Carnival Festivale Floats at Meyer Werft

Carnival Festivale Floats at Meyer Werft

The Carnival Festivale floated for the first time at Meyer Werft, the yard announced in a social media update.

According to the shipbuilder, the new Excel-class ship touched the water in late September after its building dock was flooded.

The operation allowed the new Carnival Cruise Line ship to move inside Meyer Werft’s building hall, creating space for the construction of another vessel.

In its post, Meyer Werft noted that its enclosed building dock in Papenburg allows two large ships to be built at the same time.

With delivery scheduled for 2027, the Carnival Festivale will kick off its maiden season in Port Canaveral in May 2027.

Joining its sister ship Mardi Gras at the homeport, the 5,200-passenger ship will offer weeklong cruises to the Caribbean.

The six- to eight-night itineraries sail to a range of destinations in the region and are highlighted by visits to Carnival’s private destination of Celebration Key in Grand Bahama.

Meyer Werft recently celebrated another milestone with Carnival, as construction began for the Carnival Tropicale in early September.

To mark the occasion, the German shipyard held a Texas-themed steel-cutting ceremony along with the company.

The Tropicale is scheduled to enter service from Galveston in April 2028, offering weeklong cruises to the Caribbean and the Bahamas.

The Festivale and the Tropicale will be the final ships in Carnival’s Excel series, which started with the Mardi Gras in 2021.

The LNG-powered vessels will introduce an updated design with new features, including the Sunsation Point, a family adventure zone that will house the company’s largest waterpark.

Carnival Waterworks Ultra will feature six water slides designed for different age groups and adventure levels, in addition to splash pads and shaded play areas for all ages.

The ships will also include different themed areas, with music-related spaces onboard the Festivale and lounges inspired by the golden age of show business on the Tropicale.

Disney Cruise Line Teases Big Announcement

Disney Cruise Line Teases Big Announcement

Disney Cruise Line is preparing to make a “big announcement” this week, according to an update shared on social media.

Further details were not revealed, but the announcement appears to be related to the company’s deployment plans.

The teaser post includes latitude coordinates corresponding to six locations across the Northern Hemisphere.

“Looks like the set is a little incomplete. What could this list be?” Disney Cruise Line asked its followers in the post.

Commenters speculated that the numbers represent homeports in North America and the Caribbean, with some pointing to a number that could refer to New York City.

Disney’s deployment plans currently cover sailings through late 2027, with its fleet offering itineraries in the Caribbean, the West Coast, Europe and Alaska.

The company also plans to continue operating the Disney Adventure in Southeast Asia, with a series of cruises from Singapore.

Disney said that it will reveal more details about its upcoming ship, the Disney Believe, in October.

Currently being built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany, the LNG-powered vessel is set to enter service in late 2027.

In a social media post earlier this month, the company said that it will preview the new ship’s features during a show onboard the Disney Wish.

Featuring Susan Egan, the one-night-only performance will take place onboard the vessel on October 7, 2026.

Disney also recently revealed the first details of its new series of three ships, which are scheduled for delivery in 2029 and 2030.

As previously reported by Cruise Industry News, the vessels will be built at Meyer Werft and will be slightly smaller than those in the Wish-class series.

Disney Cruise Line Reveals First Details of New Ship Class

Disney Cruise Line Reveals First Details of New Ship Class

Disney Cruise Line revealed the first details and images of its new ship class, which will be built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany.

With deliveries scheduled for 2029 and 2030, the series of newbuild's will initially include three 105,000-ton vessels.

During its D23 Expo, the company revealed a rendering of the ships, which will feature a look similar to Wish-class vessels.

Of note, the ship will feature a three-deck-high glass area amidship, while bringing back the company’s traditional look with a black and gold hull and two funnels.

In a video, the company also highlighted a few fundamentals of the new class project, noting that it will have an optimized hull.

The class will also feature what Disney called a state-of-the-art lightweight design, which will allow for more energy efficiency.

According to the company, the new ship was designed to capture the magic of the ocean, with new features set to be revealed at a later date.

“From sketches and finished drawings, thinking ahead and creating new attractions for months and years to come, we keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things,” Disney said.

Slightly smaller than the company’s more recent newbuild, the new vessels are expected to have capacity for up to 3,000 passengers.

Before welcoming the first of the new ships into its fleet, Disney is introducing the new Disney Believe in 2027.

Currently under construction at Meyer Werft, the 140,000-ton vessel will be the fourth in the company’s Wish-class series.

The series also includes a fifth, yet-unnamed vessel, which is scheduled for delivery in early 2029.

The 2,500-passenger vessel will mark Disney Cruise Line’s debut in Japan through a partnership with Oriental Land Company.

AIDA Cruises Highlights Operational Efficiency Initiatives

AIDA Cruises Highlights Operational Efficiency Initiatives

AIDA Cruises has detailed several initiatives it employs in order to improve ship operation efficiency.  

They include expanded shore power use, increased adoption of biofuels and advanced digital solutions. 

Biofuels 

After biofuel was first used onboard the AIDAprima in summer 2022, the LNG-powered ships in the fleet are being prepared for the future use of additional biofuels and e-fuels as soon as they become available in sufficient quantities. 

In 2025, more than 8,500 t of ISCC EU-certified Bio LNG were supplied to the AIDAnova in the ports of Hamburg, Kiel and Zeebrugge, according to Dirk Inger, senior vice president public affairs, communication & sustainability at AIDA Cruises. 

The company said it is also working with partners from science and industry to prepare for the future use of e-fuels onboard its vessels. 

Examples include participating in research and development activities focused on innovative energy conversion and storage technologies based on renewable ammonia as well as developing hydrogen as a fuel for future combustion engine-based marine propulsion systems and evaluating the implications of integrating such technologies into cruise ships.  

“However, several challenges remain for the broader adoption of e-fuels, including fuel availability in ports, industrial-scale production capacities, internationally harmonized regulatory frameworks, and the lack of commercially viable pricing structures in Germany and Europe,” Inger added.  

Shore Power 

In 2017, the AIDAsol became the first cruise ship to regularly use shore power in the Port of Hamburg through Europe’s first shore power facility for cruise ships, located at the Cruise Center in Altona.  

Since then, AIDA Cruises has continuously expanded the use of shore power, resulting in 340 shore power connections in 2024 and 440 in 2025. 

The company is currently planning around 540 shore power calls for 2026 with its vessels. 

Shore power is available in 17 European ports, including Hamburg, Warnemünde, Kiel, Southampton, Bergen, Oslo, Stockholm, Rotterdam, Copenhagen, and Le Havre, among others.  

This represents approximately half of all AIDA port calls on Northern European itineraries departing from Germany.

Digital Energy Management 

Reducing energy consumption is said to be a key component of the company’s technical fleet management strategy, and all ships in the fleet are equipped with integrated energy management systems that are connected to a group-wide data platform.  

Digital applications, machine learning and artificial intelligence are used to analyze operational data and identify further optimization opportunities. 

AIDA underlined EOS (Energy Optimization System), a digital analytics system, which has been gradually implemented across the AIDA fleet since 2023, as one of the most important investments in this area. 

Incorporating variables such as weather and wind conditions, vessel and engine models, and the number of guests onboard, EOS assists crews in making operational decisions in real time, such as optimizing onboard energy flows or calculating routes designed to minimize energy demand.  

The system has been shown to significantly reduce energy requirements for propulsion and various onboard systems, AIDA noted. 

AIDA Innovation Hub 

As part of the application phase for the new AIDA Innovation Hub, start-ups, tech companies, industry partners and scientific and research institutions were invited to submit their ideas for smart solutions in the fields of decarbonization, sustainability and AI tools.  

The company received more than 150 potential ideas, which will now be reviewed and the shortlisted projects will be presented to an expert jury in Rostock on September 16, 2026.  

The winners will have the opportunity to further develop their ideas together with AIDA through implementation studies or test them as a pilot project onboard AIDA vessels. 

TUI Cruises’ Ships Running on Renewable LNG

TUI Cruises’ Ships Running on Renewable LNG

Two TUI Cruises ships are currently operating on bio-LNG, according to a statement shared on social media.

The company said that the Mein Schiff Relax and the Mein Schiff Flow are running entirely on renewable LNG during their summer seasons in Europe.

TUI noted that this greener fuel is based on biomethane, which can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to fossil fuels.

“Thanks to the use of bio-LNG alone, we were already able to save around 26,000 tons of CO2 by July 2026 and are expected to reach around 50,000 tons by the end of the year,” the company stated.

In addition to burning cleaner fuels, TUI highlighted other initiatives aimed at improving sustainability, including the use of shore power.

Various ships were retrofitted with connections over the past few years, including the Mein Schiff 1, the Mein Schiff 2 and the Mein Schiff 5.

Ships also use sustainable textiles and operate under the watch of dedicated environmental officers, who are said to work to keep operations as green as possible.

The company reduced the use of plastic onboard and shifted its shore excursions program to focus on environmentally friendly tours.

In 2024, TUI also launched the industry’s first methanol-ready cruise ship with the debut of the Mein Schiff 7.

The Mein Schiff Relax is currently offering itineraries departing from Germany to destinations in the Baltic and Scandinavia.

After debuting earlier this year, the Mein Schiff Flow is spending its maiden season in the Western Mediterranean with cruises to Spain, Italy, France, Morocco and Portugal.

Built by Fincantieri, the 4,000-passenger vessels introduced a new design to the fleet, becoming the company’s largest ships at 161,000 tons.

TUI is now working with Fincantieri on two additional LNG-powered vessels, which are scheduled to debut in 2031 and 2032.

 

TUI Cruises Starts Homeporting Season in Portugal

TUI Cruises Starts Homeporting Season in Portugal

The Mein Schiff 6 recently kicked off a series of cruises to Western Europe and Morocco departing from Leixões in Portugal.

Located near Porto, the homeport serves as the starting point for two seven-night itineraries that sail to other destinations in Portugal, in addition to ports in Spain, Morocco, the United Kingdom and France.

Heading north, one of the itineraries features visits to Vigo, La Coruña, Bilbao and Le Verdon before returning to Leixões.

The second weeklong cruise heads south and includes stops in Lisbon and Cádiz, as well as Tangier and Gibraltar.

Guests are also able to book a 14-night voyage that combines both itineraries into a single cruise that does not repeat ports of call.

The Mein Schiff 6 will continue to offer similar cruises departing from Portugal through early September, when it is scheduled to embark on a repositioning voyage to the Western Mediterranean.

Sailing from Leixões to Palma de Mallorca, the eight-night cruise sails to a mix of destinations in Spain, Portugal and Morocco.

Highlights of the open-jaw itinerary include visits to Lisbon, Cádiz and Tangier, in addition to Málaga and Barcelona.

After a short fall season in the Mediterranean, the 97,000-ton ship embarks on a 53-night repositioning voyage to Southeast Asia.

The three-part cruise starts with a seven-night cruise to the Canary Islands that sails from Palma de Mallorca.

The 2,500-passenger ship will then operate a 20-night voyage to Cape Town, visiting Morocco, Cape Verde, Namibia and South Africa.

Before arriving in Singapore in early December, the Mein Schiff 6 also offers a 25-night voyage to the Indian Ocean and Southeast Asia.

Departing from Cape Town, the cruise will sail to South Africa, Mauritius, Réunion, the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Malaysia.

As part of its 2026-27 winter season in Southeast Asia, the 2,534-passenger ship is set to offer a series of 13- to 15-night cruises to Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and more.

Built at the Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland, the Mein Schiff 6 was delivered to TUI Cruises in May 2017.

AIDAprima Guests Test Self Check-In Terminals in Hamburg

AIDAprima Guests Test Self Check-In Terminals in Hamburg

AIDA Cruises tested digital guest check-in with all guests for the first time in a pilot project at the Steinwerder Cruise Center in Hamburg.

According to a company statement, guests were able to embark independently for a cruise aboard the AIDAprima at one of the 20 digital check-in terminals on July 23, 2026.

During check-in, a photo was taken of each guest, which is stored in the ship system for the duration of the trip. The image was then compared with the photo on guests’ ID documents based on biometric data.

Digital check-in was found to speed up the embarkation process at the terminal, offering more flexibility in combination with the personal service available at a classic counter.

The new service was developed in collaboration with Lufthansa Industry Solutions over a period of two years, adapting self-service check-in terminals from aviation for use in cruises.

This included, among other things, the integration of printers for boarding passes and the connection to the ship’s systems.

The boarding pass is RFID-encoded, serving as a means of payment onboard and as a key to the cabin, among other things.

AIDA noted that it intends to use the findings from the pilot project to explore further use of this technology.

AIDA to Host Charity Concert in Hamburg

AIDA to Host Charity Concert in Hamburg

AIDA Cruises is hosting an exclusive concert at the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg on October 28, 2026, called “AIDA & Friends.”

“Our concert is a thank you to our guests and partners,” said Alexander Ewig, senior vice president of marketing and sales at AIDA Cruises.

“We thank our loyal fans and friends for their support on our 30-year journey and are hosting a concert that will be remembered for a long time and is the perfect end to our celebrations,” added Ewig.

The event will feature live acts and social engagement, with performances by Mark Forster, LEA and Revolverheld.

AIDA said in a press release that the proceeds and potential donations will be used to finance three new schools. For every ticket sold, 30 euros go directly into new educational projects.

“‘AIDA & Friends’ combines what is important to us: exceptional experiences and social engagement,” the company said.

“Together with guests and artists, we are committed to the educational opportunities of children,” said Felix Eichhorn, president of AIDA Cruises.

According to the press release, AIDA Cruise & Help has funded 100 schools worldwide and has focused on educational projects since its inception in 2019.

The goal is to open up long-term perspectives for children through education.

Tickets for the concert are now open for booking.

In addition, AIDA Cruises is giving away four pairs of tickets to the charity concert. Applicants can enter here.

AIDAdiva Returns to Germany Following World Cruise

AIDAdiva Returns to Germany Following World Cruise

The AIDAdiva has recently returned to the port of Hamburg in Germany following AIDA’s 2025-26 world cruise.

After undergoing a major refurbishment as part of AIDA’s Evolution refit program, the vessel embarked on the voyage in early November 2025.

The AIDAdiva then visited 53 destinations in 27 countries before arriving back at its homeport on March 23, 2026.

Covering 35,000 nautical miles, the itinerary was highlighted by milestones for AIDA Cruises, including the company’s return to New York City following a six-year hiatus.

The cruise also marked the brand’s first visits to ports on the West Coast of North America, as well as in Japan and Hawaii.

The 2,030-passenger ship also spent New Year’s Eve docked in Honolulu during its first visit to the Aloha State.

Other highlights of the itinerary included AIDA’s first-ever transit of the Panama Canal, which took place on December 6, 2025.

Following the completion of its world cruise, the AIDAdiva is now set to offer summer cruises out of ports in Germany.

The ship’s schedule includes a series of four- to 14-night cruises to destinations in Scandinavia and the Baltic Sea.

Ports of call set to be visited include Vik in Norway, Visby in Sweden, Gdynia in Poland and Aarhus in Denmark.

In late August, the 2007-built ship is scheduled to reposition to North America for fall cruises departing from New York City.

The 12-night itineraries are highlighted by visits to destinations in Canada and New England, as well as Florida and the Bahamas, including Portland, Boston, Miami and Nassau.

In late October, the AIDAdiva sets sail to La Romana in the Dominican Republic ahead of a winter season offering cruises to the Southern and Eastern Caribbean.

AIDA’s next world voyage is scheduled to depart from Hamburg in mid-October 2026 onboard the AIDAsol.

The 126-night cruise will follow a different itinerary that will include stops in South America, the South Pacific, Australia, Africa and the Indian Ocean.

 

AIDAbella Back at Sea Post-Modernization

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.

Disney Adventure Embarks on Sea Trials

Disney Adventure Embarks on Sea Trials

The new Disney Adventure sailed from Germany earlier this week to embark on its first set of sea trials.

Currently in the final stages of construction at the MV Werften shipyard, the vessel is now undergoing a series of assessments and trials in the Baltic and North Seas.

Over 1,400 workers are reportedly on board the ship, which is scheduled to be delivered to Disney Cruise Line in late September.

According to Ostsee Zeitung, the Disney Adventure will see testing of technology and systems while sailing to another German port, Bremerhaven.

The week-long trials are also said to include a technical visit to Rügen, an island on the Baltic coast of Germany.

The Disney Adventure is expected to undergo a second set of sea trials later this month.

The 208,000-ton ship is then set to embark on a delivery voyage to Asia ahead of its maiden cruise, which is scheduled to depart from Singapore on December 15, 2025.

As the largest cruise ship in the company’s fleet, the Adventure will be Disney’s first vessel dedicated to Southeast Asia.

Sailing from the Marina Bay Cruise Centre Singapore on a year-round basis, the 6,000-guest ship will offer three- and four-night cruises to nowhere.

The vessel’s schedule in the region was recently extended with the addition of extra departures through December 2026.

In addition to the Disney Adventure, Disney Cruise Line is also welcoming the Disney Destiny to its fleet this year.

The LNG-powered ship is currently under construction at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany for delivery in the fourth quarter.

As a sister to the Disney Wish and the Disney Treasure, the 2,500-guest vessel is set to welcome guests for its inaugural voyage in November 2025.

Sailing from Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades, the Destiny will spend its maiden season offering four- and five-night cruises to the Bahamas and the Caribbean.

Disney Adventure to Remain in Singapore For 2026-27

Disney Adventure to Remain in Singapore For 2026-27

The Disney Adventure will continue to offer short cruises from Singapore as part of Disney Cruise Line’s recently announced 2026-27 deployment.

According to the company’s website, the 6,000-guest vessel will operate a series of three- and four-night cruises during this timeframe.

With no ports of call, the itineraries feature two and three days at sea, respectively, before returning to Singapore.

Nearly 30 new sailings are currently scheduled to take place between October 2026 and January 2027.

Currently under construction at MV Werften in Germany, the Disney Adventure is scheduled to enter service later this year.

As the largest ship ever built for Disney Cruise Line, the 208,000-ton vessel was designed to serve the Asian market.

After departing Germany, the ship is scheduled to deadhead to Singapore ahead of welcoming its first paying guests on December 15, 2025.

During the 2025-26 season, the Disney Adventure will sail from its homeport in Southeast Asia for a series of three- and four-night cruises to nowhere.

The itineraries feature only days at sea and will continue to be offered during the summer of 2026 as well.

Originally ordered as Dream Cruises’ Global Dream, the vessel was acquired by Disney Cruise Line after its operator ceased operations in 2022.

In addition to the Disney Adventure in Singapore, Disney’s 2026-27 season will include itineraries in the Caribbean and on the West Coast.

The deployment is highlighted by capacity increases in Texas and California, with the Disney Wonder and the Disney Magic offering more cruises from San Diego.

In Galveston, the Disney Magic is set to offer an extended season that includes itineraries to the Caribbean and the Bahamas.

Three ships are scheduled to sail from Port Canaveral during the season: the Disney Treasure, the Disney Wish and the Disney Fantasy.

The Disney Destiny and the Disney Dream will offer cruises from Fort Lauderdale’s Port Everglades.

Mein Schiff: Aggressive Growth

Mein Schiff: Aggressive Growth

With the new Mein Schiff Flow to be introduced next year, following the sister ship, Mein Schiff Relax, this spring, and Mein Schiff 7 last year, the brand is on an aggressive growth path, more than doubling its guest capacity from 2023 to 2026.

With nine ships in service, Mein Schiff will have a 35.5 per cent share of the German-speaking cruise market as estimated by the 2025 Cruise Industry News Annual Report.

Mein Schiff is sailing into 2025 with a tailwind, according to the cruise line, noting strong demand from the German-speaking markets, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and also increasingly from neighbouring European countries.

According to Wybcke Meier, CEO, the clear and differentiated position of the brand and the Mein Schiff fleet is in the premium segment of European cruises, thus seeking to appeal also to customers beyond the German market.

Clas Eckholt, Vice President of Commercial, said in a prepared statement that the focus is on offering an international cruise experience with a distinctly German touch.

At some 160,000 tons and with a double occupancy capacity of more than 4,000 guests, the new ship class is introducing a new era for the brand. The new ships are not only significantly larger than the rest of the fleet but are also fueled by LNG and are described as being future-compatible with low emissions bio- and e-LNG.

Also, introduced last year, the Mein Schiff 7 is said to be methanol-ready.

The rest of the ships are kept up to date with the latest project being the drydocking of the 2015-built Mein Schiff 4, which underwent a facelift earlier this year.

Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas Marks 10 Years of Service

Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas Marks 10 Years of Service

The Anthem of the Seas recently completed ten years of service for Royal Caribbean International, having been delivered to the company on April 10, 2015.

As a sister to the 2014-built Quantum of the Seas, the vessel was built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.

Following a delivery ceremony in Bremerhaven, the Anthem sailed for the English port of Southampton to kick off its maiden season.

Before welcoming its first paying guests, the 158,000-ton ship was named by actress Emma Wilby at a special ceremony that took place at its homeport on April 20, 2015.

Sailing round-trip from Southampton, the Anthem offered a series of itineraries to the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands and Northern Europe as part of its maiden season.

The 4,204-guest vessel was later repositioned to the United States for cruises departing from New York Harbour.

For its North American debut, the ship sailed from Cape Liberty Cruise Port to Bermuda and the Caribbean, as well as Canada and New England.

After additional seasons in the United Kingdom and the New York metropolitan area, the Anthem of the Seas recently repositioned to the Pacific Ocean for cruises to other destinations.

As part of a ship shuffle, the vessel debuted in Southeast Asia during the 2024-25 winter, offering cruises from Singapore.

Earlier this year, the Anthem kicked off its first summer deployment in Alaska, offering seven-night cruises that sail from Seattle and also include visits to destinations in Canada.

Before debuting on the West Coast, the vessel also underwent a routine dry dock in Singapore, which included minor updates to staterooms and public areas, as well as technical maintenance.

In mid-October, the ship will reposition to the South Pacific for its inaugural season in Australia. Sailing from Sydney, the Anthem offers itineraries to a wide range of destinations, including Nouméa, Picton and Airlie Beach.

AIDA Cruises Donates to the Nurse Club Foundation

AIDA Cruises Donates to the Nurse Club Foundation

AIDA Cruises has given 5,000 euros to the Nurse Club Foundation, which focuses on creating unforgettable moments for people with special needs, such as families in palliative situations.

The company said in a press release that many of the families have faced difficult times where life revolved around illness and worries.

Various projects of the foundation offer them escape routes from everyday life.

“At AIDA Cruises, we live diversity and inclusion. Promoting social initiatives is an important concern for us, especially when it comes to enabling participation for all,” said Alexander Ewig, AIDA’s SVP of marketing and sales, at the donation handover.

The Nurse Club Foundation's long-term goal is to create a completely accessible beach section in Warnemünde so that tourists with disabilities can enjoy their vacation on the Baltic Sea.

“Rostock should show that inclusion is possible, and at the highest level,” said Julian Sturm-Schneider, one of the founders of the non-profit foundation.

AIDA said that with its support, the foundation can further advance its vision and realise new projects.

The company added that it has adapted for many years to the requirements of people with individual and health-related impairments.

Since May 2022, an accessibility expert council established under the patronage of Kristina Vogel has advised the company to make vacations on AIDA ships even more accessible.

Saga Looking Into ‘Partnership’ for Cruise Business

Saga Looking Into ‘Partnership’ for Cruise Business

Saga has confirmed its looking into potential partnerships for its ocean cruises business based on reports in British media.

“We are looking at how we can offer more cruises to more guests in the future,” Saga Cruises CEO Nigel Blanks said in a statement shared on social media.

“This comes on the back of exceptional demand for our boutique ocean cruise offer,” he continued noting that the Spirit of Discovery and the Spirit of Adventure are operating “close to capacity.”

“With this in mind, we have been looking into the possibility of entering a partnership arrangement for our ocean cruise business as the best way to support further growth,” Blanks said.

The move would also create value for the company’s shareholders, he noted, pointing out to Saga’s “unique business, with a strong brand and committed team.”

“We are still in the early stages of the process of exploring opportunities,” Blanks said, noting that transactions of this nature “usually take months rather than days or weeks.”

Earlier this month, Sky News reported that Saga was looking into a range of potential options for its cruise operations, which included selling a stake in the business.

According to Sky News, the debt-challenged tour operator was working with advisers and also considered selling its two cruise vessels or offloading the entire business under a licensing arrangement.

After initially entering the cruise business with second-hand vessels, Saga Cruises took delivery of two new cruise ships in 2019 and 2020.

Sailing from different ports in the United Kingdom on a year-round basis, the Spirit of Discovery and the Spirit of Adventure were built by the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany.

Designed to offer a boutique cruise experience, the 55,000-ton sister ships can accommodate up to 999 guests in double occupancy.

AIDAsol Arrives in Mauritius; Begins Last Leg of World Tour

AIDAsol Arrives in Mauritius; Begins Last Leg of World Tour

AIDA Cruises’ AIDAsol arrived in Port Louis, Mauritius on Friday, Jan.19, starting the last leg of its world cruise.

Having sailed on October 2023 when it departed from Hamburg, the AIDAsol has so far crossed each of the major oceans once during this world voyage.

Mauritius serves as the last port of transfer for guests on the 2023-24 world cruise.

After leaving Port Louis, the ship will head for Saint-Denis, Reunion, before exploring several ports in South Africa including Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth. Other ports of call on the last leg of the journey are Walvis Bay, Namibia; Praia, Cape Verde Islands; Tenerife, Canary Islands; Funchal, Madeira; Lisbon, Portugal; Porto, Portugal; and Portland, England. The ship is scheduled to arrive back in Hamburg on Feb. 21.

In October 2024, the AIDAsol will again embark on a world tour with some destinations in New Zealand that have not previously been visited by AIDA Cruises.

Search off Ramsgate for man reported overboard from cruise ship

Search off Ramsgate for man reported overboard from cruise ship

A search is under way off the Kent coast after reports of a crew member falling overboard from a cruise ship.

The coastguard was alerted at about 09:00 BST on Sunday after the man disappeared from the German vessel AIDAperla off Ramsgate.

The HM Coastguard search and rescue helicopter was sent from Lydd alongside a fixed-wing aircraft.

The RNLI sent all-weather lifeboats from Ramsgate and Dover to join the search.

The AIDAperla was travelling from Hamburg in Germany to Las Palmas in the Canary Islands, the cruise company has confirmed.

A spokesman for AIDA Cruises said: "The captain and crew of AIDAperla immediately initiated all necessary rescue measures, in close co-ordination with the local authorities.

"The search on board confirmed that a male crew member is missing. The ship was immediately stopped and returned to the spot where the incident was believed to have taken part in the search."