The escalating military conflict in Iran and the Middle East is bleeding into the cruise and travel industry.
Several cruise ships have now rerouted or cancelled sailings, as widespread airspace closures and heightened security alerts make traveling to and from Middle Eastern cruise ports extremely difficult.
These are all the cruise ships that have been impacted by the tensions so far, and Cruise Hive will continue to issue updates as more information becomes known.
MSC Cruises
MSC Euribia has cancelled its March 1, 2026, departure from Doha, Qatar, and instead has hunkered down in Dubai, where it was scheduled to visit from February 27 to 28.
The MSC ship will stay docked at Cruise Terminal 3 at Port Rashid in Dubai until further notice.
“In alignment with the national authorities, it has been decided to remain in the port of Dubai until further notice,” MSC wrote in a letter to impacted guests, which was obtained by Cruise Hive.
Guests are allowed to go ashore during this waiting period, but are encouraged to remain in the cruise terminal area for their own safety.
TUI Cruises
This cruise line has not one, but two ships that have been impacted by the attacks on Iran.
When the conflict escalated, Mein Schiff 4 was in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and Mein Schiff 5 was in Doha, Qatar. Both ships are operating multiple Middle Eastern itineraries simultaneously.
For the time being, guests have been instructed to shelter onboard, and passengers have been told to remain indoors and away from windows.
Initially, the cruise line said it was monitoring the situation before determining further itinerary changes and the impact to new sailings.
“We are monitoring the situation very closely and are in constant contact with the relevant authorities as well as the security departments of our parent companies TUI AG and Royal Caribbean Group,” the cruise line said in an update.
But as of the afternoon of February 28, Mein Schiff 4’s planned departures on March 1 and 2, both of which were 7-night sailings, have officially been cancelled for safety reasons.
Similarly, Mein Schiff 5’s embarkation on February 28, which was a 10-night sailing, has also been scrapped.
Celestyal Cruises
Similar to MSC Cruises, Celestyal Cruises is taking a wait-and-see approach for its ships based in the Persian Gulf.
The cruise line has decided that Celestyal Journey will stay put in Doha and Celestyal Discovery will hunker down in Dubai for at least 24 hours while the powers that be figure out the safest next steps.
“We are closely monitoring the evolving situation in the Middle East in coordination with the relevant authorities…Both ships will remain in port for 24 hours while the situation is assessed,” Celestyal Cruises stated.
Guests with upcoming embarkations have also been told to look out for communication regarding potential delays and cancellations.
The 1,260-guest Celestyal Journey has embarkations for 7-night sailings scheduled for February 28 and March 2, which will likely not be possible.
Celestyal Discovery, which has a capacity of 1,360 passengers, was supposed to begin a 7-night sailing in Dubai on February 28 and a 4-night sailing from Abu Dhabi on March 2.
Aroya Cruises
Aroya Cruises is a smaller, Arabian cruise brand that currently operates one vessel, Aroya Manara, out of Abu Dhabi, Doha Qatar, and Dubai.
While the cruise line has not issued any official itinerary changes or cancellations just yet, guests have been warned that updates may be coming very soon.
“The safety of our guests is our absolute priority…We will keep you informed of any further updates or changes,” the cruise line said in a social media post.
As of the time of publication, cruise tracking data shows the 3,362-guest ship hunkered down in Dubai with MSC Euribia and Celestyal Discovery.
More Updates to Come
The situation in the Middle East is still very tense and uncertain, and more changes and cancellations are likely to come for cruise ships deployed to this region.
Guests who are currently onboard impacted ships or are planning to embark soon should follow the instructions of the relevant authorities and look out for updates from their cruise line.
Cruise Hive will continue to keep our readers informed as more information becomes known, and we are wishing everyone who has been impacted by safety in their travels.
