'Still Having a Good Time': Britons Stranded on Dubai Cruise Ship Keep Spirits Up Amid Iranian Strikes

On the seventh night aboard the MSC Euribia, Alistair Riddoch pulled out his phone and played a video of fellow passengers throwing their arms in the air and dancing. The 62-year-old retired planning manager from Dunfermline said the White Party, where everyone had to dress in white, was the best of the onboard parties. The ship is berthed at Port Rashid in Dubai, and the missiles and drones overhead belong to the Iranian strikes on the Gulf.

The Euribia has 19 decks, is about a thousand feet long, and carried roughly 6,000 passengers and 2,000 crew. Riddoch and his partner Lesley Ballantyne, 59, boarded last Saturday expecting golf and boat rides when the ship called at Abu Dhabi, Doha and Bahrain. That night, in the early hours, a security alert reached their phones: potential missile threats, seek immediate shelter in the closest secure building. The itinerary down the Gulf coast was over. The ship stayed in Dubai, and the passengers had a view of a war. Riddoch said he was absolutely frightened as drones were shot down above the city, visible from the vessel. Of the situation, he said it was out of their control.

They have befriended the Chenery family from Bressingham, Norfolk. Tanya Chenery, 52, a paramedic and mother of two, said that when war broke out they did not quite believe it. It became real when they saw missiles intercepted in the sky, first on Sunday night from the ship's balcony. The trip was meant to be a holiday of a lifetime for Tanya, her husband Paul, a 58-year-old postman, and their sons Max, 27, and Alfie, 22. She said they were trying to make the best of a bad situation, had paid a lot of money to enjoy themselves, and were still having a good time and had met some brilliant people.

Not everyone was dancing. Darren Lee, a father of two originally from Manchester, described a drone being intercepted right over their heads with a loud boom that sent everyone running inside. He said there were four or five interceptions every hour, and that while some people carried on as if nothing was happening, including dancing around the pool, his group stayed indoors to be safe.

William Hunter, 55, who owns a wealth management business in Edinburgh, chose to leave. He told The Telegraph he did not fancy being in a gilded jail with a drinks package, pretending nothing was happening. Worried the huge ship could become an Iranian target, he checked into a resort 30 minutes from Dubai on Sunday. He accused MSC of immense hostility, saying crew would not help with his luggage and that the company tried to get him to sign disclaimers, which he refused to do. He also said the company was trying to get every bit of money out of passengers and give nothing back. He confirmed the mood onboard was relaxed, with dancing and singing in bars, though you could hear planes and loud bangs.

MSC Cruises says flights have been organised for more than 1,500 guests who were aboard the Euribia in Dubai. A spokesman said that as of Friday morning, seven flights carrying its guests had left the region, to destinations including the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Spain, the United States and Brazil. Executive Chairman Pierfrancesco Vago said he was immensely proud of how the company was coming together on a highly complex repatriation, and that some guests remain on the ship while MSC works to secure their safe passage.

Riddoch, speaking as he took a taxi into Dubai for an excursion, praised the crew as fabulous. He said they had been told they would only be put off the ship once a flight was available, and that a letter the previous night promised everyone a full refund. Thousands of passengers across the Euribia and other cruise ships berthed in the Gulf are still waiting for seats home, so the pace of those flights is what to watch.