Cruise by candlelight
This year as well, the ten ships of the AIDA fleet offer many Advent, Christmas and New Year's Eve cruises. The destinations range from the Caribbean to Thailand. Among the highlights is a visit to Rome on December 24th and the New Year's Eve fireworks on Madeira.
During the pre-Christmas season, many cities attract visitors with special shopping and entertainment offers, colorfully decorated streets and Christmas markets. Well known, for example, is the festival of light in Funchal on Madeira that lights up the streets as of December 8th. AIDAstella and AIDAblu stop at the flower island on their Canaries route. On December 24, AIDAblu will stop at Lanzarote and on December 31st both ships are at Madeira. The New Year's fireworks will be ignited from around 50 locations on land at midnight. The finale is an explosion of light and a typhoon concert.
AIDAmar will travel the Mediterranean in the pre-Christmas season. The vessel will moor in Civitavecchia to spend both Christmas and New Year's Eve in Rome. The ship will remain in port until 3:00 a.m. of the following day. This means that all guests can witness the Christmas address of Pope Francis live and welcome in the New Year in the eternal city.
Even sheiks need Christmas presents. It immediately suggests itself to really slather it on and travel to the Dubai Christmas Festival from December 4th to 6th. AIDAdiva and AIDAaura have the Arabian mega-metropolis in their cruise program. AIDAaura will then continue on to India, where the next surprise is already waiting, because even Mumbai has an impressive Christmas market! Dubai, the city of the superlative, also offers, what else, a record for New Year's Eve: the highest fireworks in the world from the highest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa. Guests of the New Year's Eve trip on AIDAaura can be there live.
AIDAsol is in Southeast Asia starting from Bangkok during the Advent season. Those searching for unusual and original Christmas gifts will find them here. Fantastic shopping is also to be had in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. The vessel will be in Koh Samui on December 24th. What could be more beautiful than diving into the turquoise blue sea on Christmas Eve or preparing a Thai curry in a cooking course? AIDAsol is at sea on New Year's Eve on the way to Ho Chi Minh City, and the party heading into the New Year starts under the sky on the pool deck.
Guests experience Caribbean Flair on AIDAvita, AIDAbella and AIDAluna. Miami in subtropical Florida, for example, attracts with "Santa’s Enchanted Forest," which, lit up with three million lights, is the largest Christmas theme park in the world. Children can personally hand over their wish list to Santa Claus here. AIDAvita starts its voyages from Miami and even stays overnight.
Christmas on board
Festive decorations, a decorated Christmas tree and musical highlights create a pretty and relaxed atmosphere. In the pre-Christmas season there are numerous activities for the whole family, such as crafts courses, Advent singing and eating gingerbread.
On the afternoon of Christmas Eve, Santa and his angel will light up the eyes of small guests and hand out gifts. The AIDA show ensemble and the crew ensure a festive mood in the framework of an unforgettable Christmas gala. It will really feel like Christmas on board with traditional sing-alongs with guests and a nativity scene rehearsed and performed by children.
Christmas Eve is heralded in with a Christmas dinner: from juicy roast goose, served with traditional red cabbage and dumplings, as well as traditional carp and a caviar buffet, to crispy gingerbread houses, AIDA offers a generous selection of culinary delights in its restaurants.
New Year's Eve: Relaxed at the turn of the year
At the turn of the year, guests of AIDA can look forward to a brilliant day with glamorous lighting decorations and a cheery New Year's Eve. An ample New Year's Eve menu including a caviar buffet has culinary treats for every taste. On the stages of the AIDA fleet, guests will experience a festive New Year's gala with live music and the AIDA show ensemble. The on-board DJs then promote a relaxed mood. 2015 is then welcomed in festively with a New Year's wish action.
Price examples
AIDAstella in December starting at 449 euros per person at the AIDA VARIO price
Canaries route: Gran Canaria, Madeira, Lanzarote, La Palma, Tenerife, Gran Canaria
Arrival and departure package starting at 300 euros per person
AIDAdiva in December starting at 449 euros per person at the AIDA VARIO price
Orient route: Dubai (overnight), Muscat , Abu Dhabi (overnight), Bahrain, Dubai.
Arrival and departure package starting at 650 euros per person
AIDAmar in December starting at 449 euros per person at the AIDA VARIO price
Mediterranean route: Mallorca, Palermo, Naples, Rome / Civitavecchia, Barcelona, Mallorca
Arrival and departure package starting at 230 euros per person
The AIDA holiday voyages and arrival and departure packages can be booked with a travel agent, on the Internet at www.aida.de or in the AIDA Customer Center at +49 (0) 381 / 20 27 07 07. The travel contingents are limited.
Where are the AIDA ships at Christmas and on New Year's Eve?
| Vessel | December 24th | December 31st |
|---|---|---|
| AIDAaura | New Mangalore | Dubai |
| AIDAbella | Tortola | Cozumel |
| AIDAblu | Lanzarote | Madeira |
| AIDAcara | La Palma | auf See |
| AIDAdiva | Bahrain | Bahrain |
| AIDAluna | Bonaire | Guadeloupe |
| AIDAmar | Rom | Rom |
| AIDAsol | Koh Samui | auf See |
| AIDAstella | auf See | Madeira |
| AIDAvita | Key West | Tortola |