Update: All Six Cruise Ships Now Clear or Transiting Strait of Hormuz

After being stuck since the end of February due to the regional conflict, the cruise industry is finally getting its ships back. What started as a solo move by the Celestyal Discovery a couple of days ago has turned into a full-scale exodus of these ships.

I should point out that the locations on the map above are not the current locations for some of the ships as tracking has either been delayed or the ship has turned off its AIS transponder.  The locations on the map are just where they last were being tracked. 

As of the time of the screenshot of this map (April 19, 3:30 PM EST):

• Celestyal Discovery’s last reported location was updated 42 hours ago.
• Celestyal Journey’s last reported location was updated 3 hours ago.
• Aroya’s last reported location was updated 1 hour ago.
• MSC Euribia’s last reported location was updated 33 hours ago.
• Mein Schiff 5’s last reported location was updated 16 hours ago.
• Mein Schiff 4’s last reported location was updated 32 hours and is not shown on this map but was last seen passing the strait.

The trouble for these cruise ships began during the conflict when Iran restricted shipping and effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz. This major chokepoint handles a big share of the world’s oil and gas. The move trapped the six cruise ships inside the Persian Gulf for nearly 50 days.

Passengers were quickly sent home on special flights, leaving the ships almost empty with just skeleton crews on board.

Where the Ships Are Right Now

We’ve been keeping a close eye on the AIS tracking data through CruiseMapper and VesselFinder, and the screens are finally looking green. All six ships that were caught behind the line are now either in the open sea or navigating the home stretch of the Strait.

Here is the latest breakdown as of Sunday, April 19:

• Aroya Manara: The last ship to move. It left its berth in Dammam and is currently cruising at 16.4 knots through the Strait of Hormuz. It’s expected to arrive in Fujairah, UAE, around 2:00 AM tomorrow.
• Celestyal Discovery: The “trailblazer” of the group. It has already cleared the Strait and is currently in the Arabian Sea, heading for the Suez Canal.
• MSC Euribia: Safely through the danger zone and sailing at 18.4 knots. She is currently on a long repositioning haul toward Northern Europe to make her May 16 season debut in Germany.
• Mein Schiff 4 & 5: Both vessels have successfully navigated the exit and are heading East, likely repositioning for their summer Mediterranean schedules.
• Celestyal Journey: Also successfully outbound after a long 49-day wait in Doha.

Why Did Aroya Manara Wait?

You might be wondering why the Saudi ship Aroya Manara was the lone holdout while the others scrambled for the exit on the 17th. Since the ship is owned by the Saudi-backed Aroya Cruises, it was technically already in “home waters” while docked in Dammam.

While the other ships were in a rush to get back to European ports, the Manara had the luxury of waiting for the perfect security window. Now that the coast is relatively clear, it’s heading around the peninsula to the Red Sea, where it’s set to start its inaugural season out of Jeddah on May 14.

This long delay hit the cruise industry hard. Around 15,000 passengers had their trips canceled early on. Several lines scrapped all their April sailings in the Gulf and Red Sea.

Celestyal paused its Greek Islands season, TUI adjusted schedules into May, and many Gulf cruises for 2026 were wiped out. Crew members also spent weeks stuck on the nearly empty ships.

A High-Stakes Window

The cruise ship movements haven’t been without drama. Just as the ships started moving, reports surfaced that the Strait might close again due to localized skirmishes and the ongoing U.S. blockade.

However, the cruise lines clearly saw a window of opportunity and took it. By coordinating with maritime authorities and moving at high speeds, they’ve managed to get the entire fleet out of a very tricky situation.

What’s Next?

For these ships, the “ghost cruise” continues. There are still no passengers on board as these are strictly repositioning moves. The big question now is whether the vessels heading for Europe will risk the Suez Canal or take the long way around Africa.

For now, we can breathe a sigh of relief knowing the ships and their crews are finally back in international waters. We’ll keep you posted as  Aroya Manara finishes its transit tonight.