TUI Cruises has completed the evacuation of approximately 2,500 guests from Mein Schiff 5 in Doha, Qatar, following the outbreak of conflict in the region on February 28, according to a report from Schiffe und Kreuzfarhten

Mein Schiff 5 and its sister ship, Mein Schiff 4, became stranded in the Persian Gulf after strikes on Iran led to Iranian retaliation and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Mein Schiff 4, docked in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, saw the majority of its guests evacuated earlier through a series of flights from Dubai and Muscat in Oman.

For guests aboard Mein Schiff 5, the evacuation process proved more challenging. Numerous German publications have reported frustration from passengers, due to the closed airspace and limited flight capacity in Qatar.

TUI Cruises organized charter flights from Riyadh in Saudi Arabia to Munich, Frankfurt and Cologne.

Passengers undertook a bus transfer through the desert from Doha to Riyadh, including entry formalities. Qatar Airways flights were also secured for direct departures from Doha.

The company has now completed the departure of all guests from both vessels. Portions of the crew have also been repatriated, with additional crew members scheduled to follow in coming days.

Both ships will remain in Abu Dhabi and Doha until further notice with reduced crew onboard to allow the vessels to depart in the event of safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, which remains blocked by Iran.

TUI Cruises has canceled all Mein Schiff 4 cruises up to and including the March 23 departure and all Mein Schiff 5 cruises up to and including the March 12 departure.

Further cancellations are expected given the ongoing situation.