MSC EURIBIA
Update on the Situation in the Middle East – March 6th, 2026 (14:00 CET)
MSC Cruises has currently organised flights for more than 1,500 guests who were on board MSC Euribia in Dubai to enable them to leave the region.
As of this morning, a total of seven flights carrying MSC Cruises’ guests have departed the region.
These flights include dedicated charter services operated at MSC Cruises’ expense, seats secured in partnership with Emirates and Fly Dubai on scheduled commercial services, as well as some government organised flights.
Guests have been repatriated to a range of destinations, including the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Spain, the United States and Brazil.
“I am immensely proud of how the whole Company is coming together with this highly complex repatriation operation,” said Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of MSC Cruises. “Our Ship Command and crew have worked tirelessly to ensure our guests are well cared for and our teams across the globe have worked round the clock to get our guests home safely and in a timely manner. We have received unparalleled support from our airline partner, Emirates as well as the regional and national governments who are supporting us to facilitate the necessary operational logistics and authorisation for the flights. We still have some guests on the ship, but we are working hard to secure their safe passage from the region.”
The situation on board remains calm. Guests are regularly updated on the situation and have full access to all onboard services and facilities.
We continue to provide a high standard of care, comfort and support.
Thank you for your understanding.
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Update on the Situation in the Middle East – March 5th, 2026 (10:00 CET)
MSC Cruises has been working on the safest and quickest way to repatriate our guests and has taken decisive action to accelerate this by launching a dedicated flight operation that currently includes five charter flights with the first flight planned to depart today, Thursday 5th March. These flights would see close to 1,000 guests leave the region by Saturday.
In parallel, MSC Cruises is pursuing every available pathway for the remaining guests - including commercial flights, further charter options and coordinated government-assisted solutions.
Thank you for your understanding.
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Update on the Situation in the Middle East – March 4th, 2026 (16:00 CET)
MSC Cruises Coordinates with Airlines and Authorities to Support Guest Repatriation.
Our priority is the safety and wellbeing of our guests and crew, and we continue to follow the guidance of the regional military authorities for the ship to remain in the port of Dubai.
MSC Cruises is working continuously with airline partners in the region, particularly Emirates and Etihad Airways, to identify and secure return flights for our guests.
We are requesting priority for our guests from our partners. At present, airlines operating flights have indicated that they will follow an order of priority based on the original flight date.
In order to speed up the repatriation, we are working on other options such as chartering flights from Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Muscat.
In parallel we are in constant contact with local authorities, Embassies and Foreign Offices to also support the safe return of our guests.
The situation on board remains calm. We are providing guests with regular updates on the situation. They have full access to all onboard services and facilities, and we continue to provide a high standard of care, comfort and support.
Thank you for your understanding.
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Update on the Situation in the Middle East – March 3rd , 2026 (16:00 CET)
Our priority is the safety and wellbeing of our guests and crew, and we continue to follow the guidance of the regional military authorities for the ship to remain in the port of Dubai.
Following the limited resumption of flights from the region, we are working closely with the airlines to facilitate onward travel for our guests. Given the significant backlog and the scale of disruption, airlines are currently progressing with new flights in a methodical manner, and this process will take time. We are fully engaged with our airline partners and are focused on securing a safe and orderly return home for our guests.
We continue to remain in contact with Embassies and Foreign Offices to ensure they have the relevant information about their nationals on board and to understand any repatriation plans being developed.
At this time, the situation on board remains calm. Guests have full access to all onboard services and facilities, and we continue to ensure a high standard of care, comfort and support for both guests and crew.
The remaining three cruises scheduled for this winter season from Dubai are now officially cancelled and all impacted guests are being contacted by the channel through which they made their own booking – either their travel agent or MSC Cruises directly – and will be offered a full refund, with details on how it will be processed.
- MSC Euribia on March 14th (March 15th from Doha, March 18th from Abu Dhabi)
- MSC Euribia on March 21st (March 22nd from Doha, March 25th from Abu Dhabi)
- MSC Euribia on March 28th (March 29th from Doha, April 1st from Abu Dhabi)
We understand that this will be disappointing, but we are sure that guests impacted will understand this decision.
Thank you for your understanding.