AIDA and Costa have cancelled their Middle East plans for 2025-26, opting to leave ships in Europe instead.

With the two Carnival Corporation brands changing plans, it leaves three key operators left with programs in the Arabian Gulf for 2025-26: Celestyal, MSC and TUI.

In addition is Aroya Cruises, which is currently planning to operate in the Red Sea and previously made plans to debut in the Arabian Gulf as well.

Cruise Industry News looks at the plans for the companies that were initially set to operate in the region during the upcoming winter season.

AIDA Cruises
Ship: AIDAprima
Timeframe: November 2025 to March 2026
Homeports: Doha (Qatar); Abu Dhabi and Dubai (United Arab Emirates)
Status: Cancelled on July 11, 2025

AIDA was the first cruise line to cancel its planned operations in the Middle East for the 2025-26 winter season. In a statement issued in early July, the company said that the decision aimed at providing guests with “reliable clarity” as early as possible.

Aroya Cruises
Ship: Aroya
Timeframe: September 2025 to January 2026
Homeport: Jeddah (Saudi Arabia)
Status: Confirmed

Aroya Cruises is currently planning to offer itineraries in the Red Sea after completing its first season in the Mediterranean.

Sailing from the company’s homeport in Jeddah, the Aroya is scheduled to offer itineraries to destinations in Saudi Arabia and Egypt between late September 2025 and early January 2026.

In an interview with Cruise Industry News earlier this year, the company also expressed interest in operating in the Arabian Gulf starting in the second quarter of 2026. Deployment for that timeframe, however, is still to be announced.

Celestyal
Ships: Celestyal Journey and Celestyal Discovery
Timeframe: December 2025 to March 2026
Homeports: Doha (Qatar); Abu Dhabi and Dubai (United Arab Emirates)
Status: Confirmed

Celestyal plans to double its operation in the Middle East, with the Celestyal Discovery joining the Celestyal Journey for itineraries departing from Doha, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. According to the company’s website, the sailings in the region are scheduled to start in December.

Costa Cruises
Ship: Costa Toscana
Timeframe: December 2025 to February 2026
Homeports: Doha (Qatar); Abu Dhabi and Dubai (United Arab Emirates)
Status: Cancelled on July 25, 2025

Costa Cruises announced the cancellation of its 2025-26 season in the Middle East in late July. Due to what it called a fluid situation in the region, the company has opted to redeploy the Costa Toscana in the Mediterranean during the upcoming winter.

MSC Cruises
Ship: MSC Euribia
Timeframe: November 2025 to March 2026
Homeports: Doha (Qatar); Abu Dhabi and Dubai (United Arab Emirates)
Status: Confirmed

MSC Cruises is currently planning to operate in the Middle East during the upcoming winter season, with the MSC Euribia offering itineraries from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. According to the company’s website, the LNG-powered vessel is set to remain in the region between November 2025 and March 2026.

TUI Cruises
Ships: Mein Schiff 4 and Mein Schiff 5
Timeframe: November 2025 to March 2026
Homeports: Doha (Qatar); and Dubai (United Arab Emirates)
Status: Confirmed

TUI is planning a two-ship season in the Middle East, with the Mein Schiff 4 and the Mein Schiff 5 sailing in the region between November 2025 and March 2026. The two vessels are expected to offer itineraries departing from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Airlines notoriously oversell flights, expecting a certain number of no-shows, but they aren’t the only travel companies with that practice.

Cruise lines also sometimes overbook sailings, meaning passengers could be bumped from their cruise or even denied boarding. While the U.S. government doesn’t regulate cruise line cancellation policies like airlines, that doesn’t mean guests will be left empty-handed.

“While overbooking in the cruise industry is rare, if the cruise line does send an offer to rebook it is very common for them to provide a list of options available for guests who are willing to either cancel or cancel and rebook,” Joanna Kuther, a travel agent and owner of Port Side Travel Consultants, told USA TODAY.

Here’s what to know.

Do cruise lines oversell cruises?

Yes. The practice is relatively unusual, though Kuther said it has become increasingly common.

“If a guest is a no-show, they are in penalty, so the cruise line is not losing the fare, so I can’t understand taking the chance on overbooking just to sail full,” she said in an email.

What are your options if you’re bumped from a cruise?

Kuther said guests who get bumped have “quite a few options” for rebooking. Passengers can typically choose any other sailing of the same length, no matter the price.

“With that, the guest will usually be refunded the amount of the cruise they are missing, as well as no cost for the rebooked cruise, so basically, they are sailing free,” she said. “Cruise lines will also offer a certain amount of money to offset (the) cost of changing air and hotel reservations.”

Cruise lines may also give guests a cabin upgrade for the trouble, if they’re available. “In these cases, flexible travelers can actually make out quite well,” Kuther added.

Even if passengers opt not to reschedule right away, they will likely get a full refund and a future cruise credit to put toward another sailing. She has also seen guests booked in guarantee staterooms – which ensure a certain cabin category but not a specific room – receive offers to switch to a lower category if theirs turns out not to be available as the voyage approaches, in exchange for a refund “above and beyond the difference in price” and onboard credit.

Guaranteed rooms may be assigned months in advance or as little as 48 hours before departure.

Will travel insurance cover you if you’re bumped from a cruise?

While travel insurance can offer many other benefits, being bumped from an oversold cruise typically isn’t covered under trip cancellation or interruption coverage, according to Meghan Walch, Director of Product at InsureMyTrip.

“If the cruise line overbooks, it would likely be their responsibility to reimburse the traveler and make them whole,” she said.

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: Yes, cruises oversell too. Here’s what happens if you get booted.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises is making some changes to its dress code.

The luxury cruise line explained the new policy in an email to guests, according to MarketWatch.

Moving forward, travelers can wear “refined denim” and “dress sneakers” after 6 p.m. as part of the line’s new “elegant casual” evening dress code.

Jeans must not be torn or distressed, while sneakers must be clean, in good condition and in a neutral or classic color. T-shirts, baseball caps, shorts, athletic shoes, flip flops and bathrobes are not permitted in any social spaces after 6 p.m.

Guests can also continue to wear more formal clothing, including gowns, cocktail dresses, tuxedos, dinner jackets or dark suits with a tie.

Some passengers are rejoicing at the update, while others are disappointed—like Dana Newbauer, a Regent Seven Seas Cruises customer based in Pennsylvania. He tells MarketWatch that he likes to have “that fantasy James Bond-type moment and enjoy a nice dinner in the company of people who are dressed the same way.” 

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