TUI Cruises’ Mein Schiff 5 has entered drydock in Dubai for scheduled maintenance and refurbishment, temporarily pausing her Middle East winter deployment.

The 2,500-guest ship, delivered in 2016, suspended operations on Thursday, January 8th, 2026, after completing a series of regional sailings and is scheduled to return to service later this month.

In a social media update, TUI Cruises described the stop as a “spring cleaning” ahead of the vessel welcoming guests back on January 20th.

“We are in a drydock in Dubai, left our berth around noon, then traveled two miles to get to the drydock, which we are now inside,” said Stephan Zimmermann, General Manager, TUI Cruises. “The ship is already held in position by lines. We have now lowered the lifeboats, including all the tender boats and lifeboats.”

Zimmermann explained that the lifeboats were being stored alongside the vessel ahead of the drydock being emptied later that night. In addition to technical maintenance, a series of guest-area upgrades are being carried out during the stop.

“We’ve done a lot of preparation. We’re getting a new LED wall in the theater. The sound system is being retuned. The scoreboard in the arena is being replaced,” Zimmermann said. Further improvements include new carpeting in the Atlantik restaurant and updates to a number of suites.

Once the work is completed, Mein Schiff 5 will resume her 2025/26 winter programme in the Middle East.

The deployment includes seven-night itineraries sailing from Dubai and Doha, calling at ports across the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar, including Sir Bani Yas, Abu Dhabi, and Muscat.

In early March, the vessel is scheduled to begin a series of repositioning voyages back to Europe via Africa, before continuing on to Spain.

The choice of Dubai as the site for the refit reflects the city’s growing role in cruise ship maintenance and refurbishment.

Dubai Drydocks has expanded its cruise sector capabilities in recent years, having previously completed refit work on vessels including AIDAstella, Carnival Spirit, Empress, and Mein Schiff 4, as well as overseeing the major conversion of the former Cunard flagship QE2 into a floating hotel.

As cruise ships grow in size and deployment regions become more technically demanding, proximity to capable shipyard infrastructure has become increasingly important for cruise operators when planning seasonal operations.

With modern drydock facilities located alongside major cruise terminals, Dubai is steadily reinforcing its position as a regional service hub for cruise lines operating in the Middle East.