AIDA Cruises has extended its fly-cruise partnership with Emirates at ITB Berlin 2025, joining TUI and Costa Cruises, which signed similar agreements during the same event.
The agreement builds on a long-standing collaboration that has existed since AIDA first homeported in Dubai in 2006, and strengthens Dubai’s position as a leading global cruise hub, ensuring seamless connectivity for AIDA Cruises’ guests.
Under the extended partnership, Emirates will align its flight schedules with AIDAprima’s itineraries, providing optimised connections between air and sea travel.
AIDA Cruises is one of several cruise lines that homeport annually in Dubai, joining MSC Cruises, Costa Cruises, Celestyal, and TUI Cruises.
The extended collaboration with Emirates includes dedicated ‘cruise blocks’ to accommodate demand from key international markets and enhanced ground transportation options between Dubai International Airport (DXB) and Dubai Harbour Cruise Terminal.
As part of the partnership, Emirates will also provide dedicated check-in facilities at Dubai Harbour, allowing cruise passengers to process their luggage and obtain boarding passes up to four hours before departure.
This enables travellers to explore Dubai before heading to the airport for their return flights.
“The Arabian Gulf is one of our most popular winter destinations due to its moderate flight times, pleasant summer temperatures and many hours of sunshine,” said Felix Eichhorn, President of AIDA Cruises.
“Combined with the new state-of-the-art terminals at Dubai Harbour within easy reach of the city’s attractions and excellent airport connectivity, our cooperation with Emirates will further enhance the attractiveness of this destination for our guests with tailor-made flight options,” he added.
For the 2025/26 Arabian Gulf cruise season, AIDAprima will be based in Dubai, offering roundtrip cruises visiting Abu Dhabi, Oman, and Qatar, further supporting Dubai’s cruise tourism sector.
Dubai welcomed more than 800,000 cruise tourists during the most recent season, with the Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal at Port Rashid—one of the world’s largest covered cruise terminals—able to process up to 14,000 passengers daily, while Dubai Harbour, the regional hub for Carnival Corporation, is located in the heart of the city adjacent the Palm Jumeirah.
The city continues to enhance its cruise infrastructure, including streamlined customs and visa procedures, duty-free services, and complimentary shuttle options, reinforcing its position as a key winter cruise destination.
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