Hundreds of Young Tourists Evacuated by Cruise Ship From Israel
For Jewish young adults, the opportunity to visit Israel and see the land of their history and heritage is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. With the ongoing tensions between Iran and Israel that began on Friday, June 13, 2025, that opportunity has quickly turned frightening.
Thanks to the compassionate intervention of a Mano Maritime cruise ship, Crown Iris, roughly 1,500 young adults have been safely evacuated in a cooperative venture that will bring them safely home.
According to the Independent, the youth – between the ages of 18 and 26 – were on a “heritage trip” with Birthright Israel, a not-for-profit organization that provides free 10-day trips to Jewish youth.
Crown Iris was quickly secured to use for the evacuation of the youth from Ashdod Port, south of Tel Aviv, to Cyprus, under escort by the Israeli navy.
“All participants are safe, currently located near secure zones and shelters, and are being closely cared for by the operational teams and staff on the ground,” Birthright Israel confirmed before the evacuation.
“We remain in constant contact with Israeli security authorities and are taking every necessary precaution to prioritize participant safety and well-being.”
Crown Iris arrived in Cyprus on Tuesday, June 17, without incident during the 13-hour trip. Florida governor Ron DeSantis has chartered four planes to further evacuate the US participants to Tampa, Florida. From there, they will more easily be able to return home.
“This was a complex and emotional operation, carried out under immense pressure, and we are proud to have brought 1,500 young adults safely to Cyprus. Our team continues to work around the clock to secure solutions for the remaining participants still in Israel,” said Gidi Mark, CEO of Birthright Israel.
While 1,500 young adults have now been safely evacuated, there are still nearly 1,300 trip participants still in Israel as tensions continue.
Crown Iris debuted in 1992 as Royal Majesty for the now-defunct Majesty Cruise Line. Cruise enthusiasts might better remember the ship as Norwegian Majesty with Norwegian Cruise Line from 1997-2009.
The ship has remained in service in the years since, moving to different cruise lines through a variety of transactions. The vessel was acquired by Mano Maritime in 2018.
Cruise Ships and Humanitarian Operations
This is not the first time that cruise ships have been pressed into service for humanitarian missions. While most cruise passengers are aware that ships will rescue refugees at sea, larger operations are not uncommon.
In May 2024, Carnival Splendor answered a call for help to bring a stranded group home to Australia from Vanuatu when air operations ceased to the island amid political unrest.
P&O Cruises Australia had engaged in a similar rescue sailing for young Australian Rotary members and their chaperones stranded on a volunteer mission in Vanuatu just days earlier.
In February 2023, Gemini of Miray Cruises served as a temporary refugee shelter following a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Turkey.
In April 2022, Holland America Line’s Volendam offered temporary housing to Ukrainian refugees in the Netherlands for several months. At that time, the vessel was still out of service as part of the pandemic industry shutdown.
Read Also: Cruise Ship Lifeboats – Are There Enough and What You Might Not Know!
It doesn’t always have to be a large group or a global situation for cruise lines to offer assistance, however.
In May 2022, a family was stranded in Aruba when their autistic son had a sensory episode and was denied boarding on their return flight to the United States.
Carnival Cruise Line stepped in for the unfortunate and troubling situation, and brought two members of the family home on Carnival Horizon during the ship’s scheduled A-B-C cruise. The rest of the family had been able to fly home earlier.
Hundreds of Young Tourists Evacuated by Cruise Ship From Israel