Celestyal cancels two Mediterranean sailings due to Middle East conflict

Celestyal has cancelled the first two sailings of Celestyal Discovery’s Mediterranean season as the ship has not been able to leave Dubai.

The three-night Iconic Aegean sailing, which was due to depart on March 20, and four-night Iconic Aegean, due to depart on March 23, have been scrapped.

Passengers booked on these departures will be offered a full refund or future credit.

Celestyal said Discovery is “fully operational and ready to sail” as all passengers from the previous sailing have disembarked.

However, the ship cannot sail to Europe until The Strait of Hormuz, which is closed due to the ongoing conflict, is reopened by the authorities.

The cruise line said it must now “finalise operational arrangements for the ship’s repositioning to the Mediterranean ahead of the summer season”.

Celestyal Journey, which is docked in Doha, has begun disembarking passengers from its last cancelled sailing and expects to disembark the remaining guests over the next 24 hours.

Discovery’s next scheduled Mediterranean sailing is the three-day Iconic Greek Islands on March 27, while Journey’s first Mediterranean sailing is scheduled for April 4.

The line said it “continues to monitor developments in the Middle East and remains in regular contact with the relevant authorities in the region”.

“We continue to follow developments closely and remain focused on resuming our planned programme as soon as possible,” said a spokesperson, adding: “We sincerely thank our guests and valued partners for their patience and understanding.”