Cruises for Iranian Passport Holders

Travelling on an Iranian passport comes with well-known constraints, but a cruise can turn those constraints into a single, manageable step. Below is an honest, up-to-date guide to which cruise lines accept Iranian passports, which require a second passport or green card, and how payment works when you are booking from outside Iran.

Cruise lines that accept Iranian passports directly

Not every cruise line treats the Iranian passport the same way. The lines below are, in our experience, the most reliable for travellers holding only an Iranian passport (plus the embarkation country's visa):

MSC Cruises

MSC is the single most Iran-friendly major cruise line. With a large fleet sailing year-round from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and across the Mediterranean, MSC routinely boards Iranian-passport holders provided they hold the required embarkation and transit visas. Their Persian Gulf itineraries are especially popular because they avoid the Schengen visa requirement entirely, making them the easiest entry point for travellers departing from Tehran.

Costa Cruises

Costa, MSC's Italian counterpart, offers similar boarding flexibility on its Mediterranean and Gulf sailings. Their shorter, budget-friendly routes are a good option for first-time Iranian cruisers who want to test the experience before committing to a longer voyage.

AROYA Cruises

AROYA is purpose-built around halal-conscious hospitality, sailing the Red Sea from Jeddah. For Iranian families seeking an alcohol-free, culturally comfortable environment with minimal visa friction, AROYA is an excellent match — the onboard lifestyle aligns naturally with the preferences of many Iranian travellers.

Celestyal Cruises

Celestyal specialises in three- and four-night Greek Isles cruises departing from Athens. Because the itinerary stays predominantly within Greece, the visa requirements are simpler than a multi-country Schengen loop, making it a favourite for Iranian travellers who can obtain a Greek Schengen visa.

Cruise lines that typically require a second passport or green card

The large US-headquartered lines — Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, Celebrity Cruises and Princess Cruises — generally apply stricter boarding rules to Iranian passport holders. In practice, these lines usually require a second passport (for example a Canadian, British or EU member-state passport), a valid US green card, or a confirmed Schengen visa, and sometimes additional screening. If you hold only an Iranian passport, we recommend focusing on MSC, Costa, AROYA or Celestyal first; if you hold a second passport, the entire global fleet — including ultra-luxury lines like Silversea and Explora Journeys — becomes available to you.

The second-passport and green-card route

Many of our clients are dual nationals or green-card holders living in the diaspora. If you hold a second passport, you will book and board under that passport, which removes most restrictions — but you should still confirm whether your Iranian nationality affects any specific port of call or transit. We help you navigate this in advance so there are no surprises at the pier, and we keep your booking paperwork consistent across every country the ship visits.

Visa considerations at a glance

• Gulf departures (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha): UAE and Qatari e-visas or visa-on-arrival are available to Iranian passport holders — the simplest option.
• Turkey departures (Istanbul): Iranian travellers can obtain a Turkish e-visa quickly online, making Istanbul the most accessible embarkation city.
• Mediterranean departures: a Schengen visa is usually required; the specific issuing country depends on your main port of embarkation.

How payment from abroad works

Paying for a cruise is one of the biggest practical hurdles for Iranian travellers, because international card payments cannot be made from inside Iran. CruiseBaz solves this by processing all payments through an EU-based entity. Whether you are a diaspora family member paying from Germany, a student in Canada, or a group of relatives splitting the cost across several countries, you can pay securely by international card in euros. We also support instalment plans on many sailings, so families can spread the cost over several months before departure rather than finding the full amount upfront.

Want to know which sailing fits your passport? Explore our Persian group cruises or return to the English hub.