Cruise ships pass through Strait of Hormuz after two-month shutdown

With the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and the UAE reopening (though the situation remains fluid), cruise ships are taking advantage of the passage to finally leave the Arabian Gulf and sail toward their next homeports.

Celestyal Discovery left Port Rashid in Dubai on April 17, becoming the first known cruise vessel to pass through the Strait of Hormuz since conflict in the region began earlier this year.

It was a significant moment for the cruise industry, as the strait had been effectively closed to commercial traffic since late February due to military tensions involving Iran, the United States, and Israel.

On February 28, Iranian forces issued a warning preventing ships from transiting the strait, bringing most maritime movement through the narrow waterway – linking the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman – to a standstill.

As a result, several cruise ships were left stranded in Gulf ports, leading to widespread cancellations and delays in repositioning voyages.

Celestyal was particularly impacted, with Celestyal Discovery stuck in Dubai for weeks and its sister ship, Celestyal Journey, held in Doha, Qatar, both unable to depart the region.

Before the disruption, Discovery had been sailing its “Iconic Arabia” itinerary, visiting destinations such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sir Bani Yas, Doha, Ras al Khaimah, and Khasab.

Meanwhile, Journey was operating similar “Desert Days” sailings and remains docked in Doha at the time of writing.

The company cancelled all April departures while waiting for conditions to improve enough to resume voyages toward the Mediterranean.

Other cruise lines faced similar setbacks, with ships from MSC and TUI also confined to ports across the Gulf, forcing them to cancel scheduled sailings due to the closure of the strait.

MSC Euribia leaves Dubai  

On Saturday (April 18), MSC Cruises confirmed that MSC Euribia had departed Dubai and safely transited the Strait of Hormuz. The ship is now en route to Northern Europe.

“The passage was completed in close coordination with the relevant authorities,” the company wrote in a press release.

MSC Euribia will now resume her Northern Europe season and return sooner than previously anticipated.

MSC says its cruise departing on May 16 from Kiel (and May 17 from Copenhagen) will operate as originally scheduled, with all subsequent sailings operating as planned.

Guests whose cruises were cancelled will have the option to transfer their booking to this sailing should they wish and will be contacted directly with further details.

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