AIDA Cruises has confirmed that instead of re-deploying AIDAcosma to the Middle East for the 2023/24 cruise season as previously announced, it will instead be sending AIDAprima.

The announcement came as part of the broader roll out of AIDA Cruises’ winter cruise seasons around the world, which will go on sale from February 23rd, this year.

The program includes cruises to Northern Europe, the Caribbean, Southeast Asia and the Seychelles, as well as Asia and the Canary Islands.

AIDAcosma at sea

Instead of cruising roundtrip from Dubai between November, 2023 and March, 2024 AIDAcosma will be sent to the Caribbean after a summer in the Mediterranean.

AIDAnova will offer cruises from Hamburg starting in November 2023, AIDAsol will set off on its 117-day world cruise in October 2023, AIDAblu will offer cruises in the Indian Ocean with stops in Mauritius, Seychelles, La Reunión and Madagascar while the AIDAbella will sail to destinations in Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Singapore.

Additionally, three new 21-day selection cruises from Bangkok/ Laem Chabang are in the program including the Christmas and New Year’s Eve voyage and the 21-day Easter voyage to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Singapore.

In the Caribbean, three AIDA Cruises ships will be offering cruises, while from November 11th, 2023, AIDAnova will be offering cruises to Norway and Denmark until May 4, 2024 from Hamburg.

AIDAprima will return to Dubai for the 2023/24 cruise season.

Meanwhile, AIDAprima will offer 7-day cruises from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Muscat in Oman and Doha (Qatar) or to the Kingdom of Bahrain and Sir Bani Yas.  The 7-day voyages can also be booked as combined 14-day butterfly itineraries.

AIDA Cruises is offering a discount for early booking with a chance of saving up to 900 euros per person for 2023/24 winter departures.

AIDAprima is no stranger to the Middle East, having homeported in Dubai back in 2019/2020. She offers AIDA’s ‘resort-style’ cruising concept, with one of the largest Beach Clubs ever aboard a German cruise liner, complete with waterslides, a lazy river, a rock climbing wall and a huge LED wall designed for watching sports.

There are also 13 restaurants and 14 cabin categories, including 32 suites. At 300m in length and with a beam of 37.6m, carrying 3,300 passengers, she sits within the same size range as MSC Cruises’ MSC Splendida, which is homeporting in Jeddah during the current cruise season.