AIDA Cruises, the leading cruise operator in Germany, once again grew more strongly than the cruise market as a whole last year. “Despite the difficult market environment at the beginning of the year, we are experiencing continued interest in cruise vacations with AIDA”, says Michael Ungerer, President of AIDA Cruises. “The demand for AIDA Cruises also developed very well in 2012”, adds Ungerer. In 2012, the Rostock-based cruise operator welcomed 632,700 guests on board its nine cruise ships.

Michael Ungerer, who has headed AIDA Cruises as President since mid-2012, particularly emphasizes the growing willingness of guests to again pay a reasonable price for good quality on board. “Thanks to our high quality standards, our excellent service and the most modern environmental standards, 94% of all our guests stated that they were highly satisfied with what we offer. Quality has its price and our guests are prepared to pay this. They know they can rely on us.”
Michael Ungerer extended his sincere thanks to all AIDA sales & marketing partners, saying: “Without the trusting cooperation of our external sales partners in over-the-counter sales, we would not have been able to conclude the past year so successfully.”

AIDA Cruises is also aiming for further growth with more product innovations over the coming year. The company is commissioning yet another new ship in a few days in the form of AIDAstella. By 2016, the AIDA fleet – one of the most modern and energy-efficient cruise ship fleets in the world – will increase to 12 ships, offering cruises in the Mediterranean, around the Canary Islands, in the North Sea and Baltic Sea, in the Caribbean, North and South America, Dubai as well as Asia. The company is supported in the sales and marketing of its cruises by 12,860 tourism partners in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. AIDA Cruises currently employs around 6,000 personnel from 25 countries, with 5,200 of them working on board and 800 at the company’s registered offices in Rostock and Hamburg.

AIDA Cruises will be represented at this year’s ITB trade fair in Hamburg (Stand 102 in Hall 6.2.A).


Rostock, March 1, 2013