News Release

Cruise ship AIDAperla celebrates first birthday

Congratulations from "Let's Dance" stars Gil Ofarim and Ekaterina Leonova who whet appetites for the AIDA pure cruise in November

Guests and crew celebrated AIDAperla's first birthday last Saturday in radiant sunshine. Celebrity well-wishers included Gil Ofarim. The well-known singer and actor sang the birthday serenade and, performing with his dance partner Ekaterina Leonova, delighted guests with a tango. Captain Dr. Friedhold Hoppert was another well-wisher. All three will once again be going on board in November for a very special cruise:

AIDAperla will set sail from Tenerife on 12 November on an exclusive cruise to Barbados. The 10-day trip will perfectly exemplify the special AIDA pure feeling. This is a highlight trip for cruise travelers who prefer to relax with a sweeping view of the ocean, and unwind with no land in sight. Right at the start, guests can look forward to six days at sea. The fresh ocean air blowing across the sun deck will make it the perfect place to switch off completely and enjoy these days on the ocean wave to the full.

The exclusive board program will offer guests plenty of variety.

AIDA dances is a phrase that is key to this exclusive cruise. Gil Ofarim and Ekaterina Leonova will be on board. Winners of the "Let's dance" show, they will be taking dance lovers to a thrilling world of rhythm and movement. They will be supported by professional dancer Christian Polanc who will be showing his students how to get that swing of the hips just right at his workshops. Guests will have the chance to display the steps and moves they have learned at numerous dance events everywhere on board.

Captain Dr. Friedhold Hoppert will be accompanying the cruise in addition to the duty captain, devoting himself entirely to the guests with lectures, talks and guided tours of the ship. Captain Hoppert invites guests to experience the cruise in an intensive way at the Meet & Greet, observing the stars on deck, and at the nautical Q&A round. This Captain's Cruise is a special opportunity for AIDA fans to broaden their knowledge about cruise travel.

For fans of the culinary arts, there are no fewer than four gourmet specialists on board:

- World champion pastry chef, Andrea Schirmaier-Huber

- Food blogger Felicitas Then

- Franz Schned, chef de cuisine at the Rossini gourmet restaurant and one of the judges on the "Küchenschlacht" TV show

- Top sommelier Gunnar Tietz

Guests can look forward to classic menus, culinary extravaganzas, delicious desserts, and local specialties. They will also have the chance to watch the professionals at work and boost their knowledge of gastronomy at workshops and show cooking displays. Gunnar Tietz will enhance this culinary travel experience both with matching wines and his knowledge as a sommelier of many years' standing.

First-class, diverse entertainment for all tastes will be available every evening on the various stages and in the bars on board. The shows "Glücksrad" (Wheel of Fortune) and "The Voice of the Ocean" are a guarantee of sublime entertainment. Guests will be enthralled by the biggest (guest) choir on the seven seas, while their laughing muscles will be well-trained by comedian "Bademeister Schaluppke" and the improvisational talents of Jens Wienand.

The AIDA pure cruise from November 12–22, 2018, and all other AIDAperla cruises can be booked at travel agencies, at the AIDA Customer Center by calling +49 (0)381/202 707 07 or at www.aida.de.

Rostock, July 2, 2018