AIDA Cancels Repositioning Cruises Due to Security Concerns in the Red Sea

AIDA Cruises has canceled repositioning voyages for three of its cruise ships scheduled to transit the Red Sea in the coming weeks. This decision comes in response to the latest developments in the region, and the cruise line has deemed it the only responsible option in the interest of safety for its guests and crew. The cancellations will result in disruptions to the cruise line’s schedules starting in late February, affecting the AIDABlu, AIDAprima, and AIDAbella.

The AIDABlu, currently operating in the Vanilla Island region, has canceled its repositioning to the Greek Islands and will not return to commercial service until the end of March. The AIDAprima, currently operating from Dubai, has also canceled about six weeks of operations and will not resume service until May. Similarly, the AIDAbella, currently in Southeast Asia, has canceled a repositioning and will not resume service until the end of May. It is anticipated that the cruise ships will deadhead only with crew to the west of Africa to reach Europe.

The cancellations by AIDA Cruises are part of a larger trend affecting the cruise industry, as many cruise lines face the prospect of long diversions and rerouting due to the current situation in the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. Unlike commercial ships, cruise lines lack the port and tourism infrastructure to reschedule cruises on short notice, making these disruptions particularly challenging for the industry.

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