Tag Archives: Aida

Arabian Gulf Update: Cruise Lines Cancel Remaining Sailings in the Region

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Arabian Gulf Update: Cruise Lines Cancel Remaining Sailings in the Region

Amid ongoing security concerns and regional operational challenges, multiple cruise lines have now cancelled the remainder of their 2025-26 winter deployments in the Arabian Gulf.

MSC

With sailings in the region through early April, MSC Cruises cancelled the remainder of its 2025-26 season in the Middle East.

In its cancellation statement, the company said that the decision was made to prioritize the safety and well-being of its guests and crew while following the guidance of the regional military authorities.

The MSC Euribia was scheduled to offer five additional departures in the Arabian Gulf, with itineraries visiting the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain.

Celestyal

Operating its two ships in the region for the winter, Celestyal Cruises cancelled the remainder of its season in the Arabian Gulf earlier this month.

With the Celestyal Journey and the Celestyal Discovery stuck in the region, the company also had to cancel the first cruises of the season in the Eastern Mediterranean.

In a statement shared earlier this week, Celestyal said that it is “still in the process of finalizing operational arrangements” for the vessel’s repositioning voyages to Europe.

TUI

TUI Cruises is another cruise line with two ships currently in the Arabian Gulf, the Mein Schiff 4 and the Mein Schiff 5.

In an update published on its website, the company said that it decided to cancel sailings in the region due to travel and safety advice issued by the German Foreign Office.

As a result, sailings scheduled to take place onboard the Mein Schiff 4 through March 23, 2026, will no longer take place. Similarly, all cruises onboard the Mein Schiff 5 through March 12, 2026, have also been cancelled.

Aroya

Aroya Cruises cancelled all of its upcoming cruises planned for the 2025-26 season in the Arabian Gulf.

In a statement shared with Cruise Industry News, the company said that the decision was related to “ongoing regional operational considerations” and was made in coordination with the relevant maritime and national authorities.

After arriving in the United Arab Emirates in late February, the Aroya was scheduled to sail in the region through early May.

Costa and AIDA

Two traditional players in the region, Costa and AIDA Cruises cancelled their seasons in the Arabian Gulf in mid-2025.

The brands planned to operate itineraries in the Arabian Gulf between November 2025 and March 2026 onboard the Costa Toscana and the AIDAprima, respectively.

In similar statements, the Carnival-owned brands said that the decision was related to a fluid situation in the region and aimed to give guests certainty.

AIDAbella Back at Sea Post-Modernization

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AIDAbella Back at Sea Post-Modernization

The AIDAbella is resuming service in Palma de Mallorca on March 11 following its AIDA Evolution refurbishment.

The cruise ship had previously spent seven weeks in a shipyard in Marseille, where it underwent a comprehensive overhaul and modernization.

According to a statement from the company, the upgrade included new and additional restaurants, bars with enhanced service, new activity areas for families and a fresh look for the public areas.

In addition to redesigning guest cabins, new and additional suites were added, as well as exclusive areas such as the Sky Deck and the Rossini Lounge.

Furthermore, technical upgrades were made to reduce energy consumption and improve efficiency.

Approximately 5,100 pieces of furniture were donated to social organizations and 18 tons of aluminum from sun loungers and chairs were recycled, demonstrating  circular economy in practice.

The company also refurbished approximately 45,000 m2 of carpets, 10,000 m2 of carpet underlay, 2,500 m2 of artificial turf and over 1,000 mattresses, giving them a new lease on life.

The crew and reception areas got a fully recyclable, allergy-friendly carpet made from Econyl yarn, produced from recycled carpets from the AIDAdiva and AIDAluna.

Thanks to a new reverse osmosis system, the AIDAbella can produce more fresh water from seawater using less energy, the company said.

The consistent use of LED lighting, further optimization of demand-based climate control, and modernized catering technology are meant to contribute to reducing energy and water consumption onboard.

Finally, a special biocide-free coating was added to reduce fouling on the hull, thus also reducing fuel consumption.

The ship’s first itinerary post-modernization is a seven-day roundtrip from Palma that includes stops in Civitavecchia (Rome), La Spezia, Marseille – with a special overnight stay – and Barcelona, before returning to Palma.

AIDA Confident Amid Geopolitical Challenges as Demand Grows

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AIDA Confident Amid Geopolitical Challenges as Demand Grows

AIDA Cruises is seeing strong demand for cruises and a high share of premium bookings and remains positive despite ongoing geopolitical challenges, the company said in a statement.

Current figures show that just over three million German ocean cruise passengers traveled in 2025, growing by nine percent compared to the previous year.

“Cruising in Germany is driving growth in the tourism market. In 2025, AIDA generated profitable growth with unchanged capacity and record-level occupancy,” said AIDA president Felix Eichhorn.

“With around 1.5 million guests in 2025, AIDA is the clear market leader in the German cruise market. This success is driven by strong demand and long-term bookings.”

For summer 2026, AIDA said it seeing an above-average level of advance bookings, a trend which Eichhorn said continues steadily.

“. The disproportionately high number of high-quality, long-term premium bookings also shows that guests place particular value on quality,” he said.

Trips departing from German ports that can operate year-round, such as Hamburg, Kiel, and Warnemünde, as well as routes to Northern Europe remain especially popular, AIDA noted.

Cruises to the United Kingdom, the Baltic states, and classic Northern Europe routes including Norway, Denmark, and Sweden are also said to be experiencing strong demand.

Multi-generational travel is currently in particularly high demand at AIDA.

A YouGov study commissioned by the company found that 66 percent of Germans have already vacationed with multiple generations of their family.

Around 20 percent of respondents believe cruises are especially suitable for multi-generational travel.

The company is also offering 20 Northern Europe cruises this year where shore power is used during port stays at every port.

The first short cruise starts on March 12 from Kiel and takes AIDAbella via Kristiansand, Oslo, and Copenhagen before returning to Kiel.

“In 2023, we had just over 60 shore power connections; last year, that number already exceeded 400. Thanks to the opening of additional facilities in Europe, we expect a further increase to 600 port calls this year. Nevertheless, further expansion of shore power infrastructure in Europe remains necessary,” said Eichhorn.