MSC Cruises, Silversea cancel itineraries amid Red Sea attacks

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Cruise lines have canceled sailings in the wake of attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthis in the Red Sea.

MSC Cruises scrapped three cruises, including a sailing from Dubai to Southampton, England, on MSC Virtuosa, departing March 30, and a sailing on MSC Splendida from Cape Town, South Africa, to Genoa, Italy, departing April 3. The line also canceled MSC Opera’s voyage from Dubai to Genoa, departing on April 21.

“The safety of passengers and crew is MSC Cruises’ number one priority,” the line said in a news release on Tuesday. “The company attempted to find suitable alternative itineraries, but ultimately found no viable options and regrettably had to cancel the voyages. The three ships will transfer directly to Europe without any passengers on board and avoid transiting through the Red Sea.”

Passengers booked on those sailings can move to a later Grand Voyage of a similar length at no cost, or rebook on another MSC cruise, receiving a partial refund or paying for the price difference. They can also opt for a full refund without a cancellation fee.

Silversea Cruises similarly canceled multiple sailings. The luxury line canceled a Jan. 16 cruise from Muscat, Oman, to Dubai and a Jan. 26 cruise from Dubai to Mumbai on its Silver Moon ship.

“The safety of our guests, crew, and the communities we visit is always our top priority,” the cruise line said in a statement, adding that impacted passengers and their travel agents had been “informed of the reprotection options.” The line also previously amended Silver Moon’s Jan. 6 itinerary from Aqaba, Jordan to Muscat, to disembark guests in Piraeus, Greece.

The ship’s Feb. 11 voyage from Mumbai to Singapore is currently scheduled to proceed.

The Houthis have launched attacks on commercial and naval vessels in the Red Sea following the Israel-Hamas war, claiming they are showing solidarity with the Palestinians. The Biden administration relisted the Yemen-based militants as a “specially designated global terrorist” group on Wednesday after previously removing them in 2021.

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"They have endangered U.S. personnel, civilian mariners, and our partners, jeopardized global trade, and threatened freedom of navigation," White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in a statement. "The United States and the international community have been united in our response and in condemning these attacks in the strongest terms."

Many cruise lines also canceled and changed itineraries late last year after the war began.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.