5 of 6 Cruise Ships Now Transiting the Strait of Hormuz

After weeks of being stuck due to the conflict in the Middle East, there is finally movement for cruise ships in the Persian Gulf. Celestyal Discovery was the first to successfully clear the Strait of Hormuz and more are on their way.  

The Malta flagged ship has been docked and stationary for approximately 47 days. It first arrived in Dubai around March 1 and remained there until its departure earlier today, April 17.

The situation has changed quite a bit since that first departure. New satellite tracking data as of early April 18 shows that nearly the entire stranded fleet is now moving, making a run for the exit.

Real-Time Fleet Movement

Cruise Fever has been tracking these ship movements all day and tracking data that we have checked through multiple sources (Cruise Mapper and Vessel Finder) confirms that these ships are on the move. 

What started as just Celestyal Discovery pulling out of port and the first to clear the Strait of Hormuz, has turned into 5 of the 6 stranded ships now finally moving.

Here is the status of these ships as of the time of this update:

• Celestyal Discovery: Successfully cleared the Strait. Currently sailing at 15.3 knots with a new destination of Suez, Egypt.

• Celestyal Journey: Underway at 18.5 knots heading toward Khasab. This ends a 49-day stay in Doha.

• MSC Euribia: Departed Dubai and is currently traveling at 18.4 knots toward Muscat, Oman.

• Mein Schiff 5: Underway at 17.9 knots heading East toward the Strait.

• Mein Schiff 4: Formerly docked in Abu Dhabi, the vessel is now underway at 16.3 knots.

• Aroya Manara: The only vessel remaining stationary and moored in Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

It should be noted that no passengers are on the ships, as the vessel is just repositioning to new locations.

Why the Ships Are Moving Now

This move is a very big step, as the ships have been effectively “stuck” since the Strait of Hormuz became a high-risk zone for commercial travel in late February.

As Cruise Fever reported earlier in the crisis, the situation forced several cruise lines to effectively shut down operations on impacted ships and cancel dozens of cruises.

The ship movements follow a major breaking development announced by Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, who stated that the Strait of Hormuz is now “completely open” to all commercial vessels for the remaining period of the current Israel-Lebanon ceasefire.

Ships must follow a coordinated route designated by Iran’s Ports and Maritime Organization.  President Donald Trump welcomed the news on Truth Social, stating that the strait is “FULLY OPEN AND READY FOR FULL PASSAGE.”  This news enabled the five ships to head for the exit today.  

While the reopening remains temporary and conditional based on the ceasefire, it at least helps the chances of safe movement out of the Persian Gulf and could lead to the repositioning for the other stranded vessels. We will continue to monitor the AIS tracking data as these ships navigate the final miles of the Strait.

For now, it looks like cruise ships saw their window of opportunity and they are taking it.