AIDA and Costa Cancel 2026/2027 Orient Season: Background, Alternatives, and Rights

Originally, the voyages were introduced in November 2024 with massive early-booking discounts. The destination area around Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Oman is traditionally very lucrative during the winter. To achieve a solid basic occupancy rate, known as the base load, operators lured customers with strong sales offers.

The cancellation on March 13, 2026, now affects all AIDAprima departures between October 19, 2026, and May 20, 2027. This also includes the weeks-long transit voyages, i.e., the repositioning trips around the African continent. Since the actual destination area can no longer be safely approached, these long and cost-intensive journeys no longer make economic or logistical sense. Only a short trip from Hamburg to Gran Canaria in October 2026 remains on the schedule.

AIDA Cruises justifies this step with the uncertain situation in the Middle East. The narrow Strait of Hormuz in particular, the bottleneck to the open ocean, poses an enormous risk. Cruise ships are subject to strict regulations by P&I Clubs, the maritime insurers. In designated crisis areas, the risk surcharges, known as war risk premiums, rise sharply.

Even more importantly, however, is the safety of the passengers and crew. Just one day prior, on March 12, 2026, TUI Cruises had to completely evacuate the cruise ship Mein Schiff 5 in the Persian Gulf. To avoid such a chaotic and dangerous scenario, AIDA and Costa pulled the ripcord early on.

Such a comprehensive cancellation is a massive challenge for the cruise lines' yield management. To avoid high refunds and secure liquidity, AIDA Cruises is proactively offering an attractive onboard credit of 200 euros per cabin if customers rebook onto another voyage. This rebooking must take place by May 10, 2026.

For the company, this credit is significantly cheaper than actual cash payouts, as the margins on excursions or drinks on board are traditionally high. Travel agencies keep their commissions in the event of a rebooking. This secures the loyalty of crucial distribution partners. Costa Cruises is offering a very similar model with a deadline of April 30, 2026.

Cruises indisputably fall under package travel law. A unilateral cancellation by the organizer is only permissible in the event of "unavoidable, extraordinary circumstances." Given the military escalation in the destination area, this reason is beyond doubt here. The cruise lines must refund customers their payments in full within a period of 14 days.

Since AIDA and Costa can base the cancellation on external crises, compensation claims from customers for "loss of holiday enjoyment" are generally void. The very early cancellation also protects the companies: Most travelers have not yet booked separate commercial flights or hotels for late autumn 2026. This way, further civil claims for damages are minimized.

The AIDAprima must now serve new routes. In the future, we will likely look out from the starboard and port sides of the ships onto stable European coastlines much more often, rather than the coasts of the Persian Gulf. AIDA has announced new voyages starting in mid-April 2026. Experience suggests these could be winter sailings in Northern Europe—true to the proven motto "Hygge instead of heat."

At the same time, Costa is relocating its flagship Costa Smeralda to the Canary Islands and the Costa Pacifica to the Mediterranean. This will inevitably lead to a large supply in the European winter market. This local oversupply, known in the industry as overcapacity, could result in cheaper last-minute prices for travelers. Furthermore, fleet management must consider the ongoing modernization program "AIDA Evolution." When older ships of the Sphinx class routinely go to the shipyard, the large AIDAprima can fill these capacity gaps.

The global tourism industry is fundamentally changing. Safe regions in Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean are coming more into focus, while the Persian Gulf is temporarily out of the picture as a safe destination. However, the quick and proactive reaction of AIDA Cruises proves that the industry has learned from the crises of recent years and has been able to noticeably increase its strategic agility.