Costa follows MSC lead, cancels Dubai repositioning but 2024/25 season still on

Costa Cruises has cancelled a repositioning cruise from Europe to Dubai aboard Costa Smeralda due to ongoing security concerns in the Red Sea.

Costa Smerelda was meant to sail through the Mediterranean, Suez Canal and Red Sea on her way to Dubai in December 2024, but the cruise has been cancelled due to Houthi attacks on international shipping from Yemen.

Despite the cancelled respositioning cruise, Costa Cruises will still be sailing its winter 2024/25 Arabian Gulf cruise season out of Dubai, with Costa Smerelda instead sailing without passengers around South Africa.

“As you may have already seen in the media, the maritime traffic at this moment in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden is very critical, and our Global Security Team is actively monitoring the situation in the area,” the company said in a letter to booked guests.

“In light of the recent developments regarding security and future uncertainties in the area, working in close cooperation with global security experts and government authorities, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the cruise to Dubai initially planned,” the letter added.

Originally scheduled to sail from Genoa and Civitavecchia in Italy on December 3rd, 2024, the cancelled 20-night cruise featured visits to destinations in the Mediterranean and the Middle East, particularly Aqaba in Jordan, and its iconic Lost City of Petra.

Costa Cruises’ decision mirrors MSC Cruises decision last month to cancel MSC Euribia’s repositioning voyage to Dubai. Like Costa Smerelda, she will sail without passengers around Africa instead of through the Suez Canal.

According to the statement, guests are being offered different compensation options, which include full refunds.

Costa Smerelda will offer a full winter season in the Middle East, sailing a series of 7-night cruises Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha that feature port calls to destinations in the UAE, Oman, and Qatar.

Earlier this year, Costa Toscana faced a similar situation when wrapping up its 2023/24 program in the region, and its repositioning voyage from Dubai to Italy was cancelled so that the ship could sail around South Africa for home.

The Red Sea security crisis has had a significant impact on the Middle East cruise sector, particularly cruise schedules that previously featured Dubai as a key turnaround port.

Although deployment to the region is down signficantly, cruise tourism experts at Arabian Travel Market in Dubai expressed steadfast optimism in the long-term resilient of the region as a cruise destination.