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U.K. Cruise Line Shuns Persian Gulf After Seizure of British Oil Tanker

U.K. Cruise Line Shuns Gulf After Seizure of British Oil Tanker

(Bloomberg) -- P&O Cruises has struck the Persian Gulf from its itinerary of luxury trips following Iran’s seizure of a U.K.-flagged oil tanker last month.

The British arm of Carnival Corp., the world’s biggest cruise line, has scrapped its planned program in the region from October until next March after monitoring the situation in the Straits of Hormuz and taking advice from external authorities, it said in a statement.

“As a British company flying the Red Ensign it is not advisable for us to maintain our planned Dubai and Arabian Gulf program this winter season,” P&O Cruises President Paul Ludlow said in the release. “The safety of our guests and crew is absolutely paramount.”

Existing bookings will be canceled and guests given a full refund, as well as offers on cruises in the Caribbean this winter and trips to the Middle East in the 2020-2021 season. As a result of the move the 2,000-passenger MV Oceana will be redeployed to the U.K. for newly scheduled departures to Spain, Portugal and the Canary Islands and a pre-Christmas, 35-night cruise to the Caribbean.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard seized the oil tanker Stena Impero on July 19 after U.K. forces earlier held an Iranian vessel near Gibraltar suspected of carrying fuel to Syria. Eight tankers and one bulk carrier have left the U.K. Ship Register in the past three weeks as owners reassess the risk of flying the British flag, industry journal Lloyd’s List said Wednesday.

To contact the reporter on this story: Christopher Jasper in London at cjasper@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Anthony Palazzo at apalazzo@bloomberg.net, John Bowker

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