Hundreds of cruise passengers who set sail in the Persian Gulf expecting a relaxing getaway now find themselves stranded at sea as rising military tensions in the Middle East disrupt travel across the region. With airspace closures and key shipping routes blocked, travelers aboard several cruise ships remain unable to leave ports in the Gulf, describing the experience as unsettling and surreal.
Among those caught in the unfolding crisis is Scottish traveler Lesley Ballantyne, who is currently aboard MSC Cruises’ Euribia. She recalled being abruptly awakened in the early hours of Saturday morning by an emergency alert on her phone warning of potential missile threats and instructing residents to seek immediate shelter. The sudden notification left her shaken. Looking out from her cabin window, she expected to see signs of chaos or emergency response, but instead she saw only the quiet glow of Dubai’s harbor lights surrounding the ship.
Days later, Ballantyne and her husband were still onboard, unable to leave the region as the Euribia remained docked. Their cruise had begun before the United States and Israel launched a coordinated military strike on Iran, an escalation that has since disrupted travel and trade routes across the Gulf. With airspace across parts of the region either closed or heavily restricted and ships unable to safely pass through the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz — a narrow waterway largely controlled by Iran — passengers have been left waiting for the situation to stabilize.
“Never, never, ever did we think we’d get caught up in something like this,” said British passenger Sharon Cockram, who is also traveling aboard the Euribia. For many on board, the conflict unfolding around them feels like something they would normally watch from the safety of their living rooms thousands of miles away. “It’s always something you watch on the TV from home,” she explained.
Cockram says the uncertainty has been particularly stressful because of family concerns back home. Her daughter in the United Kingdom is pregnant and could give birth at any moment. “Our daughter in the U.K. is worried sick,” she said, expressing how anxious the situation has made her family feel while she remains stranded abroad.
The Euribia is not the only vessel affected by the regional turmoil. Several other cruise ships are also unable to continue their journeys, including Greek cruise operator Celestyal’s Journey, currently docked in Doha, Qatar, and the Discovery in Dubai. German travel company TUI has two ships stuck as well — Mein Schiff 4 in Abu Dhabi and Mein Schiff 5 in Doha.
The Joint Maritime Information Center has classified the current security risk in the region as “critical,” highlighting the growing dangers for vessels operating near key waterways. Yet despite the seriousness of the situation, many passengers say they still feel relatively safe onboard.
“It’s quite scary,” Cockram admitted. “But as the days go on, you start thinking, ‘Well, it’s been okay up to now, so hopefully it will be okay until we’re able to go home.’” For now, stranded travelers continue to wait aboard their ships, hoping tensions will ease enough for them to finally return home.