6 cruise ships in Arabian Gulf eye early May return as repositioning delays continue

Six cruise ships remain in the Arabian Gulf with repositioning voyages still on hold, but cruise line are now targeting an early May return to service in Europe and the Red Sea, as deployment plans begin to stabilise following weeks of disruption.

The vessels, operated by MSC Cruises, Celestyal Cruises, TUI Cruises, and Aroya Cruises, have remained in ports across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Dammam, and Doha since late February, with sailings suspended and repositioning itineraries deferred.

While no confirmed transit timelines have been announced, the latest schedules indicate that all six ships are now expected to resume passenger operations in early May, provided they are able to depart the region in the coming weeks.

Among them, MSC Euribia remains alongside in Dubai after the cancellation of its remaining Gulf season. The vessel is scheduled to restart service on May 2nd, 2026, from Kiel in Germany, where it is due to begin a summer programme of Northern Europe and Norwegian fjords itineraries.

Two vessels from Celestyal Cruises continue to await repositioning.

Celestyal Journey, currently in Doha, is now scheduled to resume operations on May 2nd, 2026, from Piraeus, following the cancellation of all Mediterranean sailings through April.

Celestyal Discovery, docked in Dubai, is expected to restart a day earlier, on May 1st, 2026, from Lavrion, also in Greece.

TUI Cruises has two ships in a similar position.

Mein Schiff 4 remains in Abu Dhabi after the cancellation of its repositioning voyage via Africa. It is now scheduled to resume service on May 1st, 2026, from Palma de Mallorca, marking the start of its Mediterranean deployment.

Mein Schiff 5, currently in Doha, is also targeting a May 1st return, with sailings planned from Heraklion in Greece for a summer programme covering the Eastern Mediterranean and Turkey.

The sixth vessel, Aroya, operated by AROYA Cruises, has relocated to Saudi Arabia’s Arabian Gulf port of Dammam, following the cancellation of its inaugural Gulf season. The ship is scheduled to resume operations later than the others, on May 14th, 2026, with a series of Red Sea sailings from Jeddah on the Red Sea, before transitioning to Mediterranean itineraries.

The continued delay reflects the operational caution being exercised by cruise lines regarding transits through the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waterways.

While some commercial shipping continues to pass through the corridor, cruise operators have taken a more measured approach.

In addition to maritime routing considerations, the timing of repositioning voyages remains critical. Ships are required to arrive in European homeports ahead of the summer season, and delays of even a few weeks have already resulted in the cancellation of multiple April sailings across the Mediterranean and Adriatic.

Despite the disruption, the current schedules suggest that operators are converging on a revised start to the European season in early May, effectively compressing the transition period rather than extending cancellations into the core summer months.

For ports in the Arabian Gulf, the extended presence of these vessels has highlighted their capacity to support ships beyond standard turnaround operations, with berthing, provisioning, and technical services continuing throughout the delay, reminiscent of the extended port calls by laid-up cruise vessels during the pandemic.

The coming weeks are expected to determine whether vessels can depart in time to meet their revised schedules.

If so, the impact of the disruption may remain largely contained to the early part of the season, with cruise lines able to resume planned operations across Europe and the Red Sea with limited further adjustment.