Five cruise ships successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz during a brief reopening of the critical waterway, marking a significant breakthrough after nearly two months of disruption in the region. The vessels included both ships operated by Celestyal Cruises, one ship from MSC Cruises, and two ships from German operator TUI Cruises, all of which are now en route to Europe. Needless to say, these ships operated without passengers.
The first indications of movement emerged over the weekend, when I noticed a reddit thread about the four ships transiting the straight.
According to Celestyal Cruises, the vessel became the first cruise ship to exit the Arabian Gulf, following a meticulously planned and tightly coordinated voyage developed in close cooperation with regional authorities and maritime security teams.
Celestyal described the sailing as a pioneering movement that established a safe and proven transit corridor through the Strait of Hormuz, allowing other cruise operators to follow. This initial passage paved the way for additional departures over the following 24 hours.
Building on that success, Celestyal Journey transited the Strait on Saturday, April 18, leading a wider convoy of cruise vessels departing the region via the newly established route. With both ships now clear of the Middle East, Celestyal confirmed that they are repositioning to the Mediterranean ahead of the upcoming summer season. The line stated that all future sailings currently on sale will operate as scheduled.
MSC Cruises also confirmed on Saturday that MSC Euribia had departed Dubai and safely completed its transit of the Strait of Hormuz. The ship is now sailing toward Northern Europe to resume its summer deployment.
With the vessel returning sooner than previously anticipated, MSC announced that MSC Euribia’s May 16 sailing from Kiel (and May 17 from Copenhagen) will operate as originally scheduled, with all subsequent itineraries proceeding as planned. Guests impacted by earlier cancellations will have the option to transfer their bookings to the reinstated sailing.
I wouldn’t want to be crew on these ships, but I am sure glad to see these ships out of harms way. I can only imagine what the cost of this passage was. Any ideas?
