TUI Cancels More Cruises and Launches Major Operation to Fly Guests Home
Key Aspects:
TUI Cruises has cancelled further departures for both of its ships currently holding position in the Persian Gulf.
Mein Schiff 4 is docked in Abu Dhabi and Mein Schiff 5 is docked in Qatar.
The cruise line is now beginning operations to fly guests home, but that may take several days.
With the ongoing tensions in the Persian Gulf (Arabian Gulf), TUI Cruises is electing to completely cancel several upcoming voyages for both Mein Schiff 4 and Mein Schiff 5. Guests currently onboard both vessels will be flown home, though the operation will take some time.
Mein Schiff 4 is currently docked in Abu Dhabi, while Mein Schiff 5 is docked in Qatar. The two ports are approximately 185 miles apart, but the erratic situation in the region means both are in precarious positions.
Cruise Hive has previously reported on the two missile-armed drones that crashed in Port Zayed in Abu Dhabi on March 1, close enough for guests aboard Mein Schiff 4 to witness the explosion and resulting fires. Emergency safety protocols were activated and guests were told to avoid the ship’s outer decks and windows.
As there is no telling when tensions may ease, it is important that TUI Cruises keeps both guests and crew members safe.
“The TUI Cruises Crisis Team is working continuously and in close coordination with the relevant authorities, the Federal Foreign Office, the responsible embassies, international security experts and the security teams of our shareholders, TUI AG and the Royal Caribbean Group, on an ongoing assessment of the situation and the measures derived from it,” the cruise line stated.
A key feature of those safety measures is now the cancellation of additional departures for both ships.
For Mein Schiff 4, which had already cancelled the March 1 and March 2 departures, the March 3, March 8, and March 9 sailings are now also cancelled. Likewise, Mein Schiff 5 had already cancelled the February 28 sailing, but the March 5 sailing is now also cancelled.
At this time, TUI Cruises is asking that guests not attempt to contact the cruise line about upcoming individual sailings, but the situation is being closely monitored.
“Our crisis structures are activated and our teams on board and land are working around the clock,” the cruise line said on Facebook.
If further cancellations are necessary, the cruise line will contact the affected guests.
Guests Onboard to Be Flown Home
While onboard operations for both Mein Schiff 4 and Mein Schiff 5 are proceeding as normally as possible in the current situation, the cruise line is making arrangements for guests to fly home.
Because the situation is so dynamic, however, with limited flights available, it may take time to make suitable arrangements for the more than 5,000 passengers between the two ships. This is especially challenging with closed airspaces and limited flights, and individual planes can only carry roughly 200 individuals at a time.
Read Also: All Cruise Lines Impacted by Middle East Tensions So Far
As a first step, some passengers from Mein Schiff 4 are being transferred from Abu Dhabi to Dubai.
The cruise line has also established a Family Hotline for inquiries, operating from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. While this hotline will not directly connect family members to their loved ones onboard either ship, it is a way to stay updated.
In the meantime, onboard operations including dining, entertainment, and youth programs continue as normal as much as possible. Some outer deck activities are being limited for safety and further precautions are sure to be taken if necessary.
TUI Cancels More Cruises and Launches Major Operation to Fly Guests Home