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Cruise ships resuming their schedules in May
On May 15, the 'Mein Schiff 5' will begin its summer season in the Eastern Mediterranean from Heraklion. On May 17, the 'Mein Schiff 4'Ä will commence operations in Trieste,, where it will be based for Adriatic cruises. Given that the voyage south around Africa takes over three weeks and also requires logistical stops, the schedule for the two TUI Cruises ships was relatively tight. The 'MSC Euribia', operated by MSC Cruises, still has a long journey ahead before it begins operations in Kiel on May 16. The ship will then start its summer season two weeks late, sailing a route to the Norwegian fjords from/to Kiel and Copenhagen. Celestyal Cruises was currently repositioning both its ships from the Middle East to the Mediterranean. Since they have switched off their AIS, it was impossible to determine whether the ships were being transferred through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal or south around Africa. The Suez Canal was last listed as the destination for the 'Celestyal Discovery', while the 'Celestyal Journey' appeared to be heading for Cape Town. All currently bookable voyages were to be operated. This would mean that the 'Celestyal Discovery' should commence operations on May 22, in Lavrion, and the 'Celestyal Journey' on May 23 in Piraeus. The last of the six cruise ships to leave the Persian Gulf was the 'Aroya,' operated by the Saudi cruise line Aroya Cruises. It was expected to arrive in Jeddah on April 27,. Before that, the ship faces another challenging passage along the Yemeni coast. If all goes according to plan, the 'Aroya' will welcome its next guests in the port of Jeddah on May 14,. Cruise ship launch dates at a glance: - May 14, 2026: Aroya (Aroya Cruises) in Jeddah; - May 15, 2026: Mein Schiff 5 (TUI Cruises) in Heraklion; - May 16, 2026: MSC Euribia (MSC Cruises) in Kiel; - May 17, 2026: Mein Schiff 4 (TUI Cruises) in Trieste; - May 22, 2026: Celestyal Discovery in Lavrion/Athens; - May 23, 2026: Celestyal Journey in Piraeus/Athens.
Cruise ships apeeding through the Strait of Hormuz
Following the successful passage of the Strait of Hormuz of the 'Celestyal Discovery' on April 17, four more cruise ships set sail. The 'Celestyal Journey' and 'Mein Schiff 5' departed Doha, the 'Mein Schiff 4' left Abu Dhabi, and the 'MSC Euribia' sailed from Dubai. Only the 'Aroya', which sailed from Dubai to Dammam at the end of March, has not yet moved. Currently, the 'Celestyal Journey', 'MSC Euribia', 'Mein Schiff 4' and 'Mein Schiff 5' were sailing at high speed towards Khasab. The city lies directly on the Strait of Hormuz, which is sometimes blocked by Iran. Only the 'Celestyal Discovery' was able to benefit from the initial opening following a ceasefire. On the morning of April 18, Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz again. What this means for the four cruise ships at sea will soon become clear. Presumably, the ships are heading to Khasab Bay to leave the Middle East at the earliest opportunity. Given the rapidly evolving situation, positioning the cruise ships directly at the Strait of Hormuz seems sensible. For safety reasons, only a minimal crew is on board each ship to navigate out of the Persian Gulf. If this is successful within the next few hours or days, it will likely be another four weeks before cruise operations resume in Europe. TUI Cruises and MSC Cruises have canceled all sailings of the three affected ships until mid-May 2026. At 1.45 p.m., the four cruise ships have indeed entered the Strait of Hormuz. Like the 'Celestyal Discovery' the previous day, their course was taking them close to the Omani coast. The ships have indicated Muscat as their next destination. The critical part of the passage should be completed within the next few hours. The shipping companies will then decide on the next steps for the journey to Europe. They will either travel directly through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal or choose the somewhat safer, but longer, route south around Africa.
All passengers disembarked
All passengers have now safely disembarked from the 'Celestyal Journey' in Dubai after they were stranded as a result of the Middle East conflict. The affected customers were being supported by onboard teams with onward transfers and accommodation arrangements where required. Passengers who remain on the company’s other ship, the 'Celestyal Discovery', which was docked in Doha, Qatar, were to be informed of disembarkation plans “in due course”. Travellers were being advised to contact their airlines directly and register with respective embassies for flight arrangements and official updates. Remaining guests currently aboard the 'Celestyal Journey' in Doha were to be advised of disembarkation plans in due course. All 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.
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