One of Cunard’s double world cruises for 2024 threatened by Red Sea security fears

Cunard Line’s two World Cruises for 2024 departed this week from Southampton in the UK, with Queen Mary 2 sailing an itinerary that is scheduled to take her through the Red Sea, where security concerns have forced many cruise lines to reroute vessels.

Queen Victoria sailed from Southampton on Thursday January 11th for its 107-night World Cruise visiting 33 destinations across 22 countries, while Queen Mary 2 set off on January 14th for her 108-night circumnavigation visiting 34 ports in 22 countries and territories.

Queen Victoria will visit North America, the South Pacific, the Caribbean, Africa and the Indian Ocean, sailing around the southern tip of Africa on her way back to the UK, keeping her well clear of the Red Sea and Bab Al Mandeb Strait, where Houthi rebels have been attacking merchant ships in recent weeks.

Queen Mary 2, however, takes a more northern route, visiting South Africa, the Indian Ocean, the Far East, Southeast Asia, Australia and the Middle East, transiting the Suez Canal for the Mediterranean on her way back to Southampton.

The Red Sea is the only waterway linking the Suez Canal to the Indian Ocean, and the Bab Al Mandeb Strait, meaning the “Gateway of Tears” in Arabic, must be transited to access the Red Sea.

At just a dozen nautical miles in width at its narrowest point, the Bab Al Mandeb Strait was a treacherous waterway during the age of sail, but has become a risky passage in modern times due to the presence of Houthi militia in Yemen, who have been attacking merchant ships in the Strait in retaliation for Israel’s invasion of Gaza.

Cunard Line has not given any indication yet whether the itinerary for Queen Mary 2 will be amended to avoid the Strait. MSC Cruises and Silversea have both announced alterations to their World Cruise itineraries to avoid the Red Sea and Bab Al Mandeb Strait, while MSC Cruises also cancelled repositioning cruises in April for its ships in South Africa and the Middle East.

The ongoing crisis in the Red Sea could see Cunard decide to reroute Queen Mary 2 via South Africa instead, adding new ports of call in Africa rather than the Middle East and Mediterranean.

This would see Queen Mary 2 following a similar itinerary to Queen Victoria, whose World Cruise itinerary includes an overnight in Cape Town.

Queen Victoria and Queen Mary 2 are both scheduled to return to Southampton on April 28th, 2024.