AIDAcara kicks off the cruise season in Kiel

AIDAcara was the first cruise ship of the year to drop anchor in the Kiel harbor. This got the cruising season off to a good start on Saturday. With around 1,180 passengers on board, the 193.3 meters long and 27.6 meters wide ship was traveling from the Canary Islands by way of Lisbon and Dover, passing through the Kiel Canal near the end of its journey. AIDAcara had previously spent the winter season in Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, and on Cape Horn.

Captain Kurc dropped anchor at the cruise terminal of the Ostseekai earlier than originally planned, arriving at 2 a.m. At 5 p.m., AIDAcara will set out on a short cruise to Göteborg and Copenhagen.

This season, Kiel will host AIDAcara 26 times. From April 5 to October 18, 2014, the city on the Förde will function as the home base for cruises through the Kiel Canal, all around Great Britain, and into the fjord landscapes.

A highlight for ship enthusiasts are AIDAcara's trips to visit Kiel Week. On June 29, 2014, guests can enjoy the spectacular display of yachts from the pool deck as the ship enters and leaves port. The trips from the 12th to the 29th of June 2014 and from the 29th of June to the 16th of July will travel to the Shetland Islands, Iceland, Svalbard, and to the Lofoten. On board for this journey are guest speaker Jörg Trobitzsch and many guest artists who are sure to present an entertaining program. Of course soccer fans won't get the short end of the stick either: All games of the FIFA World Cup 2014™ will be broadcast live on board, where guests can cheer on the German National Eleven together in the theater.

On October 18, 2014, the cruise season in Kiel will end with the last arrival of AIDAcara. The ship will then set a course for the south. Starting in November 2014, AIDAcara will travel from the Canary Island Gran Canaria to the Cape Verde Islands.

In the coming season 2015, AIDA will be expanding its offerings with departure from Kiel considerably with two ships and a total of 36 departures. For the first time, AIDAluna will depart Kiel with a course set for the most beautiful destinations in Northern Europe going all the way up to Svalbard and Iceland. AIDAcara will start by departing Kiel on a 14-day journey, for the first time visiting the most beautiful pearls of the Baltic Sea with new harbors such as Malmö, Klaipeda (Curonian Spit), Riga, Mariehamn, Visby, and Turku, the birthplace of AIDAcara. On August 26, 2015, the season will end with a first: The first trip from Kiel to New York.