Cruise ships stopping at Lake Timsah now count toward the Suez Canal's Red Sea port-stay rebate
From 27 July 2026 a stop by a passenger or cruise ship with passengers on board at Lake Timsah, to use the Suez Canal Marina for tourism, counts the same as a stop at an Egyptian Red Sea port when the SCA works out hours in port and the rebate percentage.
Issued 27 Jul 2026 by Suez Canal Authority (SCA), Transit Department · Written 1 Nov 2026 · How we check
Effective
From 27 July 2026 (date of issue)
Affects
Passenger and cruise ships with passengers on board that stop at Lake Timsah (Ismailia) for the Suez Canal Marina
The SCA gives passenger and cruise ships a rebate linked to the hours they spend in Egyptian Red Sea ports.
Periodical 27/2026 adds a stop at Lake Timsah, to deal with the Suez Canal Marina for tourism, to those port stays. The hours spent there now count toward the stay, and toward the rebate percentage.
It applies only to passenger and cruise ships with passengers on board, from the date the periodical was issued, 27 July 2026.
Who is affected
Cruise lines planning Suez transits with an Ismailia call or an excursion stop mid-canal.
Itinerary planners weighing an extra Red Sea port call against a Lake Timsah stop.
What to do
If an itinerary includes a stop at Lake Timsah, ask your agent to include those hours when they calculate the Red Sea port-stay rebate.
Check the original rebate circular for the hour thresholds and percentages. Periodical 27/2026 only adds Lake Timsah. It doesn't change the rates.
Not navigational or legal advice. CanalAgent summarises official Suez Canal notices in plain English. Always confirm
current requirements with the issuing authority or your appointed agent before fixing a voyage.