The ship
Beach Club days and Theatrium nights
AIDAmar joined AIDA in 2012 as a lengthened Sphinx II sister: about 71,300 GT and room for roughly 2,200 guests. Buffet-first dining and open seating stay at the centre of the week. The glass-walled Theatrium is the social square — shows by night, bars spilling into the atrium after. She is mid-size AIDA at full club volume — not a quiet traditional ship, and not a Helios megaship hike.
Buffet restaurants cover breakfast through dinner in the cruise — no assigned table, no second sitting. Specialty nights are the paid layer, among them Buffalo Steak House and Rossini, plus Asian or Alpine rooms when fitted. House wine and beer often come with buffet meals in AIDA’s inclusion style — confirm your sailing before you assume every pour is free.
Evenings run from Theatrium production shows to atrium DJ sets and late bars. Daytime is Beach Club pools, Body & Soul spa with proper German sauna culture, a sports deck, and kids’ and teens’ clubs that fill in school holidays. Dress stays club-casual throughout.
If you want AIDA’s club culture without megaship walking — buffets when you turn up, Beach Club by day, Theatrium by night — Mar is a sensible mid-size choice.
On board
Buffets, Beach Club, Theatrium
- 01
Open dining, not two sittings
There is no assigned table and no second sitting — that is the Sphinx pitch. Buffet restaurants cover breakfast through dinner in the cruise, with pizza counters and snack spots between meals. Specialty tables worth booking early include Buffalo Steak House and Rossini. Confirm what your sailing includes for house wine and beer at the buffets before you assume the pour is free.
- 02
Theatrium nights
The Theatrium is the vertical heart of the ship — glass dome, multi-deck seating, and a stage for production shows, acrobatics and the odd daytime talk. Evening shows from the AIDA ensemble lean colourful and club-friendly rather than a licensed West End transfer. Programme titles change by season, so check your sailing. Arrive early for a good rail seat on headline nights.
- 03
Bars and late hours
AIDA Bar, Beach Bar, Ocean Club-style lounges and the atrium rail bars cover the evening without a long walk. Expect live bands, DJ sets and a casual club mood rather than formal ballroom. The casino and shops sit on the same few decks for the after-show wander. Drink packages sit outside many cruise prices — decide what you will actually order.
- 04
Pools, spa, sports
Beach Club owns the daytime: pools, whirlpools, sunbed rows and a beach-bar soundtrack on warm sea days. Top-deck sports cover football, basketball and ball games. Body & Soul spa brings German sauna culture; treatments and some thermal time are typically extras. Grab a lounger early when the sun is out.
- 05
Kids programme
AIDA Kids Club and teens hangouts run age-banded programmes with hours that shift by sea day and port day. Beach Club splash takes the younger lot when clubs are closed. School-holiday sailings feel fuller — sign children in early if the clubs matter to your week. Families who will use the clubs and the pools get the most from her.
Buffet restaurants
Buffet restaurants cover breakfast through dinner without a cover charge — open seating, turn up when you like. Best for most nights if you are not chasing specialty rooms.
Specialty dining
Paid specialty nights such as Buffalo Steak House and Rossini, plus Asian or Alpine rooms when fitted. Quieter and more dressed-up than the buffets. Book early on sea days if a steak or fine-dining night matters.
Theatrium
The glass-walled social square for production shows, acrobatics and atrium gatherings. Included once aboard. Titles and acts change by season, so check your sailing. Arrive early for a good rail seat on headline nights.
Beach Club / pools
Pools, whirlpools and sunbed rows with a beach-bar soundtrack on warm sea days. Included once aboard. Loungers go early when the sun is out. The daytime heart of a Sphinx holiday.
Body & Soul Spa
German sauna culture, treatments and wellness time — many services are extras. A calmer daytime reset than Beach Club. Book ahead on sea days if a sauna circuit or massage is your plan.
Sports deck
Football, basketball and ball games on the top decks. Included once aboard. Best when you want a kickabout between pool hours.
Kids clubs
Age-banded programmes for younger children and teens, with hours that shift by sea day and port day. Families who will use the clubs get the most from them — sign in early on school-holiday sailings.
Casino
Tables and slots for optional evening spend. Walk past if gaming is not your night. Busier after Theatrium shows let out.
Shops
Ship shops for duty-free and holiday browsing on the atrium loop. Optional spend — useful between shows, not a reason to book the ship.
Pool bars
Casual pours by the pools for daytime drinks. Drinks packages and many pours sit outside the simple cruise — decide what you will actually order.
Fit
Who she is for
- German-speaking and Europe-based bookers who want AIDA’s club-ship style on a mid-size Sphinx sister — open buffet dining, Theatrium nights and Beach Club days without Helios megaship walking times.
- Families and friend groups that will use Kids Club, the pools and at least one specialty night, and who are comfortable with German as the default language on announcements and shows.
- Not the ship if you need English-only service, formal British two-sitting dining, or Oasis-scale thrills. Choose a UK line, or step up to AIDAnova or AIDAcosma for Helios megaship volume.
Where
Where Mar tends to go
Typical AIDA short-to-medium European and Canaries programmes from German and nearby hubs.
Treat this as the ship’s range, not a fixed timetable. When this guide is public, sailings with two or more UK agent prices will sit at the bottom.
Before you book
What the brochure skips
- Check AIDA’s inclusions for your sailing — drinks, specialty restaurants and tours are often extras. Price the holiday as the cruise plus what you will actually buy.
- Where UK agents list the same cruise, compare cruise-only, two sharing, same date. The hero price should be the lowest bookable one, not the first logo you recognise.
Next step
Find a sailing
Compare cruise prices for AIDAmar, or open the live map and see where she is now.