Aida and now Costa Cruises withdraw from the Middle East

Monday, 28 Jul, 2025 0

Aida on July 11, Costa on July 25. Both cruise companies decided to abandon their Middle East program for the winter 2025/2026 for safety reasons.

This is the first time in 20 years -notwithstanding the period of Covid, that Aida will not offer any cruise package to the Middle East.

The company cites regional security risks as the primary reason for the decision. The withdrawal affects consequently all the cruises programmed between October 2025 and March 2026. The AidaPrima will instead sail in Northern Europe and the Atlantic Islands.

Costa Cruises holds a similar position. It just announced to officially withdraw its flagship vessel, Costa Toscana, during the upcoming winter 2025–2026 season. The company also mention the increasing risk of instability in the region. All planned voyages in the Gulf—including popular itineraries departing from Dubai—have been cancelled.

Instead, the Costa Toscana will now be redeployed to operate cruises in the western Mediterranean and North Africa, with new routes covering ports in Italy, Spain, Tunisia, Greece, and Morocco.

Booked passengers are currently being personally contacted with further options. It includes a full trip refund, vouchers for a future voyage or the selection of an alternative cruise trip.

File:Costa Toscana (ship) in September 2021.jpg — The Costa Toscana (Photo: ArcticDragonfly, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)

TravelMole Editorial Team

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