Stranded Cruise Passengers in Qatar Face Costly, Uncertain Journey Home

Passengers from the cruise ship Celestyal Journey, stranded in Doha since February 28th, have been told they must arrange and pay for their own flights home, despite receiving temporary accommodation. According to Nina, a tourist from St. Petersburg who spoke with our publication, a coordinated evacuation to Russia is not currently planned.

The situation stems from the closure of regional airspace following recent military exchanges between the United States, Israel, and Iran. While passengers were briefly allowed ashore on March 4th to purchase medicine and essentials, their path home remains unclear and expensive.

Nina illustrated the financial strain, noting that a one-way ticket to Moscow now costs approximately 90,000 rubles—six times the price of their original cruise fare. "This is with unknown dates, because no one knows when the airspace will reopen," she said. The cruise line is providing lodging and meals for displaced passengers, but the responsibility for repatriation has shifted to the individuals themselves, leaving many in a costly limbo as they wait for flight corridors to reopen.