All Six Gulf-Stranded Cruise Ships Are Now Back in Service

Euribia in Flam

With the MSC Euribia and TUI’s Mein Schiff 4 welcoming guests back over the weekend, all of the vessels that were stuck in the Arabian Gulf since late February have now returned to service.

The two vessels were part of a six-ship fleet that spent nearly two months docked at ports in the region due to conflicts in the Middle East.

With the Strait of Hormuz closed to ships, the vessels were unable to start repositioning voyages to other parts of the world, forcing cruise lines to cancel itineraries in regions like Northern Europe and the Mediterranean.

Taking advantage of a partial cease-fire, the ships started to leave the Arabian Gulf in mid-April, following a convoy established by the Celestyal Discovery.

The Celestyal Cruises vessel was one of the first to resume its regular service, welcoming guests back for an Eastern Mediterranean cruise on May 1, 2026.

Returning to Europe via the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, the 1,360-passenger ship is now offering a series of short cruises to the Greek Islands and Turkey.

The Celestyal Journey followed a similar path before becoming the second ship to resume revenue service on May 2, 2026.

Sailing from Piraeus, the vessel is now offering seven-night cruises to the Eastern Mediterranean.

The Aroya was the third ship to resume its schedule, kicking off a spring season in the Red Sea from Jeddah.

Sailing from its homeport in Saudi Arabia, the 150,000-ton vessel welcomed passengers back on May 7, 2026.

After sailing around Africa due to security concerns in the Red Sea, the Mein Schiff 4 and the Mein Schiff 5 resumed service recently.

The TUI Cruises ships kicked off their seasons in the Eastern Mediterranean on May 15 and May 17, 2026, respectively.

Now sailing in Northern Europe, the MSC Euribia also welcomed guests back on May 17, 2026, kicking off a series of itineraries to Scandinavia.

Before resuming service, the MSC Cruises vessel became one of the largest cruise ships to transit the Suez Canal as part of its repositioning voyage.

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