MSC Cruises said Thursday it had chartered five flights to repatriate passengers on the MSC Euribia, which has been stopped in Dubai as a result of the Iran war.
The flights will accommodate about 1,000 passengers, and are all scheduled to leave by Saturday, according to the cruise line.
"In parallel, MSC Cruises is pursuing every available pathway for the remaining guests, including commercial flights, further charter options and coordinated government-assisted solutions," a spokesperson for the line said.
The MSC Euribia has a 6,300-passenger capacity; it was unclear how many passengers were onboard the ship. The ship has been in Dubai with passengers on board all week after the outbreak of fighting in the region.
MSC canceled its three remaining Arabian Gulf cruises for the season.
Celestyal Cruises, which had both of its ships in the Gulf this winter, also canceled its remaining sailings.
The Celestyal Discovery is in Dubai and the Celestyal Journey is in Doha. The cruise line said yesterday that it would share disembarkation plans with guests within 48 hours.