The AIDAdiva entered the port of Warnemünde on the morning of Oct. 13, 2021, in preparation for her cruises in Europe and the Caribbean. The 2,030-passenger ship will become the eighth ship in the AIDA fleet to restart commercial sailings.

Her arrival in the homeport was a meaningful experience for the crew, including the bridge crew, AIDA Cruises said.

“For me, the entrance into the port of Warnemünde is one of the most beautiful, because the scenery is truly unique: the view from the sea canal from the tea pot to the Neptun hotel is simply indescribable. The enthusiasm of the cruise fans ashore is just as unique,” said AIDAdiva’s Staff Captain, Frank Jacobi.

His colleague on the bridge, Andre Schalowski, a safety officer on the ship, agreed: “As a nautical engineer who was born in Rostock and lives in Warnemünde, there is no better port in the world. Passing the pier heads, the lighthouse on the starboard side and the Warnemünde seagulls is home for me.”

The ship’s Hotel Director, Harriet Umbrich, explained what it took for the cruise line to get ready for the restart on Oct. 16.

“We have made intensive use of the past few weeks to prepare our beautiful ship for the guests and trained all processes with the crew. Now we are ready and can hardly wait for the ship to be revitalized!” Umbrich said.

The first two cruises with the AIDAdiva will take the guests to Gdansk, Visby and Copenhagen on five-day trips.

On Oct. 26, the AIDAdiva will start her Caribbean season from Warnemünde. The guests will visit Tortola, Samana, St. Maarten and Basseterre on St. Kitts and Nevis, the sister islands of the Lesser Antilles.