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A Viking cruise into the Middle East is a revelation: of sacred religious sites and nature’s drama, of humankind’s ingenuity and millennia of history. You will unearth the secrets of Egypt, Israel, Jordan and more during enlightening itineraries that immerse you in the welcoming cultures of The Levant. Our Passage to India begins with an exploration of the region’s most important sites. Or you can walk in the footsteps of some of the most revered figures in history during our Cities of Antiquity & the Holy Land . Join us on a Viking cruise and experience this eye-opening and enriching region fully.

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Help! We’re Booked on a Nile Cruise but Worry About Our Safety.

A Jewish couple about to go on a long-delayed $29,000 dream trip to Egypt and Jordan are afraid to travel because of the war in Gaza, but Viking says it’s safe.

By Seth Kugel

Dear Tripped Up,

After two pandemic-related delays, we were finally set to take a $34,309 Nile cruise with Viking, leaving Oct. 25 and including several days in Cairo and additional excursions to Jerusalem and Petra, in Jordan. But the war broke out, and the Middle East is very unstable. Viking canceled our excursion to Jerusalem, refunded that money and rebooked our flights for Oct. 29. But we don’t think Egypt or Jordan is particularly safe right now either, especially for Jews. We are older, and are heartsick at not seeing Jerusalem and terrified at the thought of being targeted as American Jewish tourists during this war. Viking still has $29,435 of our money. We only want a voucher to take the same trip in the future. Can you help? Joseph and Antonia, Oakland, Calif.

Dear Joseph and Antonia,

Every traveler calculates risk in their own way, often through a mix of personal experience, news reports and emotion. That’s why it is unsurprising you are far from alone with your worries about traveling now — in recent weeks, plenty of consumers on online discussion boards have echoed your concerns.

This is also a high stakes issue for the travel industry, and it is hardly isolated to travel to countries surrounding Israel. Wildfires, earthquakes and, of course, the pandemic have disrupted travel in the last few years, and often people fear traveling in proximity to natural disasters and human-created emergencies. But does the fact that you are afraid for your safety require a tour operator to refund you your money?

I emailed Viking on your behalf on the morning of Oct. 24. Three hours later, you received a $29,435 credit toward a future cruise, good as long as you book within 12 months.

Was this a coincidence? I honestly don’t know, since Viking responded to neither my initial email nor multiple other requests for comment.

But the credit did represent an about-face from the company, whose replies to your earlier repeated inquires via email had included mostly boilerplate language. “We completely understand your concern and we are sorry to hear of your disappointment,” Viking wrote in one response. “You should know, the safety of our guests and crew is our highest priority.” They also told you they “work closely with our global network to understand the situation firsthand” and “are prepared to make any future adjustments as needed.”

To paraphrase: “You’re out of luck.”

You did make more progress by phone after receiving these rejections. On Saturday, Oct. 21, as you told me, a “lead customer support specialist” said she would check with management and get back to you by the following Monday. She did not, but eventually responded by saying she would try again. The next day, I wrote in.

Whether it was her or me or both, the fact that Viking parried your initial requests should not be surprising. There is only mixed evidence that travel to Egypt or Jordan could be any more dangerous than when you made the booking.

Yes, the State Department last month issued a “ Worldwide Caution ” notice that travelers should be alert to “the potential for terrorist attacks, demonstrations or violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests,” but that’s not specific to the Middle East, North Africa or any destination. More relevantly, the U.S. embassy in Cairo issued a “ Demonstration Alert ,” warning that protests, “potentially including anti-U.S. sentiment, may occur in Cairo or elsewhere in Egypt.”

But despite the possibility of demonstrations, the fact that Egypt borders Israel does not necessarily equate to danger throughout the country. Sudan, Egypt’s southern neighbor, has been at war for six months , which has not seriously disrupted Egyptian tourism. And the State Department, which assigns danger levels from Level 1 (“Exercise Normal Precautions”) to Level 4 (“Do Not Travel”), had labeled Egypt a Level 3 (“Reconsider Travel”) in 2020, long before the Israel-Hamas war. Jordan, your other destination, remains at Level 2, on a par with France and Peru.

So though it may be obvious to you that travel to Egypt is too dangerous right now, it is not obvious to the State Department, or to companies like Intrepid Travel. Matt Berna, Intrepid’s president for the Americas, told me the company has neither canceled nor modified its Egypt (and Jordan) trips because of feedback from ground staff. “We have operations teams working with hotels, he said, “and group leaders out in the tourist sites and in the streets with the groups. They’re feeling what’s happening every day” and reporting in to the country offices. A State Department Level 4 warning, though, would trump that, he said.

Travelers like you are left in a difficult position when their risk assessment differs from the company they booked with. Even for those with travel insurance, geopolitical events are generally excluded from coverage — only a “cancel for any reason” policy would cover such a disruption.

“The consumer is kind of faced with this awkward option of going on a trip and being really fearful or not going on a trip and losing money,” said Jeffrey Ment, a travel industry lawyer who has fielded “probably 100” related inquiries from clients since the war began.

But the companies he represents are also in a bind, he stressed, because — though we travelers rarely think about it — they have already spent some or even most of what you’ve paid them. “Follow the money,” he said. “Maybe it’s gone from a travel company to a cruise line, or from a cruise line to a fuel supplier, a food supplier, a staff supplier or an entertainment supplier. And those other companies are not giving the money back, because travel to Egypt is open and on.”

“You can’t force Viking or anybody else to just gratuitously refund the money that they don’t have,” he added.

Well, you can’t force them, but you can sometimes entreat them.

Mr. Berna told me that Intrepid’s internal policy does make room for this. “While we don’t publicly announce free changes and free cancellations,” he said, “if someone calls in and feels like they’re just not going to have an enjoyable trip, a safe trip, then we’re allowing them to change to a different date in the same region” or even a future credit.

Or, as Mr. Ment told me when I asked him to assess Viking’s decision to grant you credit: “It’s common practice. The squeaky wheel wins.”

Luckily there are many squeak aids available to travelers, even beyond writing to [email protected] . (I welcome all travel-related complaints, though my capacity to squeak about Middle East refunds will likely not go beyond this column.) There’s posting online reviews, and registering more formal complaints through the Better Business Bureau and Elliott Advocacy , both nonprofits. The offices of your state’s attorney general are used to taking on travel companies (though state laws vary), and you can ask your credit card to squeak for you through a chargeback request, as long as you are ready to go back and forth with them for months.

Still, everyone should start with a personal squeak: Call or write to the companies yourself, attempting (with patience and politeness) to get bumped up the customer service ranks until you reach someone who has the power to make an exception.

If you need advice about a best-laid travel plan that went awry, send an email to [email protected] .

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook . And sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to receive expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation.

Seth Kugel is the columnist for “ Tripped Up ,” an advice column that helps readers navigate the often confusing world of travel. More about Seth Kugel

Come Sail Away

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Viking® has announced voyages on its newest Nile River ship, the  Viking Hathor ,  are now available for booking. Set to debut in 2024, the  Viking Hathor  will join the company’s growing fleet of purpose-built ships on the Nile River, which sail the popular 12-day  Pharaohs & Pyramids  itinerary. Demand in Egypt remains strong, with Viking’s 2023 season sold out and some sailings into 2025 already selling out.

Additional Sailings in Egypt

“Egypt continues to be one of our most popular destinations,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. “As a country rich with history and culture, we are pleased to bring the Viking way of exploration to Egypt for our guests. With the addition of the  Viking Aton  this summer and the  Viking Hathor  next summer, we are looking forward to meeting the growing demand in the region.”

The news follows recent accolades for Viking’s river fleet in Egypt. In its first year of sailing, the  Viking Hathor’s  identical sister ship, the  Viking Osiris ,  was named as one of the “Best New Cruises” in  Conde Nast Traveler’s  “2023 Hot List.” Additionally, TIME magazine featured both Giza and Saqqara on its “World’s Greatest Places of 2023” list, recommending sailing the Nile River with Viking.  TIME  notes that Viking is among the very few who stop in both Giza and the village of Saqqara, where excavation sites, like the megatombs of animal and human mummies, are active.

The  Viking Hathor  & Viking’s Growing Egypt Fleet

Hosting 82 guests in 41 staterooms, the new, state-of-the-art  Viking Hathor  is inspired by Viking’s award-winning river and ocean ships with the elegant Scandinavian design for which Viking is known. The  Viking Hathor  is the identical sister ship to the  Viking Aton , which debuts in August 2023, and the  Viking Osiris , which was named in 2022 by Viking’s first ceremonial godfather, the 8th Earl of Carnarvon. The sister ships feature several aspects familiar to Viking guests, such as a distinctive square bow and an indoor/outdoor Aquavit Terrace. In addition to the  Viking Aton  and the  Viking Osiris , the  Viking Hathor  will join the other ships in the Egypt fleet, the  Viking Ra  and the  MS Antares . In response to strong demand, Viking will have six ships sailing the Nile by 2025 with the addition of a new sister ship, the  Viking Sobek , which is also under construction and will be delivered in 2025.

Viking’s  Pharaohs & Pyramids  Itinerary

During the 12-day  Pharaohs & Pyramids  itinerary, guests begin with a three-night stay at a first-class hotel in Cairo, where they can visit iconic sites such as the Great Pyramids of Giza, the necropolis of Saqqara (also known as “Sakkara”) and the Mosque of Muhammad Ali. Guests then fly to Luxor, where they visit the Temples of Luxor and Karnak before boarding a Viking river ship for an eight-day roundtrip cruise on the Nile River, featuring Privileged Access to the tomb of Nefertari in the Valley of the Queens and the tomb of Tutankhamen in the Valley of the Kings, and excursions to the Temple of Khnum in Esna, the Dendera Temple complex in Qena, the temples at Abu Simbel and the High Dam in Aswan, and a visit to a colorful Nubian village, where guests can experience a traditional elementary school. Finally, the journey concludes with a flight back to Cairo for a final night in the ancient city.

For guests looking to extend their journey, Viking also offers Pre and Post Extensions that provide Privileged Access to archives and exhibits. Guests on the five-day  British Collections of Ancient Egypt  extension will begin the journey in London, where they will meet their Viking Tour Director, an expert Egyptologist, and experience Privileged Access to two museums: first a private, early morning visit to the Egyptian Collection at the British Museum before it opens to the general public – and then a visit to the home and personal museum of world-renowned architect, Sir John Soane, where the tour will be illuminated by candlelight, a re-enactment of how Soane entertained guests and showcased his exquisite collection of Egyptian antiquities, including a 3,000-year-old Egyptian sarcophagus. Guests will also visit London’s Petrie Museum, which houses more than 80,000 artifacts from ancient Egypt and Sudan. In Oxford, guests will visit the Ashmolean Museum, one of the oldest in the world, and home to a varied collection of Egyptian mummies and art—and go behind the scenes at Oxford University’s Griffith Institute, where they will enjoy a Privileged Access visit to see Howard Carter’s archives, which detail the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb. Lastly, guests will have further Privileged Access with an exclusive visit to Highclere Castle to view the Earl’s magnificent private collection of Egyptian artifacts, as well as archives and exhibits not normally accessible to the public.

Additional offerings include a new three-night Pre-Extension in  Istanbul , where guests can visit the timeless city and important religious sites including the “Blue Mosque” and the legendary Hagia Sophia. Before their voyage, guests can also choose to extend their journey in  Jerusalem , exploring the ancient history and vibrant culture of Israel’s fascinating capital. After concluding the river voyage, guests can also extend the journey with a 4-night Post-Extension to  Jordan – Petra, Dead Sea & Amman  to view Roman antiquities at Jerash, Crusader-era castles at Kerak or Shobak and experience the lost city of Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Get To Know Viking

Viking was founded in 1997 and provides destination-focused journeys on rivers, oceans and lakes around the world. Designed for experienced travelers with interests in science, history, culture and cuisine, Chairman Torstein Hagen often says Viking offers experiences for The Thinking Person™. Viking has more than 250 awards to its name, including being the first cruise line to ever be named both the #1 Ocean Line and the #1 River Line in a single year in  Travel + Leisure’s  2022 “World’s Best” Awards. Viking has also been rated the #1 River Line and #1 Ocean Line by  Condé Nast Traveler  in the publication’s 2022 and 2021 Readers’ Choice Awards.

For additional information, contact Viking at 1-800-2-VIKING (1-800-284-5464) or visit  www.viking.com . For Viking’s award-winning enrichment channel, visit  www.viking.tv .  

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Updates on Current Sailings

Jerusalem extensions for pharaohs & pyramids – as of january 11, 2024.

We continue to closely monitor the situation in Israel and Gaza and have cancelled a select number of Jerusalem extensions for our Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary. All of our departures in Egypt are operating as scheduled. Our top priority is the safety and wellbeing of our guests, crew and partners on the ground; should additional extension cancellations become necessary, impacted guests and their Travel Advisors will be contacted directly by Viking Customer Relations.

For Further Assistance

If you have any questions or need further information please contact Reservations at 1-877-523-0579 or email [email protected] , Monday – Friday, 6:00 AM – 6:00 PM; Saturday and Sunday, 7:30 AM – 4:00 PM, PT.

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What to Do If You Have Upcoming Travel to Egypt, Jordan, or Lebanon

This is a developing story and will be updated with more information.

In recent weeks, the war between Israel and Hamas has seeped further into surrounding areas of the Middle East. Violence has reached the southern stretch of the Red Sea, where Houthi rebels have attacked cargo ships off the coast of Yemen, and the US has responded with its own airstrikes. On Israel’s border , clashes between Israel and the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon continue to intensify.

While it's a no-brainer to reconfigure plans located in the immediate conflict zone, many travelers with upcoming trips to the surrounding region are wondering what to do. Is it safe, or responsible, to embark on a Nile cruise in Egypt at the moment? Or to continue on with a visit to Petra, in Jordan? The questions have become only murkier as the conflict expands.

Following a regional security alert issued by the State Department in October that advises US citizens throughout the Middle East to “take caution,” some travelers have responded by canceling trips, while others have pressed on with plans under the guidance of travel providers.

One luxury tour group, Red Savannah says that all travel they have arranged for clients in Egypt and Jordan is continuing as normal. “While we are holding off selling Lebanon, we believe that Egypt and Jordan continue to be safe destinations to visit,” says George Morgan-Grenville, CEO of Red Savannah. “Feedback from clients who traveled over Christmas was incredibly positive.”

According to data from the travel booking company Hopper, Jordan is currently seeing increased demand from US travelers compared to January of last year. US travel demand to Lebanon has dropped relative to other countries in the region, while bookings for Egypt have remained flat, Hopper tells Condé Nast Traveler.

For many, there's an emotional calculation to make when planning travel to countries in close proximity to conflict zones. “Every person has their own unique risk threshold,” says Dave Dennis, executive director of Cornerstone Safety Group, a risk management organization that supports travel companies. “An acceptable risk for one person can be very different from another.”

We asked safety and industry experts to share advice for travelers considering trips to Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, and the Red Sea in the near future. Here's what travelers should know—from what's happening on the ground, to government advisories, to which choices other travelers are making.

Jump ahead:

Should you travel to Jordan right now?

Should you travel to egypt right now, should you travel to lebanon right now.

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The US State Department has kept Jordan under a “Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution” travel alert that it first issued on July 13. The only regions that travelers are instructed to avoid are the country’s borders with Syria and Iraq, its refugee camps, and Zarqa, Rusayfah, and the Baqa’a neighborhood of Ayn Basha due to ongoing safety concerns, according to the department’s guidance.

“Jordan, being further from regional unrest, remains at a Level 2 advisory, which is a common category for many regions globally,” says Dennis. As such, most tours throughout Jordan continue to operate as scheduled, and visitors can visit highlights like the Dead Sea , the Wadi Rum desert, Petra, and the capital city of Amman.

The Jordanian Tourism Board told the Times of London in January that the country remains safe for international travel: “In light of the recent developments in Gaza, we want to emphasize that Jordan continues to be a safe and welcoming destination for tourists from around the world,” the agency said in the statement. “Our commitment to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all visitors remains unwavering and we want to reassure everyone that Jordan’s borders are open to tourists.”

Egypt's alert level from the State Department hasn’t changed since July 13, and remains at a “Level 3: Reconsider Travel.” Tourists should continue to avoid travel to the Sinai Peninsula, the land bordering Israel and Gaza and to the east of Cairo, as it is a “particularly dangerous area,” according to the department.

In a December 20 security reminder , the US Embassy in Cairo advised US travelers in Egypt to maintain situational awareness and personal security vigilance, exercise caution if unexpectedly in the vicinity of large gatherings or protests, and to keep a low profile.

Many group tours, like Red Savannah's, which visit sites like the Great Pyramids of Giza, the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, the Valley of the Kings , and Karnak Temple in Luxor, are continuing as normal. But even as many trips forge ahead, some operators are seeing significant cancellations. One firm in Egypt, Amisol Travel, has seen just 40 to 50% of its typical bookings from February and September 2024, according to the New York Times .

Nile River cruises are also continuing to operate as planned. The only changes at this time are cancellations of post-cruise land packages through Israel—most lines have removed these add-on tours for the near future.

“We continue to closely monitor the situation in Israel and Gaza and have canceled a select number of Jerusalem extensions for our Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary,” says a January 11 statement on Viking’s website. “All of our departures in Egypt are operating as scheduled. Our top priority is the safety and wellbeing of our guests, crew and partners on the ground."

In recent months, AmaWaterways has been making similar cancellations ​​of extended land tours through Israel. “Guests with the post-cruise Israel package scheduled to depart on Secrets of Egypt & the Nile itinerary starting in Cairo up to and including June 21, 2024 will be refunded for the Israel land portion as well as the Cairo to Tel Aviv airfare,” the line said in an emailed statement. “There are no other changes to any other Egypt river cruise or associated land packages.”

Despite most Nile itineraries continuing as planned, lines are seeing an uptick in cancellations from passengers. "The impact has been pretty severe, quite honestly, for the first quarter of 2024," Pamela Hoffee, president of Avalon Waterways, told Travel Weekly in early December. "Close to half of our guests canceled for the first quarter of 2024. The rest of the year has not seen as much impact."

As of October 17, the US State Department has had a “Level 4: Do Not Travel” warning for Lebanon. The advisory was last updated on December 19 and recommends US citizens do not travel to the country “due to crime, terrorism, armed conflict, civil unrest, kidnapping, and Embassy Beirut’s limited capacity to provide support to US citizens."

The advisory "speaks to inherent dangers of the region and the lack of immediate emergency services if a traveler was in need of assistance from government agencies,” says Dennis.

Clashes between the Israeli military and the Hezbollah militants in Lebanon have continued at the countries’ borders for months. Now, it's appearing more likely that serious conflict could spread even farther into Lebanon. The head of Israel’s military, Chief of the General Staff Herzi Halevi, said on January 17 that the IDF is increasing readiness for “fighting in Lebanon,” CNN reported .

“The State Department recommends that US citizens in Lebanon leave now, while commercial flights remain available, due to the unpredictable security situation,” says a security alert from the US Embassy in Beirut issued on November 4. (At the time of publication, no new security alerts have been issued from the Embassy in Beirut since).

What's happening with cruises in the Red Sea?

Some cruise lines have begun canceling or changing itineraries that were set to transit through the Red Sea, due to the heightening conflicts there. According to Seatrade Cruise News , MSC has canceled three sailings that had stops through the Red Sea and Middle East: a March 30 voyage on MSC Virtuosa sailing from Dubai to Southampton, England; an April 3 sailing on MSC Splendida from Cape Town to Genoa, Italy; and an April 21 sailing on MSC Opera from Dubai to Genoa.

Silversea has also canceled an upcoming voyage aboard Silver Moon from Dubai to Mumbai that was slated to depart on January 26. “Affected guests and their travel agents have been informed of the reprotection options,” Silversea told Traveler in an emailed statement. “The voyage between Mumbai and Singapore, scheduled between Feb 11 and Feb 29, is currently scheduled to proceed as planned. Our global security team continues to closely monitor the situation in the region and will make any additional changes if required.”

Additional tips for considering travel to the region

1. consider postponing instead of canceling.

The standard guidance in the travel industry, even in harrowing situations, is that postponing a trip is usually a better option than canceling, if you can swing it. That way, local workers and/or travel businesses don't completely lose out on travelers' support, particularly at a time of need. “We highly recommend postponing, or rebooking to another region, over canceling all together,” says Matt Berna, president The Americas for Intrepid Travel. "More than ever the world needs intrepid travelers. We want travelers to do and see incredible things, and for those experiences to have positive social and economic impacts on the host communities they visit.”

One benefit for travelers post-pandemic is that the majority of operators now offer flexible changes and postponements. “Since COVID-19, we have seen a trend towards rebooking flexibility in the travel industry,” says Christina Tunnah, general manager Americas for travel insurance provider World Nomads. “Many US-based airlines retained the credit and rebooking policies from the peak of COVID-19. If you booked with a tour provider, contact customer service to understand what kind of policies may apply in this type of situation.”

Some tour companies allow cancellations within a certain window or will give a voucher toward a future trip if you’d like to postpone. “Should a client feel uncomfortable about traveling, we will always do our best to offer a postponement,” says Morgan-Greenville of Red Savannah.

Jerry Sorkin , a travel specialist with Iconic Journeys Worldwide , says his company gives customers the option to reschedule and apply 100% of their funds toward a future tour to the same destination, up until 30 days before their trip. (Travelers who want to cancel their trip within 30 days of their departure will have to rely on travel insurance for refunds.) “If they did not take out travel insurance, they did so at their own risk and signed a document when booking with us that they had declined to take out travel insurance,” Sorkin says. These types of cancellation policies are standard throughout the industry, which makes understanding travel insurance policies all the more important.

2. Purchase travel insurance

“We always recommend purchasing travel insurance as soon as you invest in your flights, accommodations, and other travel costs,” says Tunnah. “All policies are different, so be sure the policy you select offers the coverage you are most concerned with, such as trip cancellation or trip interruption. And always be sure to read your policy details.” For instance, trip cancellations due to war, invasion, or hostilities between nations are generally excluded from travel insurance policies, but some may offer coverage for terrorist incidents that occur in your departure or destination city, according to Tunnah. (World Nomads’ travel insurance policies for US residents offer trip cancellation coverage in the event a terrorist incident occurs within 30 days of the scheduled departure date, for instance.)

3. Reference international sources during research and consider traveling with a local tour operator

If you decide to go ahead with your trip, there are still precautions to take, too, and ways to be as informed as possible. “I always advocate for travelers to research the areas visited, purchase travel insurance, and talk to insurance providers about coverage and emergency support options should a need arise,” says Dennis, the risk management expert. “Some travel insurance policies won't cover regions listed as a Level 4 (Do Not Travel) government rating, so it's important to verify exemptions prior to travel." Dennis also suggests traveling with a reputable, locally experienced operator: "These organizations typically have deep connections with the communities they visit and are responsible for making itinerary adjustments based on local circumstances.”

In your research, try to include international media sources for the most holistic picture of what’s happening in the area. “It's important to seek out information from multiple sources to find a balanced understanding of regional safety and security,” Dennis says. “This may include reviewing US, UK, Canadian, and even Australian State Department travel warnings, local embassy updates, and if available, gaining access to information from professional security organizations. Each resource may have slight variations of information depending on the audience they serve, so it's important to gather as many perspectives as possible for a balanced approach.”

4. Have an emergency plan

As a precaution, US tourists on international trips should always sign up for the State Department’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program ( STEP ) to receive important safety alerts from the US embassy in the country they are visiting. Enrolling is free, only takes a few minutes, and will help the embassy contact you in the event of an emergency.

It’s also a good idea to make sure loved ones at home have key information about your travels. “Personally speaking, when I travel internationally, I always leave a copy of my itinerary, passport, and travel insurance policy with my family,” Dennis says. “I also make a check-in plan, so they know when to expect a call, text, or email.”

More than anything, making these difficult travel decisions is about building up a sense of personal intuition for what feels safe and enjoyable.

This article has been updated since its original publish date.

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Updates on Current Sailings

Israel – as of december 11, 2023.

We are carefully monitoring the situation in Israel and Gaza. We have modified select upcoming departures of our Cities of Antiquities & the Holy Land itinerary, Viking World Cruise , Viking World Journeys and Asia to Europe Grand Passage , replacing their calls to Israel. Our top priority is the safety and wellbeing of our guests, crew and partners on the ground; should any additional itinerary modifications become necessary, impacted guests and their Travel Advisors will be contacted directly by Viking Customer Relations.

For Further Assistance

If you have any questions or need further information please contact Reservations at 1-877-523-0579 or email [email protected] , Monday – Friday, 6:00 AM – 6:00 PM; Saturday and Sunday, 7:30 AM – 4:00 PM, PT.

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Are Middle East Cruises Canceled? A Line-by-Line Breakdown

Here’s how cruise lines are handling sailings in the middle east region during the israel-hamas war..

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As of press time, Viking is continuing its 2023 Nile River departures in Egypt as scheduled.

Courtesy of Viking Cruises

This was supposed to be a busy fall and winter season for Middle East cruising. The region was to see an influx of both small and large ships hoping to attract international travelers and locals on sailings to see Old Jerusalem, the Pyramids of Giza, and Jordan’s Nabatean city of Petra, as well as the natural beauty of Oman, the mosques and heritage villages of Saudi Arabia, and the ultra-modern skyscrapers in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Doha.

Now cruise lines are canceling port calls in Israel and elsewhere and, in some cases, entire cruise seasons in the Middle East, as the result of Israel’s war with the militant group Hamas and ensuing security concerns .

On November 1, Norwegian Cruise Line became the first major cruise company to say it was canceling all port calls in Israel through 2024. MSC Cruises canceled visits to Israel in 2023 and into 2024 and moved two ships out of the Middle East.

Windstar Cruises , which had planned to inaugurate a full season of Middle East cruises on the 312-passenger Star Legend from November 2023 into April 2024, now has the ship headed to the Mediterranean for the winter season instead.

Other cruise lines have canceled visits to Israel and in some cases also ports in Egypt and Aqaba, Jordan, in October and into November, while urging passengers to stay tuned for possible further itinerary changes.

Here are some of the upcoming cruise redeployments. If the war lingers or widens, passengers can expect more itinerary changes, including to the multi-month world cruise itineraries embarking this winter.

Celestyal Cruises

Destination-focused, port-intensive European line Celestyal Cruises has canceled port visits in Israel through the end of November. A port call in Ashdod, for day trips to Jerusalem, had been part of the line’s seven-night Three Continents itinerary on the 1,260-passenger Celestyal Journey . Instead, the ship is subbing in Heraklion, Crete. The itinerary also includes Alexandria, Egypt, and calls in Cyprus, Greece, and Türkiye.

MSC Cruises

Geneva-based MSC Cruises canceled Israel port calls into April and as a result is pulling two ships out of the region that were to cruise in the Middle East. The 3,223-passenger MSC Orchestra , scheduled to sail the Red Sea, will instead do seven-night sailings in the Mediterranean between December 16, 2023, and April 19, 2024. The cruises will visit Valencia, Spain; Sardinia; Civitavecchia (the port used to access Rome), Italy; Livorno, Italy; Marseille, France; and Palma de Mallorca, Spain. The home base is Valencia, but guests can also board at the other ports. Meanwhile, the 2,646-passenger MSC Sinfonia’s Haifa-focused winter schedule from November 12, 2023, to April 15, 2024, has been canceled. A new route has not yet been announced for that ship. MSC also tweaked itineraries on other ships scheduled for Middle East stops. The 6,334-passenger MSC Virtuosa , for instance, is skipping port calls in Aqaba, Jordan, and Safaga, Egypt, on an 18-night sailing from Barcelona to Dubai in November.

Norwegian Cruise Line

Norwegian Cruise Line canceled all port calls in Israel through 2024. “We are also canceling and redirecting certain calls to the surrounding region for the remainder of 2023,” a spokesperson tells AFAR. “We are currently working through alterations for affected itineraries and will communicate changes to impacted guests and travel partners as they are confirmed. We will continue to monitor and make adjustments to both current and upcoming cruise itineraries, as needed, and thank our guests for their patience and flexibility during this fluid situation.”

Some cruise lines, such as Oceania, are opting to spend more time in Mediterranean destinations, such as Santorini, Greece.

Courtesy of Jeet Dhanoa/Unsplash

Oceania Cruises

Oceania Cruises revamped its 2024 schedule of Mediterranean cruises to replace ports of call in Israel, Egypt, and Jordan with alternate ports in the Mediterranean. The 42 revised itineraries range from 10 to 58 days and include segments of the 180-day world cruise on the 670-passenger Insignia , embarking from Los Angeles in January. As a sample of the changes, on a 24-day sailing in May from Dubai to Barcelona, the ship will transit through the Suez Canal without stopping in any ports and instead focus its attention on shore in Athens, Valletta, Dubrovnik, Rome, and Barcelona, with the addition of stops in Santorini, Capri, and Monte Carlo. A 15-day cruise on the 1,250-passenger Riviera from Dubai to Trieste, Italy, meanwhile, is now promoted this way: “Enjoy leisurely days as you traverse the Arabian, Red, Mediterranean and Adriatic seas. Highlights include Argostoli and Corfu in Greece, Montenegro and Dubrovnik and Split, Croatia” and a sail-through without stopping in the Middle East.

Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean’s 1,998-passenger Rhapsody of the Seas was set to run a season of cruises out of Haifa, Israel, into November. That plan was promptly canceled on October 7, when Hamas militants from Gaza attacked villages in southern Israel. Rhapsody of the Seas was used for humanitarian aid , evacuating international travelers from Israel to Cyprus, after international airlines canceled flights from Tel Aviv . Following a transatlantic sailing from Barcelona to Fort Lauderdale, embarking on November 12, the Rhapsody of the Seas will then sail the Caribbean and Central America, as planned, through 2024. The line does not have any ships returning to the Middle East until August 2024.

On the river cruise side, Viking canceled some pre- and post-cruise Jerusalem extensions of its 12-day Pharaohs & Pyramids cruise-tours on the Nile River. “We will continue to evaluate conditions in the days and weeks to come,” the company said in a statement, adding, “All of our departures in Egypt are operating as scheduled. Our top priority is the safety and well-being of our guests, crew, and partners on the ground; should additional extension cancellations become necessary, impacted guests and their travel advisors will be contacted directly by Viking customer relations.” The remaining 2023 sailings are on the 52-passenger Viking Ra , 82-passenger Viking Osiris (launched in 2022), and 62-passenger MS Antares .

In terms of its ocean cruises , Viking modified the remaining 2023 departures of its Cities of Antiquities & the Holy Land itinerary between Rome and Athens to drop a day in Ashdod and overnight in Haifa. Instead on the 14-night sailings on the 930-passenger Viking Venus , Viking Neptune , and Viking Saturn , between Rome and Athens, the company is subbing an overnight in Valletta, Malta, and expanding a visit to Cyprus into an overnight call. The itinerary also visits Naples, Italy, and Mykonos and Rhodes in Greece.

Windstar Cruises

Windstar Cruises canceled its entire five-month Middle East season for the 312-passenger Star Legend . Now the ship is headed instead to the western Mediterranean where, beginning in December, it will do a rare winter season of 16 seven-night sailings between Barcelona and Rome (from the port of Civitavecchia). The cruises will visit Livorno, Italy (for Florence and Pisa), and Marseille, France, with overnights in Nice, Barcelona, and Rome (Civitavecchia) into April 2024. The small ship line has curated the itineraries to include Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Rome, New Year’s in Barcelona, and Valentine’s Day in Nice. Windstar now plans to launch its Middle East season of sailings from Dubai and Muscat in November 2024, with additional cruises from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Aqaba, Jordan; and Haifa, Israel, into April 2025.