Hopes for an early spring cruise through the Greek Islands are being cut short for some cruisegoers as Celestyal Cruises adjusts its deployment plans.

The Greek cruise line announced on March 17, 2026, that two upcoming sailings aboard Celestyal Discovery have been cancelled.

The 42,289-gross-ton vessel was planning to feature two short voyages from Athens in the Greek Islands and Turkey in March. The 3-night departure on March 27 and the 4-night sailing on March 30 are now scrapped.

The cancellations follow earlier adjustments for sister ship, Celestyal Journey, previously reported on Cruise Hive, when the cruise line cancelled its March 20 and March 23 voyages.

All are tied to delays in repositioning the ships out of the Middle East, where Celestyal Cruises had been operating winter itineraries.

“As the conflict in the Middle East continues, and in close coordination with the relevant authorities, we have had to delay the repositioning of Celestyal Discovery ahead of the start of her Mediterranean program,” said the cruise line in its Facebook post.

During the winter 2025-26 season, Celestyal Discovery was based in Abu Dhabi, UAE, operating its inaugural Arabian Gulf program with a series of 3-, 4-, and 7-night itineraries.

The sailings included calls to Doha in Qatar, Khasab in Oman, and ports across the U.A.E., but recent tensions in the Middle East have resulted in multiple cancellations across cruise lines and Celestyal Discovery remaining in Dubai.

The cruise line said all passengers currently sailing in the region have disembarked safely, including those aboard Celestyal Journey, which is staying in Doha until safe to resume its schedule.

Celestyal Cruises is currently finalizing arrangements to reposition the ships back to the Mediterranean ahead of the summer season.

What the Cancellations Mean for Passengers

For those booked on the cancelled sailings, the disruption comes with limited short-term alternatives, especially given the timing of the start of the Mediterranean season.

Celestyal Cruises is offering affected passengers a choice between a full refund or a future cruise credit, and is advising booked guests to contact their “original travel provider to discuss the available options and next steps.”

Celestyal Discovery has a number of 3- and 4-night Greek Isles voyages scheduled throughout April into mid-May. The sailings depart from Piraeus (Athens) to Mykonos, Patmos, Rhodes, and Santorini, Greece, as well as Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey.

Celestyal Journey offers longer voyages of 7 to 14 nights, sailing into the Adriatic Sea for calls in Croatia, Montenegro, and Italy. It’s scheduled to sail throughout the summer.

The disruption is tied directly to the rapidly escalating conflict in the Middle East following a series of US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran in late February and early March. Within hours of those strikes, Iran responded with threats to maritime traffic.

At the same time, missile and drone attacks extended beyond Iran, with strikes across Gulf countries, including key cruise hubs like the UAE and Qatar. The attacks forced Celestyal Cruises to cut short its season in the Middle East.