Cruise line cancels all April trips as Iran war worsens | Official Website of Louis Velazquez, entrepreneur, finance guy and tech innovator

While some airlines have been cautiously running flights to Dubai and Doha amid the widespread regional conflict caused by the U.S.-Israeli strike on Iran, cruise lines with ships stuck in the Persian Gulf face a tougher challenge.

Ships that are now forced to remain in port indefinitely include the MSC Euribia, TUI’s Mein Schiff 4 and Mein Schiff 5 and Celestyal Cruises’ Discovery and Journey.

While guests who were on journeys through the region at the time of the strike on Feb. 28 have by now mostly been evacuated and repatriated home on charter flights, the ships themselves are unable to get out of port due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Celestyal Cruises says it is “unable to reposition our ships back to the Mediterranean,” cancels all cruises

Celestyal Cruises, which is based in Athens and sells a series of three-, four-, and seven-night sailings through the Greek Islands as well as in the Arabian Gulf and Red Sea, just confirmed that it will be canceling all of its sailings for April as two of its ships remain grounded.

“Due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East, we have been unable to reposition our ships, Celestyal Discovery and Celestyal Journey, back to the Mediterranean,” the cruise line said in a statement on March 30. “As a result, following careful consideration, all departures scheduled for April 2026 have been cancelled.”

Celestyal Discovery is currently docked in Dubai while the Celestyal Journey is being kept in port in Qatar’s Doha. The ships remain operational and can be put toward new routes as soon as they are able to get out of the Strait of Hormuz; Celestyal’s current hopes are to put the Discovery on the May 1 three-night Iconic Greek Islands sailing and Journey on the seven-night Greece, Italy and Croatia tour departing on May 2.

But whether the cruise line will be able to run these itineraries remains mired in geopolitical uncertainties amid new waves of Iranian attacks on U.S. bases and allies throughout the Middle East.

Two Celestyal Cruises ships are currently stranded in the Middle East.

Celestyal Cruises

These other cruise lines are affected by the Strait of Hormuz closure

“Our priority remains the safety and confidence of our guests, crew and partners,” Celestyal Cruises Chief Commercial Officer Lee Haslett said in a further statement. “While we know this will be disappointing, making this decision now provides greater clarity and flexibility for those affected.”

The widespread disruptions to maritime traffic around the Strait of Hormuz have impacted a number of other cruise lines; Swiss cruise line Explora Journeys has also canceled all sailings into countries such as Egypt, Oman, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia into 2027 in favor of new itineraries in North Africa and the Western Medierranean.

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Luxury Tales, a destination management company crafting luxury trip itineraries, also sent out a message to the travel agents it works with acknowledging that many may have clients who are “affected by these cancellations.”

“We know how challenging last-minute changes can be,” CEO Zaneta Laini wrote in the message. “Our team is ready to assist you in rescheduling affected clients. We can provide land services in Greece, whether your clients want to explore the islands, mainland Greece, or a combination of both.”