Britons and hundreds of other travellers have been plunged into a nightmare cruise ordeal after their liner became stranded in the crisis-stricken Middle East.

Donald Trump's US-led assault on Iran has sent shockwaves throughout the region and beyond, leaving thousands requiring evacuation after travelling for holidays in Dubai, with the UAE amongst nations struck in targeted missile attacks.

Amongst those thousands are passengers aboard six cruise ships docked at ports in the Gulf nation and its neighbouring emirate Abu Dhabi, who have been left terror-stricken as their vessels remain unable to sail out of danger.

Those passengers have now revealed the pandemonium aboard their cruise liners, including the "loud bangs" as missiles detonate in interceptions occurring nearby.

Speaking to CNN, Lesley Ballantyne, from Scotland, said she and her husband woke one morning on the ship to discover an emergency alert flashing on their phones. She said the message had instructed them to "seek immediate shelter in the closest secure building" due to the imminent threat.

She told the broadcaster that, whilst her husband spotted nothing when looking out of the window that morning, the pair subsequently "heard some loud bangs" and had "seen some missiles being intercepted from the ship". The message to seek safety arrived on Saturday, and as of 4th March, the couple and thousands of others remain stranded aboard the vessel when it should be continuing its route around the Middle East.

Their ship, the MSC Euribia, was supposed to be following a route that would take it through to Europe later this year.

To reach the open ocean, it would have needed to travel through the Strait of Hormuz, the passage on Iran's southern coast that is the only sea passage linking the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and onwards to the open ocean.

Iran, however, has warned that it would not permit ships to pass through the strait during the ongoing hostilities, with the regime going as far as to threaten to "burn every ship". Cruise companies have said passengers will be kept aboard their liners whilst the hostilities continue, and that they are closely monitoring the situation.

One person stranded on the Euribia, an anonymous user posting on a Facebook group for the liner, said they were "constantly hearing explosions" from their position in Dubai.

Another Italian passenger added that the situation is "calm", adding that people are able to leave the liners but have been advised to "stay inside for the time being". She wrote: "The situation is calm, there's a possibility to go out but the recommendations are to stay inside for the time being."

Several other vessels are stranded alongside the Euribia, including the Celestyal Discovery in Dubai, its sister ship, the Celestyal Journey, docked in Doha, and two TUI cruise ships, the Mein Schiff 5 in Doha, and Mein Schiff 4 in Abu Dhabi.

TUI Cruises confirmed in a statement earlier today that approximately 218 guests from Mein Schiff 4 have departed on a special Emirates flight destined for Munich.