AIDA Cruises is officially ready to restart cruising as the AIDAblu will depart tomorrow from Civitavecchia for her first cruise following the pandemic.

The seven-day itinerary will visit exclusively Italian ports, calling at Naples, Palermo, Catania, La Spezia and with an overnight in Civitavecchia/Rome, according to a press release.

The first cruise is set to begin October 17, with voyages offered weekly until November 28.

AIDAblu is the fourth ship of the Costa Group to resume operations following the Costa Deliziosa, Costa Diadema and Costa Smeralda.

“The restart of AIDAblu is an important milestone for Costa Group, as it marks the return to cruising after a long pause also for our German brand AIDA Cruises, joining Costa Cruises,” said Group CEO, Costa Group & Carnival Asia Michael Thamm. “We are very proud that the restart takes place from Italy, because all of our ships fly the Italian flag and our Group is headquartered in Italy. Currently, cruises are only operating in the Mediterranean and in Italy, which would not have been possible without the support of the Italian Government and authorities. Thanks to AIDAblu’s cruise program, we are contributing to the restart of international tourism in Italy, bringing our German guests to a destination they love in a safe and responsible way. We see this ship as a symbol of the long-lasting, solid relationships between Italy and Germany.”