TUI Cruises cancels Middle East cruises to avoid Red Sea over security concerns 

TUI Cruises has cancelled two repositioning cruises between Europe and Asia that were meant to transit through the Suez Canal and Red Sea, due to ongoing security risks in the area.

As a result, additional cruises in Asia, the Middle East, and Europe have also been cancelled, but Mein Schiff 4’s scheduled Arabian Gulf season out of Dubai will go ahead as planned, but will conclude a month early to accomodate the longer transit back to Europe.

The cancelled repositioning voyages affect two ships, Mein Schiff 4 and Mein Schiff 6, that are due to spend the winter season in the Middle East and Asia.

The vessels will sail without passengers around Africa, adding an additional two weeks to the repositioning time, forcing the cancellation of five cruises aboard Mein Schiff 6 and nine aboard Mein Schiff 4.

The cancelled cruises aboard Mein Schiff 6 include those departing between April 6th and June 6th, 2025, while the cancelled cruises aboard Mein Schiff 4 are those departing between February 25th and March 24th, 2025.

These include Mein Schiff 6’s 16-night Dubai to Antalya cruise on May 21st, and eight of Mein Schiff 4’s Dubai and Doha departures, as well as her March 24th repositioning from Dubai to Antalya.

With itineraries departing from Doha and Dubai, Mein Schiff 4 will sail roundtrip cruises in the Middle East during the 2024/25 winter season, with the 7-night itineraries visiting destinations in the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Saudi Arabia.

Mein Schiff 6 is set to offer itineraries from Singapore and Hong Kong during the winter 2025/26 season. Ranging from 13 to 15 nights, the cruises visit ports of call in Southeast Asia and the Far East, including Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai and Keelung.

Passengers affected by the cancelled voyages will receive a full refund, along with a Future Cruise Credit (FCC) equivalent to 10% of the fare paid for the canceled sailing. The FCC can be used for new bookings with TUI Cruises and has no redemption timeline.

While returning to Europe, the vessels are expected to offer new itineraries in the Indian Ocean and Africa.