The ‘Aroya Manara’ and the ‘MSC Euribia’ anchored at the port of Dubai on March 4.
Credit: Giuseppe CACACE / AFP via Getty
NEED TO KNOW
Six cruise ships reportedly remain stuck in the Persian Gulf amid military conflicts in the Middle East
Approximately 15,000 passengers were stranded in the region but largely have since been repatriated through charter flights and other travel arrangements
As a result, cruise lines operating in the region have canceled or adjusted itineraries as ships remain unable to leave
Six cruise ships currently located in the Persian Gulf are reportedly stuck in the Middle East without a way to leave.
On Saturday, Feb. 28, President Donald Trump announced the U.S. participated in a joint attack with Israel against Iran. In retaliation, Iran launched a series of subsequent drone and missile strikes across the region, including areas like Israel, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
At the time, six cruise ships across four different companies were believed to have been impacted by the conflict, according to Euronews and CruiseHive. Those vessels included the MSC Euribia, TUI’s Mein Schiff 4 and Mein Schiff 5, Celestyal Cruises’ Discovery and Journey as well as the Saudi-based AroyaManara ship.
The vessels were forced to remain in port, as they would have to pass through the Strait of Hormuz to find safer waters. Airspace in the region was also shut down, making return flights home nearly impossible for travelers.
Two cruise ships anchored in Doha, Qatar, on March 2
Credit: HANNIBAL HANSCHKE/EPA/Shutterstock
According to a March 6 report from The New York Times, approximately 15,000 cruise passengers were stuck in the Gulf as a result.
Since the conflict, cruise companies have worked to return their guests home through private charters and another means of travel.
In a statement previously shared with PEOPLE on March 6, a representative from MSC Cruises confirmed the company launched a “dedicated flight operation” that included at least five charter flights to repatriate guests on board the Euribia ported in Dubai, UAE.
The ‘MSC Euribia’
Credit: Finnbarr Webster/Getty
The cruise line confirmed all guests, over 1,500 in total, were flown home by March 9, according to a statement shared with TravelWeek.
In a March 18 statement, Germany-based TUI Group confirmed all guests returned home safely about two weeks after the conflict began. The company says most guests, on board the Mei Schiff 4 in Dubai and the Mein Schiff 5 in Doha, Qatar, were directly transported via 12 TUI Airlines flights and 26 organized charter flights.
Although the passengers have largely returned home, the ships themselves remain stuck in the region.
According to CruiseMapper, the MSC Euribia, the Celestyal Discovery and the Aroya Manara still remain in Dubai. The Celestyal Journey and the Mein Schiff 5 are located in Doha while the Mein Schiff 4 is in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
As a result, the cruise lines have updated their itineraries and canceled sailings.
In a March 25 update, TUI announced the Mein Schiff 4’s scheduled sailings up until April 11 could not take place. Similarly, the Mein Schiff 5 has canceled its sailings up to April 24.
On the same day, Celestyal Cruises announced it would have to cancel three voyages, including two Mediterranean sailings on the Journey and one Greek Island sailing on the Discovery.
Two cruise ships anchored in Doha, Qatar, on March 2
Credit: HANNIBAL HANSCHKE/EPA/Shutterstock
For MSC’s Euribia, the soonest sailing is a roundtrip voyage out of Kiel, Germany, on May 2.
Meanwhile Aroya Cruises cancelled the rest of their cruising season entirely in a March 7 statement. The company also confirmed all of its passengers in Dubai disembarked on March 7.
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PEOPLE has reached out to MSC Cruises for further comment.
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