TUI Cruises to continue to sail via Cape Town on Dubai repositioning cruises in 2026

TUI Cruises has confirmed that three of its repositioning voyages in 2026 between the Middle East and Europe, and Asia and the Mediterranean, will continue to circumnavigate Africa, avoiding the Red Sea due to ongoing security concerns.

Like other major cruise lines with homeporting seasons in the Arabian Gulf out of Dubai, including Costa Cruises, AIDA Cruises, and MSC Cruises, TUI will reposition around the southern tip of Africa rather than sailing through the Suez Canal.

At the end of her 2025/26 Middle East cruise season out of Dubai, Mein Schiff 4 will sail from the city on March 22nd, 2026 on a 20-night grand repositioning voyage to Palma de Mallorca, visiting the Seychelles, Mauritius, La Reunion, Cape Town, and the Cape Verde Islands.

Mein Schiff 5, also homeporting in Dubai during the season, will depart on March 12th, 2026 for a 36-night World Discovery itinerary from Dubai to Crete. Ports of call include Cape Town with a three-day stay, Walvis Bay in Namibia, Tenerife, Sicily, and Malta. 

Mein Schiff 6, meanwhile, will spend the season homeporting in Singapore, and will be repositioned to Europe via Cape Town on a 22-night voyage departing May 13th, 2026 and visiting Malaysia, Sri Lanka, South Africa, and Namibia.

TUI Cruises said in a statement that the early adjustments to the itineraries is in the interest of passengers and provides them with greater reliability and security in their vacation planning given the unpredictable situation in the Red Sea.

The decision to avoid the Suez Canal reflects broader industry concerns about the security situation in the Red Sea, where continued attacks on commercial shipping have forced cruise lines to seek alternative routes between Europe and Asia. 

As a result, more ships are being routed around the southern coast of Africa, reviving itineraries that pass the Cape of Good Hope like ocean liners of old before the development of the Suez Canal.

The rerouting has also contributed to growing cruise interest in Africa, particularly in ports such as Cape Town and Walvis Bay. These cities, historically secondary ports on repositioning voyages, are becoming key destinations as the continent plays a larger role in global cruise itineraries.

The extended stays in Cape Town, in particular, point to its growing popularity and a shift toward longer voyages, with more passengers seeking multi-week grand cruises rather than shorter repositioning segments.

The industry trend suggests that even if the Red Sea situation stabilises, demand for longer repositioning cruises via Africa could continue to grow, reinforcing the continent’s emerging appeal as a strategic and leisure destination for cruise lines.