Oceania Cruises drops Middle East port calls on 2024 cruises from Dubai

Oceania Cruises has dropped all port calls in Israel, Egypt and Jordan aboard its cruises departing Dubai and ports in the Eastern Mediterranean during the first half of 2024.

The 42 revised itineraries range from 10 to 58 days – detailed itineraries can be viewed on the Oceania website, the new schedule sees changes to several cruises to and from Dubai.

The removal of ports of call on Oceania’s cruises through the Red Sea to Dubai in 2024 is an extension of the move by the cruise line to drop all regional port calls for an upcoming cruise in 2023, on the back of concerns over regional tensions due to the Israel-Hamas war.

In a statement, Frank A. Del Rio, president of Oceania Cruises, said the decision was intended to ensure the safety and peace of mind of passengers.

“Our captivating new voyages have been carefully curated to combine beloved beach resorts and jet-set playgrounds with ancient cities steeped in tradition,” said Del Rio. “Seasoned travellers will appreciate our strategic and thoughtful realignment of destinations and itineraries to ensure their safety, security and peace of mind.”

The following cruises to and from Dubai are affected:

May 13th, 2024: 24 days from Dubai to Barcelona aboard Insignia

May 14th, 2024: 15 days from Dubai to Trieste aboard Riviera, as well as the longer 27 and 34 day versions of this itinerary to Barcelona and Rome.

November 14th, 2024: 28 days from Barcelona to Dubai aboard Riviera

November 24th, 2024: 18 days from Istanbul to Dubai aboard Riviera

Oceania Cruises has also made changes to a range of Eastern Mediterranean itineraries previously scheduled to call in Egypt and Israel, which can be found here.

The outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, has forced changes to dozens of Eastern Mediterranean cruise itineraries, not only due to the risk of ships being targeted in Israel itself, but also due to concerns over regional escalation.

US and European governments have warned of an increased risk of terrorist activity across the region in retaliation for Western support of Israel, which has prompted cruise lines to drop port calls in Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.The development is a major blow to the regional cruise sector, with Saudi Arabia looking to establish itself as a burgeoning cruise destination and Egypt on track for a strong recovery from the disruption caused by several years of political instability and unrest.