Virgin Voyages, Carnival alter itineraries to avoid Red Sea amid continued attacks
More cruise lines are rerouting ships to avoid the Red Sea, amid continued attacks in the area.
Virgin Voyages has scrapped upcoming plans to sail its Resilient Lady ship in Australia. The vessel will offer Caribbean cruises instead.
The line said the "significant and ongoing conflict puts unacceptable risks for safe passage through the region" for guests, crew and the vessel. "As a result, we have been left with no choice but to cancel our 2024/25 voyage season plans for Resilient Lady, impacting the late 2024 and early 2025 repositioning voyages between Europe and Australia and a second sailing season in Australian waters," the line said in an emailed statement.
After wrapping up its Mediterranean season on Oct. 20, the ship will head to San Juan, Puerto Rico to operate seven, eight, 10 and 11-night voyages. The sailings will visit destinations including St. Maarten, St. Vincent and Dominica.
"We are currently reviewing Resilient Lady’s repositioning routes from Athens to San Juan, and we will share these as soon as they’re ready, but they will feature stunning ports including Catania, Casablanca, and Tenerife," Virgin added.
Passengers booked on impacted itineraries can rebook on a different voyage or get a full refund. Virgin is also "working through options to return to Australia and the Asia Pacific region once regional repositioning opportunities become more tenable." If the line is able to return in 2025, guests with existing bookings will receive priority.
The line previously altered a repositioning cruise on Resilient Lady departing from Sydney, Australia, on March 27, impacting the journey’s three legs. The vessel will now sail from Sydney to Cape Town until April 17; from Cape Town to Barcelona through May 4; and from Barcelona to Athens through May 9.
Resilient Lady was originally scheduled to sail from Sydney to Singapore; from Singapore to Dubai; and from Dubai to Athens (guests could book one or multiple segments of the 43-day voyage).
“The safety of our passengers and crew is our number one priority,” a spokesperson for the line said in an earlier statement. “Like many other cruise brands, we have been watching the current conflict in the Middle East closely, connecting regularly with global security experts to consider the impacts to the repositioning voyages planned for Resilient Lady in 2024. We remain concerned about potential escalations in this part of the world over the next 12 months and the risk that this presents for safe passage through the region.”
Guests booked on the original three legs “will have guaranteed spots on these sailings at no additional cost and a price protection commitment in place,” the spokesperson said. They can also opt for a future cruise credit based on the amount they paid or a full refund.
The Iranian-backed Houthis have launched dozens of attacks on commercial and naval vessels in the Red Sea in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war. The Yemen-based militants have claimed they are showing solidarity with the Palestinians (though experts say their motivations are more complex).
What other cruise lines have changed itineraries to avoid the Red Sea?
The news comes after Carnival Corp., the parent company of major cruise lines including Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises and Holland America Line, said late last month that it would alter itineraries for a dozen ships set to transit the Red Sea through May.
“The company has not seen an impact on booking trends due to the Red Sea situation and has no other Red Sea transits until November 2024,” Carnival Corp. said in a news release. The changes will impact seven of its brands, but a spokesperson declined to share specifics on which lines and cruises were affected.
Silversea Cruises and MSC Cruises also previously canceled sailings to avoid the area.
Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Virgin Voyages, Carnival change itineraries to avoid Red Sea
