At least two cruise lines have reportedly said they will change their itineraries to the Middle East to avoid areas of the Red Sea and Yemen, where several ships have come under attack by Houthi rebels in recent weeks.
Silversea will change Silver Moon's itinerary, turning the 10-day voyage that started Jan. 6 from Aqaba, Jordan, to Muscat, Oman, into a round-trip sailing, a spokeswoman for parent company Royal Caribbean Group said. . Guests will now disembark in Aqaba at the end of the cruise, and the cruise company is in the process of changing return flights for guests.
A spokesperson said Royal Caribbean Group's global security team continues to monitor the situation.
Silversea would not comment on the status of the subsequent voyage.
MSC Cruises also decided to reroute one of its ships. The MSC Poesia departed on January 4 and is cruising the world for 115 days from Rome. The ship was due to transit the Suez Canal on January 16, but a spokeswoman said the route would be revised for the first part on January 4. Instead of sailing through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea, you're taking a cruise around Africa. She said the latter part of her itinerary would remain unchanged.
A spokeswoman did not immediately respond to questions about when the ship would change course from its original itinerary.
Other cruise lines have taken a wait-and-see approach because their ships have not yet arrived in the area. Spring is the busiest time for cruise ships on the Suez Canal.
According to the New York Times, attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have prevented several major shipping companies from passing through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, a major shortcut between Asia and Europe. The report cited analysis by logistics technology company Flexport, which found that at least 389 container ships were plying long-distance routes around Africa.
