Two Major Cruise Lines Cancel All Middle East Sailings, Ships Now Wait for Safe Passage

After recent sailings in the Persian Gulf were forced to be canceled due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, two cruise lines have decided to end their winter cruise season in the region altogether.

The decision by MSC Cruises and Celestyal Cruises to end the cruise season early comes as the U.S. State Department raises the travel advisory to “Level 3: Reconsider Travel” for the UAE, Bahrain, and Qatar.

Tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz and the logistical challenge of navigating these waters really cemented this decision for the two cruise lines.

Celestyal Cruises

Celestyal was running two cruise ships in the area out of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Doha: Celestyal Journey and Celestyal Discovery.

In a statement shared with Cruise Fever today, the cruise line officially confirmed the cancelation of the remaining March departures for Journey and the end of the Gulf season.

“Considering the current geopolitical situation in the region, we have taken the decision to cancel the following scheduled departures on Celestyal Journey: 07 and 14 March from Doha, Qatar and 09 and 16 March from Dubai, UAE,” the cruise line stated.

With the Arabian Gulf season now over, Celestyal is turning its attention to the safety of its crew and future operations.

They added, “Throughout this period, our focus has been and continues to be the safety and wellbeing of our guests and crew.”

All guests who were due to travel on the canceled sailings were offered the option of a full refund or a future cruise credit.

Guests who are currently on board both cruise ships will be advised of disembarkation plans in the next 24 to 48 hours.

Celestyal’s onboard teams will support guests with onward travel arrangements and provide assistance with transfers or accommodation where required. Guests have been advised to contact their airlines directly regarding flight arrangements and to register with their respective embassies for any official updates or repatriation support.

The cruise line will remain in contact with embassies and foreign offices to stay informed of any guidance or assistance being provided for onward travel arrangements.

MSC Cruises

MSC Cruises also ended its winter season for MSC Euribia, which was scheduled to sail several itineraries through the end of March.

The cruise line has officially canceled the departures on March 7, 14, 21, and 28, 2026. Because the ship is currently docked in Dubai and unable to go anywhere, MSC is focusing its efforts on getting the remaining passengers home.

With flights out of the area facing a backlog, it may require some patience, but MSC stated that “guests have full access to all onboard services and facilities” while they use the ship as a floating hotel for now.

Like Celestyal, MSC is offering full refunds for all canceled cruise fares. They have also provided complimentary Wi-Fi to those on the ship so they can stay in touch with family and make travel arrangements.

Where the Ships Go from Here

The goal for both companies is to get these ships back to Europe for their summer seasons, though they are currently stuck in a “wait and see” pattern thanks to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Celestyal confirmed that “subject to operational conditions,” both  Journey and Discovery will reposition to Athens, Greece.

These ships are key to their Mediterranean sailings for their scheduled Greek Island and Adriatic itineraries.

But the timing is tricky.  Until maritime authorities give the green light to exit the Gulf, their start dates in Athens remain up in the air.

MSC Cruises has a long journey ahead for MSC Euribia. Once it can safely leave Dubai, it’s scheduled to head to Northern Europe. Its summer season is scheduled to kick off on May 2, 2026, sailing from Kiel, Germany, and Copenhagen, Denmark, into the Norwegian Fjords.

MSC has already confirmed that the “Grand Voyage” repositioning cruise is canceled. The ship will likely make the trip with no passengers to make sure it’s in Germany on time for the May start.