MSC Euribia confirmed to be repositioning via Suez instead of Cape Town

MSC Euribia is now tracking north through the Red Sea, confirming a Suez Canal repositioning rather than a longer route around South Africa.

MSC Euribia has reappeared on tracking systems in the Red Sea, confirming that the vessel is repositioning to Europe via the Suez Canal rather than sailing around the Cape of Good Hope, as had been widely anticipated.

The development follows several days during which the ship’s Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponder was not broadcasting while transiting sensitive waters between the Arabian Gulf and the Red Sea.

The temporary absence from public tracking is understood to have been a precautionary measure while passing through the Gulf of Aden and the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

The vessel is currently sailing at approximately 16 knots towards the Suez Canal at the northern end of the Red Sea, indicating a direct return to the Mediterranean.

The routing contrasts with earlier expectations that MSC Euribia would follow a southern repositioning via South Africa, mirroring its outbound voyage to the Middle East in October 2025.

The repositioning began on April 17th, 2026, when the ship departed Dubai following an extended period alongside in the Arabian Gulf. On April 18th, MSC Euribia transited the Strait of Hormuz as part of a coordinated departure window utilised by several cruise ships that had remained in the region since late February.

Following the Hormuz transit, the vessel entered a four-day period without AIS transmission before reappearing on April 23rd in the Red Sea.

The timeline reflects the operational considerations associated with navigating key maritime corridors during a period of heightened regional tension linked to the US-Iran conflict, which has affected shipping movements across the Gulf and adjacent waterways.

MSC Euribia is one of six cruise ships that departed the Arabian Gulf within a narrow timeframe in mid-April, alongside Celestyal Discovery, Celestyal Journey, Mein Schiff 4, Mein Schiff 5, and Aroya.

While some vessels have opted for longer southern routes around Africa, the confirmed Suez transit places MSC Euribia on a more direct return path to Europe. Celestyal Journey is a few miles astern of her, also bound for the Suez Canal.

The ship is now expected to continue through the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean before proceeding via the Iberian Peninsula towards Northern Europe. The repositioning voyage is estimated at approximately 8,300 nautical miles.

The updated routing has implications for scheduling, with MSC Euribia now expected to arrive in Northern Europe earlier than initially anticipated. The vessel is scheduled to resume its summer programme with a seven-night sailing from Kiel on May 16th, 2026, followed by roundtrip itineraries from Copenhagen beginning May 17th, 2026.