by Sarah Kuta
Last updated: 2:25 PM ET, Tue April 21, 2026
Two TUI Cruises cruise ships—Mein Schiff 4 and Mein Schiff 5—safely crossed the Strait of Hormuz during a brief window when the waterway was opened.
The vessels had been stuck in the Persian Gulf because of the escalating military conflict between Iran, the United States and Israel. The ships departed the region with no passengers on board and with only skeleton crews.
“The past few weeks have presented us all with extraordinary challenges,” said Wybcke Meier, chief executive officer for TUI Cruises, in a statement shared with the New York Times.
The two ships are now sailing toward Cape Town, South Africa, where they will resume their regularly scheduled voyages. Mein Schiff 4’s next voyage departs from Trieste, Italy, on May 17, while Mein Schiff 5’s next cruise departs from Iraklion, Greece, on May 15. Both voyages had been previously canceled but will now take place as planned.
Celestyal Discovery, Celestyal Journey and MSC Euribia also cleared the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend. Meanwhile, the Strait of Hormuz is functionally closed to commercial traffic once again.
Celestyal Discovery, under the command of Captain Nikolaos Vasileiou, became the first cruise ship to depart the gulf on April 17. According to Celestyal Cruises, the ship "established a safe and proven route through the Strait, enabling other cruise operators to follow."
Helmed by Captain Angelos Vasilakos, Celestyal Journey followed on April 18, leading a broader convoy of cruise ships. Both Celestyal Discovery and Celestyal Journey are now repositioning to the Mediterranean, where they will begin their summer sailings as planned. All future sailings currently on sale will operate as scheduled.
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