Six Cruise Ships Stranded in Arabian Gulf Disruption

Six cruise vessels remain unable to leave the Arabian Gulf after operations in the region were suspended in late February and with the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed to international shipping, these ships cannot begin their planned repositioning voyages to other regions.

Aroya

Cruise Line: Aroya Cruises
Current Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Next Scheduled Departure: May 14, 2026, from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Upcoming Itineraries: Red Sea spring season and Eastern Mediterranean summer

Originally planned to operate in the Arabian Gulf through May, Aroya is now docked in Dubai and is expected to resume service in mid-May with cruises in the Red Sea, followed by a summer deployment in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Celestyal Discovery

Cruise Line: Celestyal Cruises
Current Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Next Scheduled Departure: April 3, 2026, from Lavrion, Greece
Upcoming Itineraries: Eastern Mediterranean and Greek Islands

Also docked in Dubai, Celestyal Discovery is planned to operate in the Eastern Mediterranean this summer. Four of its European sailings were cancelled due to the disruption, but the ship is still scheduled to resume service from Lavrion in early April.

Celestyal Journey

Cruise Line: Celestyal Cruises
Current Location: Doha, Qatar
Next Scheduled Departure: April 4, 2026, from Piraeus, Greece
Upcoming Itineraries: Eastern Mediterranean and Greek Islands

Although all passengers disembarked safely earlier in the month, CelestyalJourney remains berthed in Doha. The vessel is currently expected to reposition to Greece before beginning its Eastern Mediterranean and Greek Islands itineraries in April.

MSC Euribia

Cruise Line: MSC Cruises
Current Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Next Scheduled Departure: May 2, 2026, from Kiel, Germany
Upcoming Itineraries: Northern Europe and Scandinavia

MSC Euribia has been docked in Dubai since February 27, 2026. The 5,400-passenger ship is expected to restart operations in Northern Europe in early May. For the summer season, it is scheduled to offer seven-night cruises to the Norwegian Fjords, sailing from ports in Germany and Denmark.

Mein Schiff 4

Cruise Line: TUI Cruises
Current Location: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Next Scheduled Departure: April 11, 2026, from Cape Town, South Africa
Upcoming Itineraries: Repositioning via Africa, followed by Eastern Mediterranean season

Mein Schiff 4 is currently in Abu Dhabi after part of its repositioning itinerary was cancelled. Despite this, the vessel is still expected to operate the second segment of its journey, departing Cape Town for Spain on a 20-night cruise before starting its summer program in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Mein Schiff 5

Cruise Line: TUI Cruises
Current Location: Doha, Qatar
Next Scheduled Departure: April 17, 2026, from Palma de Mallorca, Spain
Upcoming Itineraries: Eastern Mediterranean, Greek Islands and Turkey

Mein Schiff 5 is another vessel affected by the disruption, with the remainder of its Arabian Gulf season cancelled. Currently in Doha, the ship’s repositioning voyages were also cancelled. It is now scheduled to resume passenger operations in Spain in mid-April.

The ongoing situation in the Strait of Hormuz continues to disrupt cruise operations, leaving multiple vessels delayed as they await the opportunity to reposition and restart their scheduled itineraries.