AIDA Cruises Extends Operational Pause Through August

Carnival Corp announced Thursday its AIDA Cruises brand has extended its global pause on operations through the end of August due to health concerns surrounding the conronavirus pandemic.

"Given the gradual easing in intra-European travel, AIDA Cruises believes it will resume its cruise operation later this summer. However, the conditions for safe travel do not yet exist in many destinations worldwide," the company said in a statement.

After first suspending voyages in March, Carnival announced in May that German-based AIDA would cancel all cruises globally through July 31. In June, it said all AIDA cruises making port calls in the U.S. and Canada would be canceled for the rest of this year.

The pause announced today runs through August 31 and does not apply to individual departures from AIDAprima, AIDAperla and AIDAdiva.

"AIDA Cruises is in close and constant contact with all of the relevant authorities discussing the brand's interest in restarting cruise vacations, when the time is right, under adapted conditions and in full compliance with all sanitization and hygiene standards and protocols for physical distancing," Carnival said.

AIDA will refund passengers of canceled voyages in the form of travel credits that include a 10% bonus.

Stuck at a virtual standstill since March, the cruise industry has been among those hardest hit by COVID-19. Last month, AIDA's parent company Carnival Corp posted a $4.4 billion quarter loss, and Standard & Poor downgraded Carnival Corp bonds to junk status on expected weak cruising demand.