The ship
Beach Club, Theatrium, Hyperion scale
AIDAprima joined AIDA in 2016 as the lead Hyperion-class ship: about 125,600 GT and room for roughly 3,300 guests. She sits between Sphinx mid-size and Helios megaship — longer decks, a bigger Beach Club and more restaurant doors than the earlier club ships. The Theatrium remains the evening square. She is club-casual AIDA grown up, not a quiet traditional ship.
Buffet restaurants cover included meals without two sittings. Specialty dining is the paid layer with more choice than Sphinx — steak, Italian and Asian-leaning rooms among them. Drink packages and cover charges sit outside the buffet cruise — confirm inclusions for your sailing before you book.
Evenings run through Theatrium productions and lounge stages; daytime is the Beach Club, Body & Soul spa — treatments are extra — and kids’ and teens’ clubs that fill in school holidays. She offers more Beach Club and restaurant choice than Sphinx without the full Helios hike.
If you liked Sphinx-class AIDA and want more Beach Club and restaurant choice without jumping to Helios, Prima is a sensible step up.
On board
Buffets, Beach Club, Theatrium
- 01
Buffet core, specialty edges
Open seating buffets cover the included hours. Specialty nights are worth booking early — more doors than Sphinx, including steak and Italian-leaning rooms. Confirm drink inclusions for your sailing. With more than three thousand guests aboard, sea-day specialty slots go first.
- 02
Theatrium
The Theatrium is still the vertical heart: glass light, multi-deck rails and AIDA ensemble shows — club-friendly spectacle, not a West End transfer. Programme titles change by season, so check your sailing. Arrive early for headline nights.
- 03
Bars and casino
Lounge bars, beach pours and atrium rails cover the evening without Helios-scale walking. Expect live music, DJ sets and a casual club mood. The casino and shops sit on the after-show loop. Drink packages sit outside many cruise prices — decide what you will actually order.
- 04
Beach Club and spa
The Beach Club aft is the daytime draw: pools, sunbeds and a beach-bar soundtrack on a larger footprint than Sphinx. Body & Soul spa brings German sauna culture; treatments are typically extras. Grab loungers early on warm sea days.
- 05
Kids
Kids’ and teens’ clubs run age-banded programmes that shift by sea day and port day. School-holiday weeks feel busier — sign in early if the clubs matter. Families who will use the clubs and Beach Club get the most from Hyperion scale.
Buffet restaurants
Buffet restaurants cover included meals with open seating — no two sittings. Best for most nights if you are not chasing specialty rooms.
Specialty restaurants
Paid specialty restaurants with more choice than Sphinx — steak, Italian and Asian-leaning rooms among them. Mid-to-upper spend versus the buffets. Book early on sea days.
Theatrium
Glass-walled atrium stage for AIDA ensemble shows. Included once aboard. Titles change by season; arrive early for a good seat on headline nights.
Beach Club
Sprawling aft Beach Club with pools, sunbeds and a beach-bar soundtrack. Included once aboard. Loungers go early on warm sea days.
Body & Soul Spa
German sauna culture and treatments — many services are extras. A calmer daytime reset than Beach Club. Book ahead on sea days.
Sports decks
Top-deck ball games and sports. Included once aboard. Useful between pool hours.
Kids & teens
Age-banded kids’ and teens’ clubs with hours that shift by sea day and port day. Families who will use them get the most — sign in early in school holidays.
Casino
Optional gaming after Theatrium shows. Walk past if it is not your night.
Shopping
Shops on the atrium and entertainment decks. Optional spend on the evening wander.
Lounge stages
Music lounges and casual bars between Theatrium and Beach Club. Drinks packages often sit outside the cruise — decide what you will actually order.
Fit
Who Prima is for
- German-speaking and Europe-based guests who want AIDA club culture with more Beach Club and restaurant choice than Sphinx, without Helios megaship walking times.
- Families and friend groups who will use the kids’ clubs, Beach Club and at least one specialty night, and who are happy with club-casual dress and German as the default language.
- Not the ship if you need English-only service, formal British two-sitting dining, or Oasis-scale thrills. Choose a UK line or Helios-class AIDA if that is your brief.
Where
Where Prima tends to go
Mediterranean, Canaries and Northern Europe feature in AIDA’s Hyperion deployments; home ports rotate. Bases and routes shift year to year.
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
Prima inclusions versus reality
- Check AIDA’s inclusions for your sailing — specialty restaurants, drinks and spa passes are often extras. Price the holiday as the cruise plus what you will actually buy.
- Compare UK agents on the same sailing — same ship, same date, cruise-only, two guests. The hero price should be the lowest bookable one, not the first logo you recognise.
Next step
Find a sailing
Compare cruise prices for AIDAprima, or open the live map and see where she is now.