The MSC Euribia's captain, Italian Lauro Maresca, is overjoyed after his mission to escape the Persian Gulf by crossing the Strait of Hormuz, and has expressed his delight on his social media profile

The MSC Euribia cruise ship (IMO 9901544, MMSI 256281000 - sailing under the flag of Malta.  ) has reappeared on digital maritime traffic maps after several days of being off the radar, meaning its AIS satellite tracking system was deactivated. Its reappearance on the maps reveals that the ship has chosen to transit through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal to reach Northern Europe, avoiding the longer route around Africa.

The decision to travel off the radar 

The decision to travel off the radar is probably motivated by the desire to avoid the risk of attracting the attention of the Houthis, whose attacks on ships up until a few months ago made the Strait of Bab el-Mandeb, off the coast of Yemen, dangerous to navigate. Even today, almost all container ships, including those belonging to MSC, choose to avoid the Red Sea, instead circumnavigating Africa to ensure the safety of their crews, according to Shipping Italy.

Related : Vago: "Transfer seafarers stranded in the Persian Gulf to the MSC Euribia and other cruise ships."

Italian Lauro Maresca

Italian Lauro Maresca is at the helm of the MSC Euribia, which is expected to begin its Northern European cruises from the ports of Kiel and Copenhagen in mid-May. In recent days, he shared his excitement at completing the mission of escaping the Persian Gulf by crossing the Strait of Hormuz on his social media profiles.

#Italian Lauro Maresca #MSC Euribia # The AIS signal #Suez Canal #Northern Europe #Red Sea # Northern European cruises #Bab el-Mandeb