AIDAperla Itinerary Change: Strike in Zeebrugge Leads to Extra Sea Day

Von Wolfgang Fricke - Eigenes Werk, CC BY 3.0, Link
On October 15, 2025, the AIDAperla had to cancel its scheduled port of call in Zeebrugge, Belgium. The reason for this was an ongoing strike by pilots in Belgian ports. AIDA Cruises decided to add an extra day at sea instead, to ensure the punctuality of the remainder of the metropolitan cruise.

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Pilots are essential for the safe entry of ships into ports. Due to a protest against a planned pension reform, pilots were only working limited hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., making a smooth call in Zeebrugge impossible. The decision to skip the port served as a buffer to avoid the risk of delays and to guarantee the subsequent planned calls in Rotterdam and the timely return to Hamburg.

For passengers who were looking forward to visiting cities like Bruges and Brussels, the cancellation is, of course, frustrating. Even though the strike is beyond the cruise line's control, guests have the right to a price reduction for the lost service under German travel law. Legal experts advise passengers to review such claims and not to hastily accept offers like onboard credit.

The incident shows how vulnerable cruise itineraries are to strikes in key logistics ports. Cruise lines will likely need to incorporate larger time buffers into their route planning in the future to minimize such risks.