Red Sea Uncertainty: MSC Euribia and MSC Musica Rerouted Around Africa to Europe

Bild: wikipedia.de
Red Sea Uncertainty: MSC Euribia and MSC Musica Rerouted Around Africa to Europe
Two cruise ships from MSC Cruises, MSC Euribia and MSC Musica, have concluded their respective winter seasons and are now undertaking repositioning voyages to Europe without passengers onboard. Instead of the usual route through the Red Sea and Suez Canal, the vessels are taking the longer journey south around the African continent. This decision is a direct response to the ongoing volatile security situation in the Red Sea, where attacks by the Houthi militia from Yemen pose significant risks to civilian shipping, currently precluding passage for the cruise ships.

All news also on X formerly Twitter

MSC Musica recently completed its 2024/25 winter season, during which it operated in South African waters. The ship has already departed from Cape Town and is currently sailing directly towards Las Palmas, Gran Canaria. An operational stop is scheduled there for April 10, 2025, before the journey continues. The resumption of regular cruise operations with guests is planned for April 16, 2025, departing from Genoa. From there, MSC Musica will operate ten-day voyages in the Western Mediterranean throughout the summer of 2025.

MSC Euribia concludes its deployment in the Orient today, Saturday, April 5, 2025, with its final call in Dubai. This marks the end of the first winter season in the Persian Gulf for the newbuild, which was completed in 2023 and began its season in mid-November 2024. The vessel sailed a weekly itinerary featuring stops in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sir Bani Yas Island (United Arab Emirates), as well as Doha (Qatar) and Manama (Bahrain). MSC Euribia will now commence an approximately one-month repositioning voyage to Northern Europe, with Kiel, Germany, serving as its homeport for the 2025 summer season.

The journey will initially take the ship from the Persian Gulf across the Indian Ocean to Durban, South Africa. A technical stop is scheduled there for April 15, 2025. Afterwards, MSC Euribia will sail without passengers around the southern tip of Africa and continue its voyage northwards through the Atlantic Ocean. Arrival in Kiel to commence its summer schedule is expected on May 3, 2025. From this date, the ship will begin operating week-long cruises on a Northern Europe itinerary that includes Kiel, Copenhagen, and three ports in the Norwegian fjords.