Two years after cruise lines stopped sailing through the Suez Canal because of the Israel-Gaza conflict, two ships will sail between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea in November with a full complement of paying passengers.
The Greek cruise line Celestyal has departures from Piraeus and Lavrio, both serving Athens, on 22 and 28 November respectively. They are “positioning” voyages, moving from the summer cruising programme in the Mediterranean to a winter season in the Gulf.
The initial one-week voyage on Celestyal Journey takes in Marmaris in Turkey, as well as Port Said, at the northern end of the canal. After a transit through the Suez Canal it will visit the Egyptian ports of Sharm el-Sheikh and Safaga, ending at Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.
Lee Haslett, chief commercial officer of Celestyal Cruises, said: “These will be the first ships for over two years to actually carry cruise passengers through the Suez Canal.
“We’ve worked closely with various government authorities, and we believe it’s a very safe part of the world to cruise at the moment. Plus, it’s an amazing opportunity to visit ports that haven’t been open for the last two years.”
In the past year, cruise ships have transited the Suez Canal, but without passengers on board. Aroya, a Saudi ship, has made the journey with passengers – but it is not a mainstream cruise vessel.
Mr Haslett said the sailings had proved “extremely popular” – though some cabins are still available, starting at £828 per person.
“They’ve been on sale for just over seven weeks, and we’re already running pretty much full for that seven-night segment,” he said.
One notable omission from the itinerary is Aqaba in Jordan. Until October 2023, it was favourite port of call – giving access to the ancient city of Petra as well as the desert landscapes of Wadi Rum.
The Celestyal executive said: “We will be visiting Aqaba, but not until next year’s cruise. We had to make a few adjustments to the itinerary because we need to reach Jeddah within a seven-day window.”
None of the ports of call are on the Foreign Office “no-go” list, but the FCDO “advises against all but essential travel to the Ismailiyah Governorate east of the Suez Canal”.
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