Passengers stuck on ships at ports in the Gulf report hearing explosions
Hundreds of people – including British nationals – have found themselves in a nightmarish scenario as their cruise ships became stuck in the crisis-ridden Middle East. Donald Trump’s US-led raid on Iran has caused retaliation across the region, leaving thousands who had travelled for holidays in Dubai in need of evacuation. The UAE is among the nations affected by targeted missile strikes.
Among these thousands are passengers aboard six cruise ships docked at ports in the Gulf nation and neighbouring Abu Dhabi. These passengers have been left in a state of panic as their vessels are unable to navigate away from the danger.
Passengers have now shared their experiences of being trapped on their cruise liners, including the “loud bangs” heard as nearby missiles are intercepted and detonated, reports the Mirror.
The Telegraph spoke to Jan Arnott, 71, from Woodford Green, East London, who is currently stuck aboard the MSC Euribia with her 75-year-old husband. She described the atmosphere on board as ‘relaxed’ but added: “We saw defence planes and smoke from the attack on the airport but have felt safe throughout. Nobody at home can believe what we are saying.”
Speaking to CNN, Lesley Ballantyne, from Scotland, recounted how she and her husband woke up one morning on the MSC Euribia to an emergency alert flashing on their phones. She said the message instructed them to “seek immediate shelter in the closest secure building” due to an imminent threat.
She informed the broadcaster that, whilst her husband saw nothing 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 was issued on Saturday, and as of today (March 5), thousands of passengers remain stranded on board the vessel when it should be progressing along its scheduled Middle Eastern itinerary. Their cruise ship was originally planned to follow a course taking it towards Europe later in the year.
Reaching international waters would have required passage through the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway along Iran’s southern coastline that serves as the sole maritime route connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and onwards to open seas.
However, Iran has issued warnings that vessels would be prevented from travelling through the strait while hostilities continue, with the regime making threats as severe as to “burn every ship”. Cruise operators have confirmed passengers will remain on their vessels throughout the continuing conflict, stating they are carefully observing developments.
An individual stranded on the Euribia, posting anonymously on a Facebook community for the liner, reported they were “constantly hearing explosions” from their location in Dubai.
A fellow Italian passenger noted the atmosphere is “calm”, explaining that disembarkation is permitted but travellers have been advised to “stay inside for the time being”. She wrote: “The situation is calm, there’s a possibility to go out but the recommendations are to stay inside for the time being.”
Multiple other vessels are stranded alongside the Euribia, including the Celestyal Discovery in Dubai, its sister vessel, the Celestyal Journey, which is moored in Doha, and two TUI cruise ships, the Mein Schiff 5 in Doha, and Mein Schiff 4 in Abu Dhabi.
TUI Cruises confirmed in a statement yesterday (March 4) that approximately 218 passengers from Mein Schiff 4 have departed aboard a special Emirates flight heading for Munich.
Looking for more from MyLondon? Subscribe to our daily newsletters here for the latest and greatest updates from across London.
