Royal Caribbean switches Dubai for Cape Town to avoid Red Sea on repositioning

Royal Caribbean International has cancelled two sailings on Anthem of the Seas including its Dubai to Singapore cruise as it amends itineraries to avoid the Red Sea where conflict continues to disrupt international shipping.

The 4,180-passenger Anthem of the Seas will sail around the southern tip of Africa via Cape Town on its way to its winter homeport Singapore instead of via Dubai as previously planned, Royal Caribbean said in a statement. 

“As we continue to monitor what is taking place in and around the Red Sea, for the safety of our guests and crew, we have made the decision to adjust Anthem of the Seas’ upcoming sailings for the ship to now sail around the southern tip of Africa,” the cruise line said.

The Red Sea, which connects the Suez Canal and India Ocean, providing a vital waterway between Europe and Asia, has become a hotspot for attacks on international shipping in recent months when Houthi rebels in Yemen began firing on ships with drones and missiles.

All major cruise lines and many shipping companies and rerouted vessels to avoid the area, sailing between the Indian Ocean and Mediterranean via South Africa instead.

To accommodate the changes to Anthem of the Seas’ deployment plans, the 12-day Discover The Canaries sailing departing Southampton on October 2^nd has been reduced to an 8-night sailing, while the October 14^th and 23^rddepartures have been cancelled altogether.

Royal confirmed guests and agents are currently being told about the cancellations and compensation options. Like MSC Cruises, the cruise line appears to intend to sail Anthem of the Seas around Africa without passengers.

Royal is the latest line to change or cancel itineraries to avoid ships sailing through the Red Sea. 

Earlier this month, Marella Cruises pulled its entire 2024/25 Asia and Middle East programme due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East region, while dozens of cruises to and from Dubai and other Middle Eastern ports were impacted during the most recent 2023/24 cruise season.

The changes to itineraries due to the need to avoid the Red Sea have prompted some cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean to offer African itineraries for the first time. 

The cruise line earlier this year amended its World Cruise aboard Serenade of the Seas to avoid the Red Sea after visiting Dubai, with a port-lean itinerary around South Africa and West Africa on her way to Europe.

Although Cape Town has benefited from the situation with its busiest cruise season to date this year, the continent as a whole lacks the cruise infrastructure necessary for cruise lines to offer full itineraries in the region aboard their larger ships.