MSC Euribia and Mein Schiff 4 and 5 head for South Africa as Strait of Hormuz opens

MSC Cruises, TUI Cruises, and Celestyal Cruises are actively moving vessels out of the Arabian Gulf following confirmation that the Strait of Hormuz is open.

Four cruise ships were transiting the waterway at the time of writing as long-delayed repositioning plans move into execution.

At the time of writing, MSC Euribia, Mein Schiff 4, Mein Schiff 5, and Celestyal Journey were all in the process of exiting the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz.

All but Celestyal Journey are likely to be bound for South Africa, based on an established strategy by operators to route ships around the Cape of Good Hope rather than through the Suez Canal.

The movements mark a shift from weeks of operational standstill, during which vessels remained alongside in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha with only essential crew on board. Hotel teams had been repatriated earlier in the disruption, leaving ships operating at minimum safe manning levels and requiring full restaffing ahead of their return to service.

For MSC Cruises, MSC Euribia is expected to follow the same routing it used at the start of the winter season, sailing around South Africa before returning to Northern Europe. The 2023-built vessel had originally been scheduled to operate a summer programme of Norwegian fjords sailings, and the Cape routing could allow it to re-enter service within three to four weeks, depending on crew logistics.

TUI Cruises is assumed to be pursuing a similar approach for Mein Schiff 4 and Mein Schiff 5.

In a recent interview, CEO Wybcke Meier said it would take approximately three to four weeks to reposition the ships to the Mediterranean and restore onboard hotel operations. Their routing towards South Africa would align with expectations that both vessels will avoid the Suez Canal in favour of a longer but more controlled transit, mirroring their repositioning at the beginning of the season.

Celestyal Cruises appears to be taking a different approach. While Celestyal Journey is now transiting the Strait, the ship is likely to return via the Suez Canal, as she and her fleetmate Celestyal Discovery did at the beginning of the Middle East cruise season.

Aroya Cruises’ Aroya is also expected to utilise the Suez Canal for its onward deployment, having followed that route into the Gulf for the winter season. A return transit would position the vessel for its planned programme in the Red Sea and Mediterranean.

The differing strategies underline the operational trade-offs now facing cruise lines, balancing transit time, regional routing considerations, and the logistical challenge of rebuilding full crews.

While the reopening of the Strait has enabled departures to begin, the process of restoring normal deployment patterns across fleets is expected to continue over the coming weeks.