Crew members will join the TUI Cruises’ ships that were stranded in the Middle East in South Africa, according to Crew Center.

Set to welcome guests back in Europe in early May, the Mein Schiff 4 and the Mein Schiff 5 are currently sailing with reduced staffing.

As previously reported by Cruise Industry News, only a skeleton crew is believed to be onboard the vessels.

Out of its regular 900 team members, the Mein Schiff 4 is reportedly sailing with only 59, who are responsible for essential functions.

Both ships were able to transit the Strait of Hormuz earlier this month after spending nearly two months in ports in the Arabian Gulf.

While other vessels in a similar situation are repositioning to Europe through the Suez Canal, the TUI ships are sailing around Africa.

The Mein Schiff 5 is expected in arrive at Cape Town on April 28, while the Mein Schiff 4 follows suit one day later.

The ships were offering winter cruises in the Middle East when conflicts in the region forced their seasons to be cancelled in late February.

Unable to transit the Strait of Hormuz to resume their regular operations in other parts of the world, the Mein Schiff 4 remained docked in Abu Dhabi, UAE, while the Mein Schiff 5 remained stranded in Doha, Qatar.

The vessels are now scheduled to welcome guests back in the Eastern Mediterranean in mid-May, kicking off summer seasons in the region.

Sailing from Italy, the Mein Schiff 4 offers itineraries to the Adriatic Sea while the Mein Schiff 5 sails from Greece for itineraries to the Aegean Sea, Malta and Egypt.

In related news, the Aroya recently became the latest ship to transit the Strait of Hormuz on its way out of the Arabian Gulf.

Three other vessels, the MSC Euribia, the Celestyal Discovery and the Celestyal Journey, also transited the strait this month.