Silversea Cruises has cancelled two additional cruises sailing in the Indian Ocean, Asia and the Middle East due to the ongoing geopolitical situation in the Red Sea.

The affected itineraries were set to depart in May 2024 onboard Silver Moon, but because the itineraries require the ship to transit the Red Sea and Suez Canal they will no longer be going ahead.

Houthi militia in Yemen have been attacking ships in the Red Sea using drones and anti-ship missiles, and despite a US-led naval operation in the region, the attacks have continued. 

No cruise ships have been targetted, but cruise lines have been amending itineraries to avoid the region in an abundance of caution.

“Our Global Security Team, in partnership with other key stakeholders and our industry counterparts, has been closely monitoring the fluid geopolitical situation in the Red Sea region, which has continued to evolve and constrain ship navigation,” Silversea said in one of the cancellation notices.

“As a result, we have had to amend Silver Moon’s scheduled navigation, circumnavigating Africa to avoid passage through the Red Sea,” it added.

Sailing from Singapore to Mumbai, the first cancelled sailing was scheduled to depart on May 5th, 2024. 

The 18-night voyage included visits to destinations in Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and India.

Set to cross the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, the upcoming cruise was also cancelled. The 17-night itinerary was set to depart from Mumbai on May 23rd, 2024.

The one-way voyage was scheduled to visit Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan before arriving in Piraeus, Greece on June 9th, 2024.

“We sincerely apologize for this disappointing news and assure you that this decision was made after thorough consideration, allowing for the possibility of conditions improving,” Silversea said. “Ultimately, our priority is always the safety and well-being of our guests and crew.”

Affected passengers are being offered a full refund of the cruise fare, in addition to a 20 percent saving on any published sailing for 2024, 2025 or 2026, if redeemed before May 31st, 2024.

Guests with independent air arrangements are also eligible for reimbursement of up to $500 per person to cover change, cancellation or differential fees, the company added.