TUI Cruises is cancelling three repositioning cruises that were scheduled to cross the Red Sea in late 2025 to be undertaken by Mein Schiff 4, Mein Schiff 5, and Mein Schiff 6. The cancellations are due to security concerns in the region. Instead of sailing between Europe and Asia via the Middle East, the ships will now reposition via Africa and the Indian Ocean.
To accommodate the new voyages, other sailings have also been cancelled. For the Mein Schiff 4, all cruises scheduled to depart between 1 October and 3 November 2025, are cancelled. For Mein Schiff 5, the cancellations include cruises planned between 7 November and 13 December 2025. Affected sailings on the Mein Schiff 6 include those originally scheduled between 19 October and 26 November 2025.
TUI is offering guests a full refund of the fare paid for the cancelled cruises, plus a ten percent discount on a new booking in the form of a future cruise credit. Passengers booking the new repositioning cruises via Africa, which will open for bookings soon, will receive an additional ten percent discount. The new itineraries are expected to visit destinations around the African coast, including South Africa, Namibia, Réunion, and Mauritius.
After completing summer deployments in Europe, Mein Schiff 4 and Mein Schiff 5 will reposition to the Arabian Gulf for the winter, offering seven-night cruises from Dubai and Doha to destinations in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Oman. Mein Schiff 6 will spend the 2025-26 winter season in Southeast Asia and the Far East, operating longer cruises from Singapore, Hong Kong, and Yokohama.
