Silversea, whose Silver Moon is operating in the Middle East and Red Sea area, has opted against sailing the ship with passengers past Yemen, where several shipping vessels have been attacked by Houthi militants in recent weeks.
Silversea will change the ship’s itinerary, turning the 10-day sailing, which began Jan. 6 in Aqaba, Jordan, and was bound for Muscat, Oman, into a roundtrip sailing, according to a spokesman for parent company Royal Caribbean Group. Guests will now disembark in Aqaba at the end of the cruise, and the cruise company is in the process of changing return flights for guests.
Royal Caribbean Group’s global security team continues to monitor the situation, the spokesman said.
Silversea did not immediately comment about the status of subsequent sailings.
So far, the Silver Moon is the only cruise ship with an itinerary disrupted by the attacks in the Red Sea.
The attacks by Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen have led several shipping giants to avoid passing through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, a key shortcut between Asia and Europe, according to the New York Times. The report quoted an analysis from logistics technology company Flexport that said at least 389 container vessels are taking the long route around Africa.