Gulf cruise season run aground by Iran conflict

• Passengers from two vessels flown home
• Operating conditions being reassessed
• Middle East generated $708m in revenues

Two luxury ships currently lie empty save for a skeleton crew at ports in the Middle East, as the region’s billion-dollar cruise industry falls victim to the Iran war.

Mein Schiff 4 and Mein Schiff 5, two vessels operated by German tourist giant TUI that typically carry 2,500 passengers each, were coming to the end of the winter campaign when the conflict began, leaving customers stranded in Abu Dhabi and Doha.

Some 22 flights transported the guests and staff back to their home countries, from Dubai, Muscat, Riyadh and Doha.

The Gulf’s cruise sector, part of regional efforts to diversify tourism revenues, is growing quickly – but the suspension of the TUI voyages highlights its vulnerability. 

Mein Schiff 4 had been operating in the Middle East region since early November 2025, while Mein Schiff 5 began its itineraries in mid-December 2025.

But it is unclear whether they will take to the Arabian seas again when the next season begins in the fourth quarter.

“Our goal is to reintegrate both ships into the regular itinerary as soon as possible,” a spokesperson told AGBI.

“At this point in time, however, it is not yet possible to say with certainty when this will be possible.”

Typical Gulf cruise itineraries include stops at Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha, Muscat and Bahrain, with some routes extending to Jeddah on the Red Sea.

Saudi Arabia-backed Aroya Cruises confirmed that it has cancelled the remainder of its inaugural Arabian Gulf winter season.

Further reading:

• Middle East tourism losing $600m a day in Iran war
• Tim Clark: I dreamed of Emirates hotels and cruise ships
• Mishal Kanoo: War won’t break Dubai’s economic model

Geneva-based MSC Cruises said all guests had left its ship. “Our plans for the ship‘s relocation are currently being evaluated in consultation with the relevant internal and external experts,” a spokesperson said.

“At present, all Middle East itineraries remain scheduled as planned. The flexibility of our ships allows us to adapt routes should circumstances require.”

Celestyal Cruises, which had two ships in the region, has cancelled its March 20 and 23 Aegen Sea sailings.

Portuguese-owned Nicko Cruises has revised parts of the 175-night world voyage of the Vasco da Gama, altering several segments as it reassesses operating conditions in the Middle East. 

The ship departed Hamburg on November 7, 2025 and is currently sailing a leg that began in Indonesia in late February, which had been due to end in Dubai on March 20.

However, according to German cruise publication Schiff und Kreuzfahrten, the segment will now conclude instead in Port Louis, Mauritius.

The Gulf has been positioning itself as a winter alternative to the Mediterranean and Caribbean.

The cruise industry in the Middle East represents 1 percent of the entire global sector, generating $708 million in revenues in 2024, according to research from Skift. This was expected to grow to $1.1 billion by 2026.

Port Rashid and Dubai Harbour handled 187 cruise ship calls between January and November 2024, according to official figures, while the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi said 174 cruise calls had been scheduled in the emirate during the 2025-26 season, a 27 percent increase on the previous year.

Elsewhere in the Gulf, Old Doha Port received 87 cruise ships carrying more than 396,000 passengers during the 2024–25 season, while Oman had 137,000 passengers in 2025.

AGBI has contacted regional tourism authorities for comment.