Terrified children stranded on cruise ship in Qatar ‘in tears’ as conflict rages in Middle East
Thousands of passengers remain stranded on cruise ships in Dubai and UAE ports as missile interceptions cause ‘loud bangs’ and terrify young children as the Iran conflict rages on
Ships across the Middle East have been forced to dock until further notice(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Children among the hundreds of tourists stranded on cruise ships in Doha have been left “in tears” as the war in the Middle East rages on. Russian passengers who spoke to The Moscow Times described days of anxiety as they received little clarity or assistance from either the cruise operator or the Russian Embassy in Qatar, leaving them with no choice but to wait.
The Celestyal Journey, operated by Greece-based Celestyal Cruises, departed Dubai in the United Arab Emirates on Feb. 23 and was scheduled to return there on Monday.
But it was forced to stop in Doha on February 28 after authorities closed nearby sea routes due to the U.S.-Israeli military operation against Iran.
Passengers reported hearing air raid sirens and explosions as they watched Iranian missiles intercepted by Qatari air defences. One told the publication: “Small children on the ship started crying. Their parents and reception staff tried to calm them down. We were ordered not to leave the ship.”
About 155 Russian nationals are officially registered among the passengers, it is understood. In a statement to The Moscow Times on Thursday, Celestyal said it had canceled the remainder of its Arabian Gulf cruise season.
“We continue to follow developments in the Middle East and remain in regular contact with the relevant authorities. Throughout this period, our focus has been and continues to be the safety and wellbeing of our guests and crew,” the company said.
Guests currently aboard the Celestyal Journey in Doha will be informed of disembarkation plans within 24 to 48 hours, the company added.
The news comes as Britons and hundreds of other holidaymakers have been plunged into a cruise catastrophe after their liner became trapped in the conflict-ravaged Middle East.
Donald Trump’s American-led offensive against Iran has sent tremors across the region and beyond, leaving thousands of people requiring immediate evacuation after they had journeyed for holidays in Dubai, with the UAE among nations hit by targeted missile strikes.
Among those thousands are passengers aboard six cruise ships moored at ports in the Gulf state and neighbouring Abu Dhabi, who have been left terrified as their vessels are unable to navigate to safety.
Those passengers have now disclosed the chaos on their cruise liners, including the “loud bangs” as missiles explode during interceptions happening nearby.
Speaking to CNN, Lesley Ballantyne, from Scotland, said she and her husband awoke one morning on the ship to find an emergency alert flashing on their phones. She said the message had instructed them to “seek immediate shelter in the closest secure building” due to the imminent threat.
She informed the broadcaster that, although her husband didn’t notice anything when looking out of the window that morning, they later “heard some loud bangs” and had “seen some missiles being intercepted from the ship”. The safety alert reached them on Saturday, and as of 4 March, the couple along with thousands of other passengers are still stuck aboard the vessel which should be continuing its voyage around the Middle East.
Their cruise ship, the MSC Euribia, was meant to be on a route that would take it through to Europe later this year.
To reach the open seas, it would have needed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway off Iran’s southern coast that serves as the only maritime route connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and further to the open ocean.
However, Iran has warned that it would prevent ships from passing through the strait during the ongoing conflict, with the regime even threatening to “burn every ship”. Cruise operators have confirmed passengers will stay on their vessels whilst the conflict continues, stating they are closely monitoring developments.
One person stranded on the Euribia, an anonymous user posting in a Facebook group for the liner, reported they were “constantly hearing explosions” from their location in Dubai.
Another traveller from Italy noted that the situation is “calm”, explaining that passengers are allowed to leave the ships but have been advised to “stay inside for the time being”. She stated: “The situation is calm, there’s a possibility to go out but the recommendations are to stay inside for the time being.”
Several other ships find themselves in the same predicament as the Euribia, including the Celestyal Discovery docked in Dubai, its sister ship, the Celestyal Journey, currently moored in Doha, and two TUI cruise liners, the Mein Schiff 5 in Doha, and Mein Schiff 4 in Abu Dhabi.
