Cruise ships diverted from Red Sea following Houthi attacks

The Queen Mary 2 carries more than 2,500 passengers

Cruise ships have been forced to divert away from the Red Sea due to the ongoing conflict in Yemen.

Carnival Corporation has rerouted 12 of its ships away from the region.

The ships include Cunard's Queen Mary 2 and P&O Cruises' Arcadia, which were both due to head home to Southampton via the Suez Canal and Mediterranean.

Both ships will now spend an extra seven to 10 days travelling around the southern tip of Africa and home through the Atlantic.

To ensure the ships arrive back in Southampton on schedule, it means more days at sea instead of visits ashore - cutting out lots of places passengers had paid to visit.

Those who booked only the final leg of the world cruises have had their trips cancelled.

Queen Mary 2 carries more than 2,500 passengers, with slightly fewer on Arcadia.

A spokesperson for Cunard said the company was "committed to ensuring the safety and well-being" of its guests and crew.

The Houthis are part of an "axis of resistance" against Israel

The spokesperson added: "Given recent developments and in close consultation with global security experts and government authorities, we've made the difficult decision to reroute."

The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen have been repeatedly attacking ships in the Red Sea, which they claim is in retaliation to the Israel-Gaza conflict.

They are yet to attack cruise ships in the region, but have been targeting naval vessels and cargo ships.

Southampton-based ships usually spend the winter months in search of sunshine, and generally come home in March or April for the summer season in Europe.

Carnival Corporation, the world's largest cruise operators, has warned of the increased costs due to rerouting - including the extra money that will need to be spent on fuel.