Oceania Cruises Reroutes 180-Night World Cruise Around Africa Amid Middle East Security Concerns
Oceania Cruises has significantly rerouted its 180-night world cruise aboard the Oceania Vista, abandoning a planned Suez Canal transit due to ongoing security concerns in the Middle East. From 27 April, when the vessel departs Singapore, the ship will head south through the Indian Ocean and around the African continent rather than through the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf. The revised itinerary introduces port calls across the Seychelles, Madagascar, Mozambique, South Africa, Namibia, Angola and several West African nations - including Ivory Coast, Gambia and Cape Verde - before continuing north to the Canary Islands and Portugal.
The reroute means passengers will forgo planned stops in the Arabian Gulf, Mediterranean and North African destinations including Greece, Italy, Spain, France and Morocco. In their place, the new route introduces rarely visited ports such as the French Comoros and São Tomé and Príncipe, before the voyage concludes through Northern Spain, England, Ireland, Scotland, Iceland and Canada, arriving at PortMiami in early July. The decision reflects a wider industry trend, with multiple cruise lines having cancelled Middle East deployments for the 2025 - 26 winter season and six vessels from various operators reported stranded in the Arabian Gulf following a halt to regional operations in late February.
Source: Nautical Flock
