Renewed turmoil in the Middle East has returned to haunt the cruise industry after the Arab Spring resulted in major itinerary changes for many operators in the course of last year. However, so far major operators have not unveiled changes to their programmes in the affected regions.

The events touch the southern and eastern Mediterranean, where unrest has taken place from from Libya to Egypt following the publication of a film on Youtube that disgraced the Prophet Mohammed. These events may also have consequences on cruises in the Red Sea that mainly depart from the Egyptian port of Sharm El Sheikh.

Continued tensions between Iran and the west over the muslim country's nuclear programme that is raising worries in particular in Israel appear also to be intensifying, with potential effects on cruises operated out of Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

The Daily Telegraph newspaper in London reported on Sunday that a major 12 day naval exercise that includes three US aircraft carrier battle groups plus ships from the UK, France and some two dozen other countries has started the Arabian Gulf.

Meanwhile, an Anglo-French naval exercise that will include the French carrier Charles de Gaulle and the British carriers HMS Illustrious with Apache helicopter gunships, is about to start in the Eastern Mediterranean, the paper said.