MSC Cruises Works to Fly Stranded Cruise Guests Home From Middle East
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MSC Cruises is working with Emirates, Etihad Airways, and other regional airlines to secure return flights for guests after cancelling its remaining Dubai sailings.
Airlines have told the cruise line that passengers will be prioritized based on their original flight departure dates as limited seats become available.
The cruise line is exploring charter flights to help stranded cruise passengers return home.
Passengers whose cruise vacations were disrupted by escalating tensions in the Middle East are now waiting for flights home as MSC Cruises works with airlines and governments to organize their return.
The cruise line said it is coordinating with major regional carriers, including Emirates and Etihad Airways, to secure seats for guests whose sailings were cancelled after the company suspended remaining cruises from Dubai.
“MSC Cruises is working continuously with airline partners in the region, particularly Emirates and Etihad Airways, to identify and secure return flights for our guests,” MSC Cruises said in a statement.
The cruise line is asking airline partners to prioritize cruise passengers, but flights are currently being assigned based on travelers’ original departure dates.
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“We are requesting priority for our guests from our partners. At present, airlines operating flights have indicated that they will follow an order of priority based on the original flight date,” the company said.
Because of limited airline capacity, MSC Cruises is also exploring charter flights from several airports in the region to speed up the process. It says it is currently reviewing options from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, or Muscat in order to get stranded passengers home.
The cruise line added that it is also coordinating with diplomatic officials to assist travelers, including local authorities, embassies and foreign offices.
In the meantime, MSC Cruises said passengers currently onboard remain safe and are being kept informed while plans are finalized.
“The situation on board remains calm. We are providing guests with regular updates on the situation,” it said. “They have full access to all onboard services and facilities, and we continue to provide a high standard of care, comfort, and support.”
Middle East Conflict Disrupts Cruises
The flight arrangements come after MSC Cruises cancelled the remainder of its winter cruise program from Dubai as conflicts in the Middle East intensified following the US attacks on Iran on February 28, 2026.
The cruise line had been operating sailings in the region aboard MSC Euribia, a 183,500-gross-ton Meraviglia-Plus-class ship capable of carrying 6,327 passengers.
The vessel was based in Dubai for 7-night Arabian Gulf cruises that typically included stops in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, Doha in Qatar, and Sir Bani Yas Island in the Arabian Gulf.
MSC Euribia arrived in Dubai on February 27, 2026, after completing a 7-night sailing, but was instructed to remain in port rather than departing on February 28 for its next call in Doha, which had been scheduled for March 1. Local authorities had already closed the port, forcing the ship to suspend its itinerary.
Soon afterward, the cruise line began cancelling departures one by one, as reported first by Cruise Hive. MSC Cruises then cancelled the remainder of the winter program entirely.
That decision eliminated three additional 7-night sailings scheduled to depart March 14, March 21, and March 28, 2026, including all shorter segments that would have allowed passengers to embark in Doha or Abu Dhabi.
Guests booked on those sailings are being offered full refunds for the cruise fare, while passengers currently in the region must wait for flights or other transportation home.
MSC Cruises is not the only cruise operator affected. Other ships from multiple cruise lines have also been forced to remain in ports such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Doha, with thousands of passengers unable to continue their itineraries while regional airspace closures complicate travel arrangements.
For now, MSC Cruises says its priority is helping guests return home safely while monitoring the evolving situation in the region.
MSC Cruises Works to Fly Stranded Cruise Guests Home From Middle East