Luxury Cruise Ship Silver Moon Diverts from Red Sea Due to Changing Situation

The luxury cruise ship Silver Moon, operated by Silversea Cruises, has diverted away from the southern Red Sea, altering its current itinerary and canceling an upcoming cruise. The decision was made due to the changing situation in the region, with the ship’s Global Security team recommending the itinerary change based on intelligence gathered in the last 24 hours. The ship, which has a capacity for 596 passengers, had transited the Suez Canal on December 31 and was scheduled to travel to the Red Sea, Dubai, India, Southeast Asia, and Japan before returning to the Mediterranean in the spring.

The Silver Moon arrived in Aqaba, Jordan on January 6 with 278 passengers and 408 crew members, but has since changed its course, canceling the upcoming cruise and disembarking all passengers in Aqaba on January 16. The company is currently meeting about the situation in the Red Sea and hopes to have an official statement soon. Speculation is that the ship may proceed through the Red Sea with only crew aboard and go directly to Dubai to resume its published itineraries.

The Silver Moon is the second cruise ship to divert away from the Bab el-Mandeb and the region around Yemen, with several other cruise ships scheduled to transit the Red Sea in the spring as they reposition from Asia or the Persian Gulf region to the Mediterranean for the summer of 2024.

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