Middle East cruise nightmare deepens as Iran airstrikes leave passengers stranded

Celestyal Journey, Celestyal Discovery and MSC Euribia were all grounded in the last few days.

Thousands of passengers were on ships in the affected areas during the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran. Many of the vessels have been ordered to halt all activity, Fox News Digital has learned.

"MSC Cruises is working continuously with airline partners in the region, particularly Emirates and Etihad Airways, to identify and secure return flights for our guests," MSC Cruises, headquartered in Geneva, told Fox News Digital in a statement. 

"We are requesting priority for our guests from our partners. At present, airlines [that are] operating flights have indicated that they will follow an order of priority based on the original flight date," MSC Cruises continued.

"In order to speed up the repatriation, we are working on other options such as chartering flights from Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Muscat," the cruise company added.

Across seven major Middle East airports, the total cancellations exceeded 12,000 flights on Tuesday, according to TravelPirates.

"Each evacuation presents a different problem set," Buckner continued. "One of the biggest challenges has been the chaos at the different UAE-Oman land crossings, where officials are overwhelmed by the influx."   

"The situation on board remains calm. We are providing guests with regular updates on the situation," MSC Cruises said.

"We are in constant contact with local authorities, embassies and foreign offices," the group added.

Celestyal Cruises, based in Athens, Greece, had two voyages scheduled to depart March 2.

Celestyal Journey will stay in Doha until March 7, according to a statement made by the company on social media. Passengers have been told they can remain on board or disembark.

Celestyal Discovery passengers are not permitted to disembark in Dubai as of now.

"Once disembarkation is approved, we will provide support to assist guests with transfers from the ship to Abu Dhabi Airport," the cruise line said.

Cruise passengers who were booked on the canceled voyages will receive a full refund or future credit.

Norwegian Cruise Line has vessels that travel to the Middle East, but there are no current sailings.

"We recognize that broader regional disruptions, including airline cancellations and airspace restrictions, may impact some guests' ability to travel," the spokesperson continued.

"Guests who are unable to reach their embarkation port due to airline-canceled flights related to these events will be eligible for a future cruise credit," the company added.

"To date, the UAE has been targeted by around 1,000 Iranian munitions, including drones and ballistic missiles," Buckner said.

Kristy Ellmer, a consultant from New Hampshire, had been traveling in Dubai with her husband, Matt Carwell. 

She was promoting her upcoming book and taking time to relax with her husband. Everything changed Saturday.

She finally got onto a flight headed for Munich on Wednesday as part of her journey home. 

"It was very calm" at Dubai International Airport, she said. "It was clear where you needed to go."