AIDA Cruises has officially announced a major milestone in the company’s history, revealing that the AIDAmar will operate AIDA’s very first world cruise departing from the German port of Warnemünde in 2028. This groundbreaking announcement marks a significant expansion of the cruise line’s global deployment strategy, offering travelers an extraordinary opportunity to embark on an epic maritime adventure directly from the Baltic coast.
Setting sail on November 3, 2028, the massive 142-day global voyage will take passengers across the globe on an ambitious itinerary. Over the course of nearly five months, the ship is scheduled to visit 51 distinct ports situated across 19 countries and five continents, before finally concluding the monumental journey in Hamburg on March 25, 2029.
During the course of the four-and-a-half-month expedition, the AIDAmar will navigate vast oceanic expanses, crossing the equator twice and traversing the international date line once. To ensure that passengers have ample opportunity to fully immerse themselves in the local cultures, sights, and sounds of the diverse destinations along the route, the meticulously planned itinerary features 12 extended overnight stays, giving guests valuable extra time to discover selected ports of call in depth.
South America and South Seas
The grand itinerary begins as the AIDAmar departs from Warnemünde, charting an initial course toward the Isle of Portland, A Coruña, Gran Canaria, and Santiago. From these European and Atlantic outposts, the ship will make the transatlantic crossing to Recife, Brazil, officially opening the South American leg of the global adventure.
As the vessel navigates the vibrant waters and dramatic coastlines of South America, passengers will experience some of the most iconic sights in the Southern Hemisphere. Major itinerary highlights include extended calls in Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires, followed by the dramatic southward journey toward Tierra del Fuego, the historic Cape Horn Passage, and the breathtaking, ice-carved fjord and glacier landscapes of Patagonia.
Leaving the dramatic landscapes of South America behind, the AIDAmar will set a wide course westward across the Pacific Ocean toward Easter Island and the enchanting islands of the South Seas. The festive season will offer an unforgettable backdrop, with Christmas Day spent celebrating amidst the idyllic tropical scenery of French Polynesia. The voyage will continue onward to the Fiji island of Suva, where guests will ring in the New Year during a special port stop on New Year’s Eve.
New Zealand and Australia
Continuing westward, the voyage brings travelers to the diverse and captivating landscapes of Australasia. In New Zealand, guests will have the rare opportunity to comprehensively explore both the North and South Islands on a single continuous trip. The carefully designed route features calls at six distinct ports across the country, including Auckland, Napier, Wellington, and Picton, among others.
Alongside these cultural and urban ports of call, passengers will also be treated to exceptional scenic highlights from the comfort of the ship. These include the picturesque maritime passage through Marlborough Sound and the awe-inspiring fjord world of Milford Sound, known for its sheer rock faces and cascading waterfalls.
Following the exploration of New Zealand, the AIDAmar will transition to the Australian portion of the voyage, which breaks new ground for the cruise line. According to the company statement, the Australian segment will visit 11 distinct ports, representing the highest number of Australian stops featured on any AIDA cruise to date.
The extensive Australian itinerary includes visits to major metropolitan and regional destinations such as Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Cairns, and Geraldton. To allow travelers to thoroughly experience the continent’s diverse coastal cities, the schedule incorporates valuable overnight stays in Sydney, Darwin, Broome, and Perth/Fremantle, providing an immersive window into Australian life.
Back to Europe via the Indian Ocean and Africa
Once the AIDAmar completes its comprehensive circumnavigation of Australia, the voyage will lead westward through the tranquil and exotic waters of the Indian Ocean, making scheduled stops at the island paradises of Mauritius and La Réunion.
Longer layovers and extended time in port will be a defining feature of this homeward stretch. Destinations such as Port Louis in Mauritius, Gqeberha and Cape Town in South Africa, and Walvis Bay in Namibia will provide passengers with ample opportunity to embark on thrilling wildlife safaris, experience dramatic desert landscapes, and take in the iconic sights surrounding Table Mountain.
Another major navigational and scenic highlight of the homeward journey will be the historic circumnavigation of the Cape of Good Hope. Following this legendary maritime milestone, the AIDAmar will set its final long-haul course back toward European waters, stopping in the Cape Verde archipelago along the way before concluding the voyage in Germany.
Pricing for this monumental global voyage starts at €20,995 euros per person. This rate reflects a premium price per person based on double occupancy in an inside cabin of category IB, and includes an early booking incentive featuring a €4,000 Early Bird Plus discount.
The announcement of the 2028 world cruise follows in the wake of AIDA’s ongoing global exploration programs. The upcoming 2026-27 edition of AIDA’s world cruise successfully set sail from Hamburg on October 18 aboard the AIDAsol, continuing a popular tradition of extended global travel for the German cruise line.
