AIDA Cruises has confirmed the cancellation of its 2025–2026 Middle East season due to escalating security concerns, marking the first absence from the region since 2006.
The planned winter itineraries for AIDAprima, which was scheduled to sail from Dubai and Abu Dhabi to destinations such as Oman, Bahrain, and the UAE between October 2025 and March 2026, will no longer take place.
Instead, the line has redeployed AIDAprima to Northern Europe and the Atlantic Islands for that winter, operating from Kiel and Hamburg with calls in the North and Baltic Seas and the Canary Islands.
These revised voyages will include destinations such as Oslo, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki, and the Canary archipelago, offering guests scenic coastal and island experiences in place of the canceled Middle Eastern routes.
The decision was prompted by ongoing regional instability and concern over safe navigation of critical passages like the Suez Canal and Red Sea, as well as broader geopolitical tensions.
AIDA emphasized that guest and crew safety remain its highest priorities and acted promptly to provide clarity on travel plans.
Guests affected by the cancellations have received rebooking options onto the newly announced European itineraries. Those preferring future flexibility have been offered a 10% Future Cruise Credit, and full refunds are available for passengers unable to sail on the revised route.
In addition to rerouting AIDAprima, early 2026 sailings of AIDAbella were cancelled to accommodate the reshuffling.
AIDAprima’s new deployments will include holiday-themed voyages such as Christmas market cruises from Kiel to Gdansk and Riga, and a 23-night "Great Winter Break Canary Islands" roundtrip in January 2026.
Despite this strategic shift, AIDA has expressed hope that the Middle East itineraries will return once security conditions improve.