The crews of the cruise ships Mein Schiff 4 and Mein Schiff 5 are preparing to return to Europe from Cape Town and Malta. After a forced break due to geopolitical tensions, the crew members are gradually returning to make the ships operational for upcoming cruises starting on 15 and 17 May.
TUI Cruises has announced that Mein Schiff 4 and Mein Schiff 5 have left the Orient region and are travelling to the Mediterranean. Departures will start from Trieste on 17 May 2026, and from Heraklion on 15 May 2026. The return to regular operations was deemed important to offer cancelled trips to guests.
On 17 April 2026, the cruise ship Celestyal Discovery will move towards Oman after weeks of inactivity in the Persian Gulf. Numerous voyages have been cancelled due to regional tensions. Tui Cruises plans to bring the ships “Mein Schiff 4” and “Mein Schiff 5” back to Europe, depending on the security situation.
The AIDAprima will offer new cruises from Kiel, Gran Canaria, and Tenerife in the 2026/27 season. Originally planned for the Middle East, the voyages were cancelled due to the security situation. The cruises range from four to eleven days, with special voyages to the Norwegian fjords and the Baltic Sea.
MSC Cruises has cancelled the 2026/27 season planned for the Middle East with the MSC World Europa in order to expand its presence in the Caribbean. The MSC Seaview will be redeployed to South America, while the MSC World Europa will undertake voyages from the French Antilles to various Caribbean destinations. Guests on cancelled voyages will be informed and can rebook or request a refund.
Six cruise ships are stuck in the Arabian Gulf as the Strait of Hormuz is blocked. The ships, including MSC Euribia and Mein Schiff 5, are waiting for scheduled routes.
TUI Cruises has cancelled further departures on two of its ships due to the current conflicts in the Middle East. In a statement released on Tuesday, it was emphasised that all cruises on Mein Schiff 4 are now cancelled until 23 March 2026. Cancellations of all planned voyages until 29 March 2026 also apply to Mein Schiff 5. This is based on a travel and security warning from the German Federal Foreign Office. Affected passengers have been informed directly about the cancellations. TUI has…
AIDA Cruises will not offer any cruises in the Middle East in winter 2026/27, as the situation in the region remains uncertain and cannot be reliably predicted for the foreseeable future, the company announced in a press release. Consequently, the planned repositioning cruises of AIDAprima around Africa have also been cancelled. The company plans to inform all guests of AIDAprima who have already booked and are affected by the adjustment of the travel plan for winter 2026/27, as well as partner travel agencies, immediately about the change. The…
Costa Cruises changes winter programme 2025/26: Middle East trips cancelled Costa Cruises has announced changes for the 2025/26 winter season. The planned Eastern Mediterranean programme for Costa Toscana has been cancelled. The reason given is the "fluid situation in the region". Instead, the ship will remain in the Mediterranean, offering one-week and longer trips to Southern Europe and North Africa. The repositioning voyages of Costa Toscana to Dubai in autumn 2025 and back in spring 2026 are also cancelled. All affected guests will be contacted directly by Costa Cruises. The Costa…
AIDA Cruises is not offering Orient cruises in 2025/2026 and is planning new routes to Northern Europe and the Canary Islands to ensure guest safety.