After Being Docked for 47 Days, A Cruise Ship is Going Through the Strait of Hormuz

After weeks of being stuck due to the conflict in the Middle East, there is finally movement in the Persian Gulf. Celestyal Discovery has departed Dubai and is currently moving through the Strait of Hormuz.  The ship is now heading Southeast as it rounds Jazirat Masandam, navigating through the narrowest part of the channel.

The Malta flagged ship has been docked and stationary for approximately 47 days. It first arrived in Dubai around March 1 and remained there until its departure earlier today, April 17.

Heading Toward Oman

Tracking data that we have checked through multiple sources (Cruise Mapper and Vessel Finder) shows the vessel is currently traveling at 16.5 – 17 knots with a destination of Muscat, Oman with an ETA of April 18 at 12:00 PM.  It should be noted that no passengers are on the ship, as the vessel is just repositioning, while the ultimate destination is still not 100% confirmed.

This move is a very big step, as the ship has been effectively “stuck” since the Strait of Hormuz became a high-risk zone for commercial travel in late February.

As Cruise Fever reported earlier in the crisis, the situation forced several cruise lines to effectively shut down operations on impacted ships and cancel dozens of cruises.

Celestyal Discovery was one of six major passenger ships caught behind the bottleneck, along with Celestyal Journey, MSC Euribia, Mein Schiff 4, Mein Schiff 5, and Aroya Manara.

Security Measures and Canceled Sailings

While Celestyal Discovery is currently visible on tracking maps, other ships in the region have taken a different approach.

Both MSC Euribia and Mein Schiff 5 have recently gone “dark” on public AIS tracking. This is often done for security reasons to keep a ship’s exact position private while navigating sensitive or high-risk waters.

The long delay has been costly for the schedule and has kept would-be cruisers in a constant state of waiting and hoping for these ships to be able to sail again safely.

Celestyal Cruises had to cancel all of the ship’s Mediterranean sailings through the end of April.

The goal now is to get the vessel into position to start its Greek Islands cruise season on May 1, 2026.

Looking Ahead

As of the time of this publication, Celestyal Journey is still stocked in Qatar.  But if the Celestyal Discovery successfully navigates the Strait of Hormuz and repositions to the Mediterranean, it could signal that other cruise lines will soon attempt to move their ships as well.

For now, we’re all closely watching to see if this is the start of a return to normal operations, something not just cruisers but the entire world is hoping to see.

Update: In a major breaking development announced just hours ago, Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi stated that the Strait of Hormuz is now “completely open” to all commercial vessels for the remaining period of the current Israel-Lebanon ceasefire.

Ships must follow a coordinated route designated by Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization.  President Donald Trump welcomed the news on Truth Social, stating that the strait is “FULLY OPEN AND READY FOR FULL PASSAGE.”  This official announcement was probably the key to clearance that enabled Celestyal Discovery’s departure from Dubai today.  But this is an ever-changing situation that we’re monitoring closely.

While the reopening remains temporary and conditional based ceasefire, it at least helps the chances of safe movement out of the Persian Gulf and could lead to the repositioning for the other stranded vessels.