During this year's fundraising gala for the Reiner Meutsch Foundation FLY & HELP, AIDA President Felix Eichhorn handed over a check to the foundation’s founder. The funds will enable construction to begin on AIDA Cruise & Help Schools 84 through 90, located in Ivory Coast, India, Kenya, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Togo.

“Today we're taking a big step forward. Our check, worth €500,000, will enable the next seven school projects and thus provide concrete educational opportunities for the future of many children,” Eichhorn remarked at the ceremony.

One of the standout initiatives is in Irusumanda, India, where a new preschool and elementary school is planned for 850 children. The project includes ten classrooms and additional facilities like a library, offices, and restrooms. For the first time, two AIDA ships AIDAprima and AIDAcosma are jointly participating in the effort. Over the past months, crews aboard both ships have held numerous fundraising events to collect donations. Land‑based AIDA staff are also supporting the project.

“We view bringing education to underserved regions as a mission close to our hearts. The successes of past years wouldn’t have been possible without the dedication of guests and crew alike,” Eichhorn added.

AIDA Cruise & Help is AIDA Cruises’ charitable program focused on improving educational access in developing countries. Since its launch in 2019, many school projects have been completed in crew home countries and in regions visited by AIDA ships.

Recent Crew & Guest Donations Fuel Past Projects

AIDA’s guests and onboard crews have actively contributed to the Cruise & Help mission. For example, toward the end of 2022, through raffles and onboard fundraising campaigns, the AIDA fleet raised over €171,000 to support new school construction projects. Moreover, as of mid‑2024, AIDA had already built 60 schools in 12 countries, often pairing individual ships with specific school projects tied to regions visited by those ships.