Two major cruise operators saw their stocks hit 52-week lows on Thursday, as Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings dipped as low as $14.48 and Carnival Corporation sank to $22.28.
Other cruise stocks were also down on Thursday, including Royal Caribbean, Lindblad and Viking, although those three were off their year-long lows.
Driving the dips were said to be concerns over fuel prices due to the ongoing Middle East situation, and a potential capacity and pricing situation in the Caribbean in the first quarter.
U.S. crude oil had topped $100 a barrel on Wednesday as strikes continue in the Middle East.
Meanwhile, multiple Wall Street analysts have pointed to the cruise industry’s 2027 first quarter Caribbean capacity and ticket pricing as a potential concern.
One note sent to investors this week had called out Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings specifically as a contributor to pricing pressure.
The 20-night cruise was scheduled to sail between Cape Town, South Africa, and Palma de Mallorca, Spain.
Before arriving in the Mediterranean, the itinerary included visits to Walvis Bay in Namibia, Praia in Cape Verde, Gran Canaria and Arrecife in the Canary Islands, as well as Tangier in Morocco and Barcelona in Spain.
TUI had already cancelled the first leg of Mein Schiff 4’s repositioning voyage, which was set to sail from the United Arab Emirates to South Africa in late March.
With the latest round of cancellations, all the cruises set to take place onboard the vessel from Feb. 28, 2026, to April 11, 2026, will no longer go ahead.
As previously reported by Cruise Industry News, the company also cancelled the repositioning cruise forthe Mein Schiff 5 and all sailings set to take place onboard the ship between Feb. 28, 2026, and March 29, 2026.
“The primary objective now remains the safety and well-being of the remaining crew onboard the Mein Schiff 4 and the Mein Schiff 5,” TUI stated.
“In addition, the TUI Cruises crisis management team is working continuously and in close coordination with the relevant authorities, the German Foreign Office, the relevant embassies, international security experts and the security teams of its two parent companies on an ongoing assessment of the situation,” the company added, mentioning the resumption of the vessels’ regular itineraries.
In related news, Celestyal Cruises today announced the cancellation of an additional cruise itinerary in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Currently docked in Dubai, the Celestyal Discovery was initially scheduled to launch its summer season in Greece on March 20, 2026.
Six cruise ships remain stuck in the Arabian Gulf after their operations in the region were halted in late February.
With the Strait of Hormuz virtually closed to international maritime traffic, the vessels are unable to leave the area and start repositioning voyages to other parts of the world.
MSC Euribia Cruise Line: MSC Cruises
Current Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates Next Scheduled Cruise Departure: May 2, 2026, from Kiel, Germany Upcoming Itineraries: Northern Europe and Scandinavia
As the largest ship currently in the Arabian Gulf, the 5,400-passenger vessel is set to spend the summer offering seven-night cruises to the Norwegian Fjords departing from Germany and Denmark.
Celestyal Journey Cruise Line: Celestyal Cruises Current Location: Doha, Qatar Next Scheduled Cruise Departure: April 4, 2026, from Piraeus, Greece Upcoming Itineraries: Eastern Mediterranean and the Greek Islands
The 1993-built vessel is so far scheduled to embark on a repositioning voyage to Greece ahead of kicking off a series of itineraries to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Greek Islands on April 4, 2026.
Celestyal Discovery Cruise Line: Celestyal Cruises Current Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates Next Scheduled Cruise Departure: April 3, 2026, from Lavrion, Greece Upcoming Itineraries: Eastern Mediterranean and the Greek Islands
Set to spend the summer in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Celestyal Discovery is another ship currently docked at the port of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.
Mein Schiff 4 Cruise Line: TUI Cruises Current Location: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Next Scheduled Cruise Departure: April 11, 2026, from Cape Town, South Africa Upcoming Itineraries: Repositioning voyage via Africa, followed by summer in the Eastern Mediterranean
The Mein Schiff 4 from TUI Cruises is currently docked at the port of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.
Sailing from South Africa to Spain, the 20-night cruise is set to depart from Cape Town on April 11, 2026, and will be followed by a summer season in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Mein Schiff 5 Cruise Line: TUI Cruises Current Location: Doha, Qatar Next Scheduled Cruise Departure: April 17, 2026, from Palma de Mallorca, Spain Upcoming Itineraries: Eastern Mediterranean, Greek Islands and Turkey
The Mein Schiff 5 is also stranded in the Arabian Gulf after the remainder of its season in the region was cancelled in late February.
Aroya Cruise Line: Aroya Cruises Current Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates Next Scheduled Cruise Departure: May 14, 2026, from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Upcoming Itineraries: Spring Season in the Red Sea followed by summer in the Eastern Mediterranean
Docked in Dubai, the Aroya Cruises vessel is slated to resume revenue service on May 14, kicking off a spring season in the Red Sea with itineraries departing from Saudi Arabia.
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