Cruise cancellations in the Middle East: The canceled dream trip!

Cruise cancellations in the Middle East: The canceled dream trip!

In the area of ​​cruises, the cancellations are increasing, which brings unpleasant surprises for many travelers. As world in the season 2025/2026, especially at TUI Cruises and AIDA Cruises that have canceled several tours in the Middle East. The reasons for these cancellations are versatile, including safety concerns, technical problems and shipyards from ships.

Full charter of cruise ships is increasingly mentioned as a more frequent reason for cancellation. Companies book ships for exclusive events, which means that early trips can be affected. A current example is the fitness provider Hyrox, who reserved the "Mein Schiff 4" for an event, although another cruise has already been sold for the same period. In such cases, affected travelers receive a standard letter about the cancellation of their booking.

Current cancellations and their backgrounds

Especially the security situation in the eastern Mediterranean exerts pressure on the cruise industry. As Abendblatt , TUI Cruises has several trans travel in autumn 2025 painted. The affected trips include:

• "Mein Schiff 4": October 1 to November 3, 2025
• "Mein Schiff 5": November 7th to December 13th, 2025
• "Mein Schiff 6": October 19 to November 26, 2025

travelers affected by these cancellations receive free cancellation together with a travel cut of 10 % on future bookings. Aida Cruises also canceled travel through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal for 2025/26 due to similar security concerns.

alternatives and compensation

The shipping companies usually offer reimbursements and alternative booking options when cruises are canceled. At TUI Cruises, the down payment for affected travelers is converted into a virtual "on -board credit", which means that the repayment must be actively applied for. Travelers have the option of receiving a 10 % discount on a new booking, whereby it only refers to the down payment.

However, many affected customers express their resentment in online forums, since insurance that has been booked do not cover the costs as soon as they are active. Technical problems and weather conditions continue to go hand in hand with travel changes, which also makes the situation complicated.

The cruise industry is under pressure and has to quickly adapt to changed conditions. The uncertainties are reflected in the repeated cancellations and arouse fears of their bookings for traveling. Again and again companies have to use solutions to maintain customer satisfaction.