Giant cruise vessel transits Suez Canal after weeks-long delay at Strait of Hormuz

CAIRO – 26 April 2026: Admiral Osama Rabie, Chairman of the Suez Canal Authority, announced on Sunday the transit of the giant cruise ship MSC Euribia through the Suez Canal on its maiden voyage in  the southbound convoy. 

The vessel, one of the largest cruise ships in the world, had previously passed through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait while en route from the United Arab Emirates to Malta.

Rabie explained that the ship had been among the vessels delayed at the Strait of Hormuz for several weeks. After clearing the strait, it altered its route, opting to transit the Red Sea and the Suez Canal toward Europe instead of circumnavigating the Cape of Good Hope.

The MSC Euribia, operated by MSC Cruises, runs on liquefied natural gas (LNG). It measures 331 meters in length, 51.9 meters in width, and has a draft of 27.5 feet. The vessel flies the Maltese flag and transited the canal with a crew of 192.

The canal also witnessed the transit of the cruise ship Celestyal Journey in the same southbound convoy, sailing from the UAE to Turkey. The vessel is 219 meters long, 30 meters wide, and has a draft of 24 feet.

Rabie affirmed that the Suez Canal continues to provide advanced maritime and logistical services and is capable of accommodating the newest and largest vessels in the global fleet, supported by ongoing development projects. He highlighted the Southern Sector Development Project, which has enhanced navigational safety by widening the canal by 40 meters on the eastern side, in addition to adding 10 kilometers of dual-lane navigation in the Lesser Bitter Lakes.

He further noted that the transit of cruise ships reflects the canal’s continued attractiveness as a key global shipping route, given the time saving and reduced operational costs it offers. This, he said, reinforces its position as the fastest, shortest, and safest maritime corridor linking East and West.

On the same day, a total of 45 ships transited the canal in both directions, with a combined net tonnage of approximately 1.7 million tons.