Trapped cruise ships flee through Strait of Hormuz

Five cruise ships trapped for weeks in the Persian Gulf since the outbreak of hostilities between the US, Israel, and Iran have sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, according to AIS data. The vessels took advantage of a brief reopening of the Strait on 17 April by Iran during a temporary ceasefire to flee the region. The United States is maintaining a naval blockade of commercial traffic to Iranian ports.

In an update, a sixth cruise vessel, Aroya, has safely exited the Gulf, according to a social media post on 20 April by Aroya Cruises.

TUI Cruises reported in a social media post on 19 April that its Mein Schiff 4 and Mein Schiff 5 had passed through the Strait of Hormuz and were sailing to Cape Town. Once they are repositioned to the Mediterranean, they will be reintegrated into their regular sailing schedules, according to the German tour operator.

TUI Cruises said voyages that had been cancelled while the ships were trapped in the Persian Gulf would now go ahead as planned. Mein Schiff 4 will depart from Trieste on 17 May, and Mein Schiff 5 from Heraklion on 15 May.

Last month, the German cruise company reported it had repatriated all passengers and about 1,500 crew from the two 99,300-gt cruise ships. Mein Schiff 4 had been docked in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and Mein Schiff 5 in Doha, Qatar, according to AIS data from Marine Traffic. TUI reported the vessels were maintained and operated by small crews that had remained on board “to handle essential tasks until it becomes possible to safely navigate the ships through the Strait of Hormuz”.

TUI Cruises chief executive, Wybcke Meier, was grateful to the crews that remained on board the trapped ships. “The past few weeks have presented us all with extraordinary challenges,” said Mr Meier. “My special thanks go to our captains, the crews, and all the teams – both on board and ashore – who, with great professionalism, prudence, and dedication, helped us navigate this situation.”

New crews will meet the cruise ships when they dock in Cape Town and Malta.

MarineTraffic AIS data showed Celestyal Cruises’ Celestyal Discovery and Celestyal Journey exited the Gulf and were sailing to Cape Town, while MSC Cruises’ MSC Euribia was in transit to Muscat.

Update 20 April

Meanwhile, Aroya, a sixth cruise ship operated by Aroya Cruises, is sailing to Jeddah, marking its return to the Red Sea, according to a social media post on 20 April. We reported the vessel had departed Dammam, Saudi Arabia, and was sailing to Fujairah on 19 April. Aroya Cruises cancelled its scheduled cruise in the Gulf, reporting that all guests were safely disembarked in Dubai on 7 March.

The cruise company reported it will launch on 14 May three-, four- and five-night itineraries to Yanbu and Sharm El Sheikh, alongside a special Eid Al Adha holiday itinerary including Aqaba.

CLIA comments

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), whose members represent more than 90% of the global cruise capacity, said it was pleased that seafarers onboard CLIA member ships have now safely exited the region. "This was made possible through careful operational planning by individual cruise lines, supported by ongoing coordination with relevant authorities. We are grateful for the continued efforts of the International Maritime Organization in supporting safe and secure maritime operations and the safe passage of seafarers," said CLIA in a written statement.

Additional reporting by Naida Hakirevic