Tour Operators and Cruise Lines Cancel Hundreds of Departures in Egypt, Jordan, and Beyond

With the war on Iran spilling over into neighboring countries and the U.S. State Department warning Americans to “depart now” from 14 Middle Eastern nations, including popular tourist spots like Egypt and Jordan, several tour operators and cruise lines are canceling departures of regional tours and Nile River cruises in the near term.

Additionally, the U.S. State Department has raised the Travel Advisory level for several countries to a Level 3: Reconsider Travel. These include: Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, and Cyprus.

Here are the tour and river cruise cancellations we know about:

Globus family of brands/Avalon Waterways

The Globus family of brands, which includes tour brands Globus and Cosmos, and river cruise brand Avalon Waterways, has canceled all March departures in several countries.

“Out of an abundance of caution and in alignment with guidance from global authorities and security partners, we have made the proactive decision to cancel March departures to Dubai, Qatar, Egypt, and Jordan,” a spokesperson told TMR.

“The safety and well-being of our guests and team members is always our highest priority. Travelers and their travel advisors on affected departures are being contacted directly and personally. Guests will be offered flexible options, including the opportunity to rebook to a future departure or receive a full refund.”

“We also recognize that broader travel delays and air disruptions may impact guests traveling to or from other regions, including Australia and New Zealand. Our on-the-ground teams and operations staff are actively supporting affected travelers and working to minimize inconvenience wherever possible.”

Intrepid Travel

A representative from Intrepid Travel told TMR that it has canceled all departures for trips to Egypt, Jordan, Oman, and Saudi Arabia from March 4 up to and including March 31, 2026. Any customers or travel advisors who had bookings affected have been contacted with options for either a future travel credit or a refund.

Intrepid has approximately 200 travelers on the ground in affected countries, the majority of whom are in Egypt. The company said the decision to cancel itineraries was not made lightly, and that the safety of its customers, tour leaders, and teams is its top priority. Customers currently in Egypt have the option to continue on their tour or leave early if they choose to, in which case Intrepid will assist them with their onward travel.

“It’s disheartening to see the recent escalation of violence in the Middle East,” said Leigh Barnes, president of the Americas, Intrepid Travel. “Our first priority is always the safety of our customers and teams and we’re working hard to navigate the disruptions as best we can. We hope for a rapid de-escalation and return to stability for the region, but there is no doubt that this is an incredibly unsettling time.”

Collette

Collette has canceled all departures until June 2026 for four itineraries in the Middle East region as well as Egypt. These include Treasures of Egypt and Egypt & Jordan, and the Jordan Extension and Dubai Extension.

In a statement to TMR, Collette’s executive vice president and chief revenue officer said that Collette is working on bringing impacted travelers home:

“As always, our employees’ and travelers’ safety and security is our primary concern.  We currently have multiple groups traveling within Egypt, and our Crisis Management Team is working cross-departmentally to bring those travelers home.  For travelers and Groups that have not yet departed on these programs, they will be contacted with re-book and refund options for their tours.” 

Viking

In a statement to TMR, Viking said that “out of an abundance of caution and in consideration of new guidance from the U.S. State Department, we have decided to cancel departures of our Egypt itineraries up to and including March 31, 2026.”

All impacted guests and travel advisors have been notified directly.

The company further went on to say there has been no significant impact to Viking’s operations or other itineraries and guest travel plans.

“Our global operations team remains in close contact with relevant authorities and security advisors, and we will continue to assess developments as they unfold. The safety and security of our guests and crew is always our highest priority. If conditions change, we are fully prepared to respond swiftly and appropriately.”

AmaWaterways

While AmaWaterways has canceled its Jordan land extension and Dubai programs through March 31, 2026, it is continuing on with its Nile River cruise program.

“AmaWaterways continues to closely monitor the situation in the region and remains focused on ensuring the safety and comfort of our guests and crew at all times. Our operations in Egypt remain supported and stable. Guests currently in destination have expressed a strong desire to continue their journey, and our March 5 and March 7 Nile River cruises will proceed as planned,” a spokesperson told TMR.

“At this time, all other Nile River cruises embarking throughout March will continue as scheduled. All guests and travel advisors with March reservations have been contacted to ensure they have the most up to date information and assistance.”

Any guest with a March reservation who prefers to adjust their travel plans is permitted to rebook to another 2026 itinerary without any penalty.

“AmaWaterways will continue to monitor official statements, government advisories, and updates from our local partners, and will provide timely communication should any changes become necessary. We thank our guests, travel advisors, and partners for their continued trust and understanding as we navigate this evolving situation.”

G Adventures

G Adventures told TMR that the tour operator is temporarily suspending operations in Jordan, Egypt and Oman until March 22, 2026.

“As the situation in the Middle East continues to evolve, G Adventures can confirm all travellers and staff are safe… We are proactively contacting all affected travellers to advise them on our flexible rebooking options.”

Trips already operating on the ground in Jordan and Egypt will continue to run as scheduled. G Adventures said it is working with travellers to support them should they wish to cancel and depart early.

G Adventures posted a safety update for the Middle East on its website. Any travelers currently on the ground are encouraged to register their presence with their respective embassies to receive official security updates, and to check the status of their flights with their respective airlines.

Tauck

Tour operator Tauck confirmed with TMR that it has cancelled upcoming departures of Jordan & Egypt: Petra to the Pyramids through the end of March, and departures of Egypt: Jewels of the Nile itinerary departing through March 15, 2026.

In a statement, the company said it is monitoring the situation in the Middle East and that all Tauck guests and staff are safe:

“Tauck does not operate in areas where we aren’t comfortable traveling ourselves, or having our loved ones travel. Our Global Response Team continues to monitor worldwide events such as these on an ongoing basis, consulting with outside agencies and our trusted network of partner-suppliers to make informed decisions that put our guests first.”

TTC Tour Brands

TTC Tour Brands, a part of The Travel Company, represents Trafalgar, Uniworld Cruises, Contiki, Luxury Gold, Insight Vacations, Luxury Gold, and Costsaver.

The brands have canceled all tours to Jordan until March 31, 2026 (until March 30, 2026 for Contiki). This includes Jordan land extensions post-Uniworld Nile River cruise.

Any guests booked on the affected departures will be contacted by the tour operator to discuss options for rescheduling or alternative destinations.

TTC Tour Brands sent TMR the following statement:

“We are closely monitoring developments in the Middle East and continue to prioritize the safety and wellbeing of our guests and team members. As a result of ongoing airspace disruption and out of an abundance of caution, we are suspending departures to Jordan across all tour brands through the end of March.”

Kensington

Kensington sent TMR the following statement:

“Given the evolving and fluid situation in parts of the Middle East, we are working closely with clients who either want to return home early from the region or for those who want to reschedule future travel plans,” said Stacy Alderson, regional vice president of sales. “We are also working closely with our partners on the ground to manage rerouting, itinerary changes where necessary or future rebookings to ensure every client feels supported and informed throughout the process.”

Goway

Tailor-made specialist Goway implemented a policy on March 3, 2026 in response to the conflict. For bookings departing now through March 14, 2026, clients may cancel the land component of their file for a full refund, and travel advisors will retain their full commission.

For clients with travel dates between March 15 and March 31, 2026, guests can cancel and receive a Future Travel Credit (FTC) for the land portion of the booking, valid for future travel to the original destination by March 31, 2027. For all clients choosing to proceed with an FTC, Goway will fully protect the travel agent’s commission on the original booking.

Flight cancellations for all affected travel periods will remain subject to the airline’s terms and conditions.

Bronwyn Hodge, vice president of Africa and Middle East at Goway, sent TMR the following statement:

“Goway Travel is actively monitoring the evolving situation in the Middle East and collaborating closely with our local partners. We are remaining agile as our partners on the ground respond to the rapidly evolving situation. Our primary focus is on the safety and well-being of our customers, team members, and partners. Our team of Destination Specialists, combined with our Client Experience team (who are available 24/7 through email, phone and text) are actively working with our clients to resolve issues and make alternate plans.”

Classic Vacations

Luxury tour operator sent TMR the following statement:

“Classic Vacations is closely monitoring the evolving situation in the Middle East and has seen minimal impact to date, with less than 1% of call volume related to the incident. We are proactively reaching out to in-travel and upcoming guests whose plans may be affected and working directly with advisors to review options on a case-by-case basis. Thanks to our strong hotel partnerships, we are often able to secure flexibility outside of standard penalty windows when needed. We’ve also communicated updates through our Classic Community advisor group and website travel advisory banner, and our 24/7 in-travel support team remains available to assist advisors and their clients at any time.”