After only a week back at sea, Carnival Corporation’s German-brand AIDA Cruises has made the decision to pause voyages through the end of November.
Citing the recent rise in cases in European countries, the cruise line is respecting Germany’s measures to mitigate the virus.
READ: Second Carnival Brand Resumes Cruising in Europe
The company said in a statement, “AIDA Cruises recognizes its decision is disappointing to its guests and appreciates guests understanding the importance of making health and safety the most important priority.”
Currently, the cruise line only has one ship, AIDAblu, which is currently sailing a 10-night Mediterranean voyage from Italy. The current voyage is scheduled to return to Rome on October 31.
Both AIDAmar and AIDAperla had been scheduled to start sailing in early November, calling to the Canary Islands.
Like sister-brand Costa Cruises, the line has implemented new health and safety protocols that include mandatory testing, mask wearing, social distancing and modified dining.
Cruise lines in Europe are taking the newly introduced protocols very seriously. During a shore excursion organized by AIDA Cruises in Catania, Italy, on October 20, a guest from AIDAblu left his travel group, violating the line’s measures for health protection and mitigation. Upon returning to the ship, the guest was denied boarding and booted off the cruise.
Royal Caribbean Group’s TUI Cruises returned to cruising over the summer and plans to continue sailing in spite of Germany’s newly imposed lockdown.
In a statement, a spokesperson for TUI Cruises said, “The measures announced by the federal and state governments will not bring our ships to a standstill again.”
“Because staying onboard our ships does not count as domestic tourism, the arrival and departure in the respective departure port is still permitted as a transit. With us onboard you can continue to feel as safe as at home.”
The statement echos the sentiment of Royal Caribbean Group CEO Richard Fain on Thursday’s quarterly earnings call. The CEO said, “We are taking all the steps to ensure that you are safer on a cruise ship than you are on Main Street.”
