Cunard replaces Dubai with Cape Town on 2026 Queen Mary 2 and Queen Anne cruises 

Cunard Line has modified two itineraries for its World Cruises in 2026 aboard Queen Mary 2 and Queen Anne, due to the security crisis in the Red Sea, which prevents cruise lines from being able to transit the Suez Canal.

The cruise line, one of nine brands under the Carnival Corporation umbrella, said the changes are being made after consulting with global security experts and government authorities.

Instead of calling in Dubai on April 10th, 2026, Queen Mary 2 will now sail around the west coast of Africa via Port Louis, Mauritius, and Cape Town. 

This will enable the ship to bypass the Red Sea and a transit of the Suez Canal when repositioning from Asia to Europe.

The ship’s itinerary remains as scheduled up until Port Kelang, Malaysia on March 29th, 2026.

The second ship, Queen Anne will depart as scheduled from Southampton on January 11th, 2026, but instead of sailing through the Suez Canal to Dubai, she will instead sail around the west coast of Africa to Cape Town. 

Queen Anne will then sail as planned to Asia and Australia, but from Cape Town, departing January 31st from the Mother City. The voyage can be booked as a 45-night cruise from Cape Town to Sydney, or a 22-night cruise to Singapore, and 27-night cruise to Hong Kong.

The change to the itineraries means that the brand new Cunard Line ship will be returning to South Africa just a few months after making her South African debut on previously scheduled voyages for 2025.

Having two Cunard Line vessels sailing from Cape Town in 2026 reflects a wider shift in the industry, with South Africa becoming an increasingly popular cruise destination for ships unable to transit the Suez Canal.

Queen Anne will return from Australia via the South Pacific and America with a transit through the Panama Canal, before crossing the Atlantic and arriving back into Southampton as scheduled on April 30th, 2026.

Several segments of the world cruises were canceled due to the itinerary changes. Guests who were booked on one of the canceled segments will receive a full refund within 14 days.

World Cruises are often broken up into smaller segments for guests who don’t want to sail on the entire voyage.