UK-bound cruise ships diverted from Red Sea as a result of Houthi assaults

Hundreds of passengers on UK-bound cruise ships are going through per week longer at sea, with Mediterranean stops they paid to go to being axed as their ships are rerouted round Africa to keep away from the Red Sea following Houthi assaults.

Carnival Corporation, the corporate which owns main cruise strains like P&O and Cunard, has rerouted 12 of its ships away from the area amid simmering tensions within the Middle East.

Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 and P&O Cruises’ Arcadia, each of which have been as a result of return to Southampton from world excursions by way of the Suez Canal, will now spend between seven and 10 days journeying across the southern tip of Africa as a substitute.

This will imply passengers will miss out on visiting common vacationer locations which they’ve paid to see, together with Dubai, Petra, Athens, Barcelona and Seville.

Many who’ve had their journeys disrupted have been supplied money to spend on board and credit score for future holidays, whereas others who solely booked the ultimate leg of the world cruises have reportedly had their holidays cancelled altogether.

Cunard notified QM2 passengers of the itinerary change by way of e-mail, with holidaymakers set to sail from Sri Lanka on 31 March now heading to South Africa as a substitute of the United Arab Emirates.

As nicely as refunding on-shore experiences deliberate for the initially scheduled stops, the cruise is providing prospects $500 spending cash as a ‘gesture of goodwill’.

Passengers had been due to participate in excursions across the historic metropolis of Petra, one of many Seven Wonders of the World.

Tours have been additionally deliberate of Athens from the historic Greek port of Piraeus, and of Seville from the place the ship was as a result of dock in Cadiz.

Instead, Cunard instructed prospects, they are going to be crusing across the coast of West Africa. 

New stops will embody Durban in South Africa, Walvis Bay in Namibia, and Portugal’s capital Lisbon. 

The operator says the embarkation and disembarkation dates for QM2, which is because of dock in Southampton on April 28, will stay the identical.

Hundreds are more likely to be affected, with the QM2 carrying 2,500 passengers and Aracdia carrying simply over 2,000. 

Cunard mentioned it was ‘dedicated to making sure the protection and well-being’ of its visitors and crew. 

In a press release, Carnival mentioned the corporate had made the choice to reroute ‘given current developments and in shut session with world safety specialists and authorities authorities.’ 

The transfer is anticipated to impact 12 ships throughout seven of its manufacturers up till May this 12 months. 

A P&O spokesperson mentioned of Arcadia that operators had taken ‘the troublesome choice to reroute the section of the western circumnavigation that was as a result of function within the Red Sea.

‘Arcadia’s itinerary will stay as deliberate as much as Singapore after which will sail again to Southampton by way of the south and west coasts of Africa,’ they mentioned.

Vessels passing Yemen have come below frequent assault since Israel launched its offensive in Gaza following the October 7 terror assault by the Hamas terror group.

Around 18 transport corporations – that will usually route their ships travelling from Asia to Europe via the Red Sea and the Suez Canal – have responded by rerouting their vessels round South Africa to keep away from the danger posed within the strait.

But the journey, which takes ships across the Cape of Good Hope, is round 4,000 nautical miles longer than the Suez route, provides a median of 9 days to the journey.

As a end result, fears have been mounting over disruption of worldwide provide chains, with assaults threatening to create shortages and drive up costs.