AIDAprima: Ninth Anniversary Celebrated on Exclusive Festival Cruise to Norway

As the lead ship of the Hyperion class, AIDAprima was ceremoniously christened on May 7, 2016, during the Hamburg Port Anniversary. Emma Schweiger, then 13 years old and daughter of German actor Til Schweiger, served as the godmother. Captain Detlef Harms, an experienced mariner, commanded the vessel during the christening ceremony and its subsequent commissioning. The ship was constructed by the Mitsubishi shipyard in Nagasaki, Japan. The delivery of this first Japanese newbuild for AIDA Cruises occurred in 2016, one year behind schedule.

With the introduction of AIDAprima, AIDA Cruises ushered in a new era characterized by a fundamentally revised ship concept. Innovations included, for example, the two covered adventure worlds, Four Elements and Beach Club, the specialty restaurants French Kiss and Casa Nova, and the Lanai Deck with its accompanying Lanai Bar.

Following the current Festival Cruise 2025, which calls at the Norwegian ports of Stavanger and Kristiansand, AIDAprima will undertake ten and eleven-day cruises into the Norwegian fjords during the summer season. Since its christening in 2016, AIDAprima has frequently operated from Hamburg in Northern European waters, thereby developing a particularly close connection to the Hanseatic city. This year, it will continue to start its voyages from Hamburg until early October, before setting course for the Orient.

In addition to AIDAprima, its structurally identical sister ship, AIDAperla, is also operating from Hamburg this summer season. However, a direct meeting of the two ships in the port of Hamburg will not occur, as only one of the cruise ships can manage passenger changeovers at the Cruise Center Steinwerder at any given time. AIDAperla is scheduled for one-week voyages on the Metropolitan Route and trips to Norway this summer.

Current Itinerary of AIDAprima (May 6 to 11, 2025): Hamburg – Sea Day – Stavanger – Kristiansand – Sea Day – Hamburg