Your experiences with AIDA cruises

Over ten years ago, we took a cruise on the Costa ROMANTICA. Since then, we’ve never had the pleasure of finding another company for a cruise in the Indian Ocean with stops in Réunion, Mauritius, the Seychelles, and Madagascar. I recently discovered on this site that the German company AIDA offers the exact same cruise in December! But we don’t speak German and don’t know this company at all. Thanks if you can give us any insights about the ship *Stella* and the quality of their services

Over a decade ago, we took a cruise on the Costa ROMANTICA. Since then, we’ve never had the pleasure of finding another company for this cruise in the Indian Ocean with Reunion-Island Mauritius-Seychelles and Madagascar. I discovered through this site that the German company AIDA offers the same cruise in December! But we don’t speak German and don’t know this company at all. Thanks if you can give us some info on the ship Stella and the quality of their services.

Hello,

I was supposed to try this company departing from Mahé (Seychelles) on December 2, 2025, but unfortunately, a few days ago, I received an email from AIDA saying that the December 2 departure was canceled. They offered me other dates (with a 10% discount), but they don’t work for me.



All I know is that it’s a "standard" company (barely 3 stars, if that) that only offers buffet meals (morning, noon, and night). The only restaurant on board is pay-to-use, and everything is in German.

According to Cruise Critic, it’s "budget-level."

That said, you have to admit the itinerary is amazing.

After thinking it over, I have no regrets because, given the prices for this cruise (2400 €/person for a balcony cabin), I think it’s a bit expensive for what it is. For a little more, you can find better. Sure, the itinerary won’t be the same, but you really need to think it through...

Basically, if you decide to do this cruise with this company, it’s ONLY for the itinerary....

Alfred

Thanks Alfre99410, it's true that we're only interested in this 15-day cruise for the itinerary—departing from St. Louis on 12/10/2025—with 2 to 3 days of visits at each stop. However, after more than 25 years of cruising, we rarely go for the evening buffets! I’ll look into other companies instead.

Honestly, I really don’t recommend AIDA at all—I never send any of my clients to them.

The company isn’t really suited for (or targeting) Europe in the broad sense. They focus on the German market, and you won’t see any ads for them here at all. The vibe is pretty specific, and it’s definitely budget-level with entertainment geared toward German guests (drinking games, German-culture trivia, etc.).

There are cruise lines where it’s fun to go and experience a different mindset, but AIDA isn’t one of them!

Thanks so much, Amélie, for your message—I’ll be steering clear of that company! We travel with COSTA-MSC, and for over a year now with CFC on the "Renaissance". We’re really happy with this ship where everything is in French! That said, we loved the Indian Ocean islands itinerary, but unfortunately, none of these three companies goes there. Best regards,

I went on a cruise on the AIDA Bella at the end of 2019. I had written a review: https://voyageforum.com/forum/compte-rendu-croisiere-avec-aida-bella-en-asie-decembre-2019-d9870382/ I found there were more choices at the buffets than on MSC or Costa, with quite a few different stations. Lots of fresh fruit like persimmons, passion fruit, mango, etc., prepared to order. And plenty of sides. And of course, on a German ship, a selection of ice cream every day. I think Germans are much quieter than Italians. There were fewer activities, and for me, that’s a plus. I was on the MSC Orchestra in February this year and Virtuosa last year, and honestly, it was nowhere near as good as the AIDA Bella in 2019. My reference is pre-COVID, so things may have changed.

Thanks LOl68 and Laurence! My wife and I have a big problem—we don’t speak German or English, so the language barrier stops us from booking with some cruise lines. On other Italian ships, there’s always a French-speaking hostess or fellow cruisers we can join for excursions. But with CFC, it’s even better—French is the ship’s main language! Great summary of your AÏDA cruise, by the way!

Good evening, There are other companies that also offer French-speaking hosts, or menus in French—they’ll often do their best! On international cruise lines, you’ll also frequently find Mauritian or other crew members who speak French! Don’t just focus on the language; it’s part of the holiday experience when you get away from France ;)

Thanks Amélie, we’re totally open to other cruise lines, as well as trips that involve meeting locals—I’m thinking Thailand, Egypt, Brazil, Tanzania, Zanzibar, etc. But with age, we’ve become a bit more "cautious" about traveling.

Over a decade ago, we took a cruise on the Costa ROMANTICA? Since then, we’ve never had the pleasure of finding another company for this cruise in the Indian Ocean with Réunion-Island of Mauritius-Seychelles and Madagascar.

Hi Jacky,

We also did this cruise from Singapore in 2010 (without Madagascar), and it was amazing—we have such great memories of it. It’s a real shame that cruise lines don’t offer this itinerary anymore. Is there a reason we might not know about?

Hello, I don’t share your point of view about AIDA. This company is the German subsidiary of Costa but with a very different concept, more like a "club vacation," aimed at the German clientele. The onboard language is German, and 90% of the passengers are German-speaking (Germans, Austrians, Swiss). Most importantly: no Italians! If you don’t speak the language, it’s a bit less friendly, but it’s the same if you don’t speak English on American cruise lines. The atmosphere is much calmer than on Costa, and not every announcement is repeated in 5 languages, including a French that’s often hard to understand. Regarding dining: there are usually 3 buffet restaurants with a huge and varied selection (nothing like Costa’s current buffets), plus a Bavarian-style restaurant and a pizzeria, all without extra charges. Besides those, there are also à la carte restaurants, as you’d find anywhere. In the buffet restaurants, drinks (wine, beer, sodas, water) are included and unlimited. That’s not insignificant. Service charges are included in the fare, just like with CFC. AIDA doesn’t have a theater but a Theatrium (Theater/Atrium) right in the middle of the ship, which is a must-pass spot. There’s always something happening there: games, talks, shows, all day long. The shows are of average quality, but those on Costa or MSC aren’t much better these days. Overall, AIDA is in the same class as Costa and MSC, and the services are perfectly tailored to their target audience. French passengers might be a bit surprised by the very different vibe compared to what they’re used to on Costa. I’ve been on several AIDA cruises and always enjoyed them. The only thing I missed a little was the assigned table service restaurant, which you usually find on other ships. Just to clarify, I live near the German border and speak the language fluently.

Hi ifyoucruise. Are you basing your opinion of AIDA on a cruise you’ve actually taken on one of their ships, or is it just a preconceived notion?

Hello,

No, I’ve never been on an AIDA cruise ship, and if you reread my comment, you’ll see that I don’t actually comment on the quality of the food, service, or ships since I know nothing about them.

The company isn’t high-end because its prices align with those of other companies targeting the same market segment.

I don’t have any preconceived notions about this company, but I simply wanted to point out that the company doesn’t target French-speaking, English-speaking, or other clients since no marketing budget is invested in those markets—and there’s a reason for that. The company is part of the Costa Group, which is part of Carnival, so it makes sense: Costa for French/English-speaking clientele and AIDA for German-speaking clientele. It’s just an observation, but I don’t doubt that since you speak German and live near the border, you felt completely at ease on the ship.

Personally, I speak four languages, but unfortunately, German isn’t one of them, so there are few cruise lines where I don’t feel comfortable—and I think AIDA would be one of them. Not because of the quality of the product itself, but simply because of the different mentality and language.

For me, there are other companies in the same budget range that are more international 😉