MSC Cruises has cancelled the opening sailing of the European summer programme for the cruise ship MSC Euribia after the vessel’s planned repositioning from the Arabian Gulf to Northern Europe was delayed. The voyage had been scheduled to depart from Kiel (Germany) on May 2nd, 2026, operating a 7-night itinerary through the Norwegian Fjords.
The ship has remained in Dubai since late February and has not yet been able to begin the long repositioning voyage to Europe. The delay is linked to the continuing uncertainty surrounding navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic maritime passage whose security situation has affected commercial shipping movements in the region.
In communication sent to booked passengers, MSC Cruises explained that the vessel had been unable to depart the Gulf as originally planned, resulting in a postponed repositioning voyage toward Northern Europe. As a consequence, the ship would not reach its European deployment area in time to operate the first scheduled sailing of the season, and the cruise line therefore cancelled the departure.
The cancelled itinerary had been planned as a round-trip voyage beginning in Kiel with an additional embarkation call in Copenhagen. Ports of call were to include Flåm, Hellesylt and Ålesund before returning to the German port.
The company indicated that the cancellation followed an assessment of the available operational options, with the delayed arrival of the ship making it impractical to maintain the scheduled departure date. The cruise line also acknowledged that the decision might cause disappointment among guests who had already arranged their travel plans, noting that the cancellation resulted directly from the vessel’s delayed movement rather than from a discretionary operational adjustment.
Passengers affected by the cancellation have been offered several alternatives. Guests may transfer their booking to another sailing departing before November 30th, 2026 without modification fees, with fare protection applied to voyages of comparable duration and accommodation category. Bookings may also be transferred to departures scheduled after December 1st, 2026 without change penalties, with payments already made credited to the new reservation. A full refund option remains available for those who choose not to rebook.
In addition, travelers who elect to rebook will receive onboard credit of up to EUR 200 per person for use during a future voyage.
The disruption reflects the broader impact of the 2026 maritime security crisis affecting shipping routes in the Gulf region, which has forced several cruise operators to alter schedules and redeploy vessels while awaiting safe passage through regional waterways.