Europe Cruise Season Back on Track: MSC Euribia Leaves Dubai and Clears Strait of Hormuz

MSC Euribia hasn’t had any cruise passengers on board in 28 days after the ship completed its last sailing on March 21, 2026.  But today brings some welcome news as the ship has not only left port in Dubai but has cleared the critical Strait of Hormuz.

Now, the ship is on its way to Europe, and it looks like the ship made its move just in time.  The 6,300-passenger vessel was already midway through the Strait when reports emerged of Iran closing the waterway once again and even firing on other vessels.  This quickly began a massive U-turn for ships in the region that were hoping to exit the strait during the short-lived window.

While marine tracking data hasn’t updated in the last 9 hours, the ship’s last reported position shows MSC Euribia heading southeast as it rounded the Musandam Peninsula (the sharp eastern “bend” where the Persian Gulf narrows). 

From there, the ship is on course to the Gulf of Oman and eventually Northern Europe. 

During the conflict in this region, it has not been uncommon for ships to turn off their AIS transponders once heading through the Strait of Hormuz.

Independent trackers previously showed the vessel making good progress at around 18–22 knots after departing Dubai on April 17.

This positive development means the ship should arrive in time for its summer season.  News outlets like Cruise Industry News have already confirmed that MSC Cruises plans to resume cruise operations earlier than expected, with a March 16 departure from Kiel, Germany on May 16, 2026.

All following Northern Europe cruises are expected to operate as originally scheduled and guests who were impacted by canceled sailings will have the option to transfer bookings to the May 16 or later departure dates.

Current Availability on MSC’s Website

As of April 18, 2026, MSC’s booking site already shows Northern Europe sailings as available.

The listings include popular 7-night roundtrip cruises visiting Norwegian fjord ports such as Hellesylt, Geiranger, Alesund, and Flaam, with prices starting from around $1,355 per person (including fees and taxes).

As Cruise Fever previously reported, 5 of the 6 ships that were effectively “stuck” in the Persian Gulf due to the Middle East conflict have now been able to transit the strait and begin the process of heading to a new port in less volatile waters.