until further notice.”

Guests are permitted to go ashore but are nevertheless advised to stay at the cruise terminal area. Shore tours are cancelled, but they will be fully refunded to guests’ onboard accounts. There is no indication that any onboard activities are impacted at this time. All ship operations are proceeding normally.

MSC Euribia is currently docked at Cruise Terminal 3 at Port Rashid in Dubai, the closest dock to the historic city center and traditional souk markets. The port is about 20 minutes from Dubai International Airport.

The 184,000-gross-ton, Meraviglia-Plus Class ship has just finished a 7-night Middle East cruise roundtrip from Dubai, with visits to Doha, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, and a private island in the United Arab Emrites.

Itineraries in the Middle East vary and guests can board and debark the vessel at different points for different sailing lengths. During this 7-night cruise, for example, some travelers may have enjoyed just the 3-night segment from Abu Dhabi to Dubai.

With the recent developments involving the joint US-Israel strikes on Iran, however, and subsequent outbreaks of other violence and retaliatory action, MSC Euribia will remain in Dubai rather than setting sail.

Her next destination was to have been Doha, Qatar on March 1, but that port is currently closed. Local authorities expect other regional ports to likewise be closing and possibly remain closed for some time.

To be clear, there has been no attack or violence noted at the cruise port, though the city has heavy traffic congestion and the situation remains unpredictable. Dubai is less than 90 miles from the southern coast of Iran.

To help guests onboard MSC Euribia remain in contact with family and friends, the ship’s Wi-Fi has been opened without charge to everyone and guests will continue to be updated with any new developments.

“We are very sorry for this inconvenience, which is beyond our control,” the letter concludes. “In everything we do, the safety of our guests and crew remains our highest priority.”

MSC Euribia can host up to 6,327 guests for each sailing. The ship is also home to approximately 1,700 international crew members.

Will Additional Cruises Be Impacted?

At this time, there is no confirmation about additional cruises being impacted, but that outcome seems inevitable given the tenuous nature of the situation.

Guests who are booked on MSC Euribia in the coming days should stay in close contact with MSC Cruises to be updated when adjustments are made.

Also docked at Port Rashid on Saturday, February 28, is Celestyal Discovery and Aroya Manara, the former World Dream cruise ship from now-defunct Genting Hong Kong. The ship now belongs to Aroya Cruises.

TUI Cruises’ Mein Schiff 4 and Celestyal Journey are also scheduled for Dubai in the coming days, but no official announcements have been made about whether or not their itineraries will be impacted.

Cruise Hive’s thoughts for peace and safety are with all travelers in tumultuous regions, no matter where they may be sailing in the world.