MSC Euribia Stuck in Gulf, Cancels Season-Opening Europe Voyage
Key Aspects:
MSC Euribia‘s May 2 departure from Kiel has been cancelled as the ship remains in the Arabian Gulf.
Guests have rebooking and refund options for their now-cancelled vacation plans.
No further itineraries are impacted at this time, but might be necessary in the weeks to come.
While the conflict in the Middle East remains unstable and the Gulf of Hormuz is crowded with ships unable to leave smoothly, another cruise ship is adjusting its repositioning plans and cancelling a sailing as a result. MSC Euribia will be unable to set sail from Kiel, Germany on May 2, 2026 as planned.
MSC Cruises has now reached out to booked guests to notify them of the cancellation of the ship’s first European sailing of the season and offer options for rebooking and refunds.
“Due to the current situation in the Middle East, the MSC Euribia could not leave the region as planned, as a result, its repositioning towards Northern Europe was delayed,” the notification read. “Therefore, the ship will not be in a position to operate the first cruise of the season and we regret to have to cancel your departure from Kiel on May 2, 2026.”
The ship’s May 2 sailing was to have been a 7-night Northern Europe itinerary with visits to Copenhagen, Hellesylt, Alesund, and Flam before returning to Kiel on May 9.
The 184,000-gross-ton, Meraviglia-Plus Class MSC Euribia remains docked in Dubai at the moment, awaiting safe clearance to leave the Arabian Gulf.
While some ships have begun moving through the Strait of Hormuz, priority is given to oil tankers and cargo ships carrying essential supplies. Cruise ships are not as high a priority until the marine traffic lessens.
MSC Euribia has not sailed with guests since the conflict began at the end of February. At first, she remained docked in Dubai with guests aboard, but as Cruise Hive has already reported, those guests were safely debarked and the last three remaining sailings of her Middle East season were cancelled.
At this time, no further itineraries are impacted for MSC Euribia. The ship is offering departures from Kiel and Copenhagen through mid-October, and it is possible that additional sailings may be impacted.
Booked guests should stay in close contact with their travel agent and MSC Cruises for updates as changes are confirmed.
MSC Euribia Guests Offered Compensation
Guests booked on the May 2 departure have been offered three different options for rebooking and refunds.
If travelers choose to rebook to any other sailing that departs no later than November 30, 2026, they will have no rebooking fees or penalties, and the cruise line will work to offer “the most favorable rate” between the old and new reservations. Guests will also receive a non-refundable onboard credit of €100 ($117 USD) per person.
Guests who rebook for a sailing departing from December 1, 2026 or later will also receive the onboard credit and will not have any rebooking fees, but they will be paying prevailing fares on the new sailing. All funds paid toward the now-cancelled cruise will be transferred to the new booking.
The third option is a full refund with no rebooking for an alternative voyage. There will be no cancellation penalties for this choice.
Could MSC Euribia Reach Kiel in Time?
To reach Kiel, MSC Euribia would have to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, travel around the Arabian Peninsula and through the Red Sea to the Suez Canal, cross the Mediterranean Sea and move north along the coast of Western Europe to northern Germany. Depending on the exact sailing route, that trip is roughly 8,300 miles.
MSC Euribia‘s top sailing speed is 22-23 knots, or approximately 25-26 miles per hour. With no stops at all and moving at top speed for the entire trip, it would take the ship 320 hours (more than 13 days) to move from Dubai to Kiel.
Of course, it’s not practical for the ship to remain at top speed for the entire duration of such a trip. Slower speeds would be necessary at times for navigation, not to mention stops for refueling.
MSC Euribia is not the first ship to cancel European sailings for vessels that remain in the Arabian Gulf. Celestyal Cruises has already cancelled 11 European cruises for its two vessels, both of which were to have been sailing from Athens this month.
MSC Euribia Stuck in Gulf, Cancels Season-Opening Europe Voyage