About Aida Radio

Aida Radio

AIDAradio is a German travel radio station created in cooperation between the cruise company AIDA Cruises and Antenne Deutschland, broadcasting nationwide on DAB+ digital radio since 4 October 2021. Produced in the Antenne Deutschland studios in Garching bei München, the station targets travellers — particularly AIDA cruise guests — with a feel-good mix of music and shows built around holidays, the sea and wanderlust. Under the slogan "MeerGefühl" (a play on "more feeling" and "sea feeling"), it promises "a journey through the AIDA world" with good news and holiday spirit.

Overview

AIDAradio is classified as travel radio: its programme is designed for people who love to travel, with music "that invites dreaming and relaxing" and shows that entertain, all based on "lightness and feel-good". The musical selection is broad, centred on pop music and oldies. The private station is financed through radio advertising. Management sits with Ali Arnaout and Alexander Ewig. The programme is aimed both at AIDA's cruise customers and at anyone who enjoys travel-themed radio, extending the cruise brand's world into listeners' everyday lives.

History

Antenne Deutschland announced the launch of AIDAradio on 30 September 2021; the station was switched on in the Antenne Deutschland DAB+ multiplex the same day with an unmoderated test programme, and regular operation began on 4 October 2021 at 8 a.m. The cooperation brought together Germany's leading cruise brand — AIDA Cruises of Rostock, part of the Carnival Corporation group, operating a fleet of eleven ships with around 30,800 berths — with the operator of the second national DAB+ multiplex. The signal feed runs via Astra 23.5° East as the uplink for DAB+.

The station quickly became part of AIDA's event world: during the AIDA Festival Cruise, AIDAradio reports and broadcasts live from aboard the AIDAprima, and the station runs the "AIDAradio Newcomer Contest", whose winners perform on the festival stage alongside established artists such as Robin Schulz, Ski Aggu and Mando Diao — with newcomer DJs looking forward to playing the Beach Club aboard the ship.

Programming

The programme concept, as described by Antenne Deutschland, is "a colourful mix of music that invites dreaming and relaxing, and shows that entertain". The weekday schedule begins with the morning show "Leinen los!" (cast off!), followed by the "Reisewetter zum Wegträumen" (travel weather for daydreaming). "AIDAradio Schiffsgeflüster" (ship's whisper) is designed for goosebump moments, while an afternoon prime-time show and a weekend "AIDAradio Talk" round out the format. The station promises "a journey through the AIDA world" with plenty of "good news and holiday feeling". Current programme strands (as of late 2022) include "Leinen los! – Die AIDAradio Morning Show", "Abenteuer Landgang" (shore-leave adventure), the "AIDAradio Prime Time Show", "AIDAradio Talk", "Hafenschnack am Sonntag" (harbour chat on Sundays) and "AIDAradio Schiffsgeflüster". Selected shows are also offered as podcasts on various platforms and on the website.

Coverage & Audience

AIDAradio is receivable nationwide via DAB+ in the Antenne Deutschland multiplex, via DVB-S satellite and as a webstream. The DAB+ distribution gives the travel station instant national availability — fitting for a brand whose audience is mobile by definition. The station's listeners include AIDA cruise guests preparing for or reminiscing about voyages as well as travel enthusiasts in general. Separately published audience figures were not available in the sources consulted.

Ownership

AIDAradio is a cooperation between AIDA Cruises — the Rostock-based, German-speaking cruise brand owned within the Carnival Corporation & plc group, one of the world's highest-revenue cruise brands with around 4.8 percent global market share in 2024 — and Antenne Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, the operator of the second national DAB+ multiplex. The programme is produced in Antenne Deutschland's Garching studios, where the company's other national stations are also made. The partnership represents a novel model in German radio: a travel company as co-operator of a national broadcast brand.

Digital Presence

AIDAradio's digital offering centres on aidaradio.de, which carries the livestream alongside podcasts of selected shows and travel content tied to the AIDA world. The station is present on social media, extending the "MeerGefühl" branding with holiday imagery, cruise news and music content. As a DAB+-born station launched in 2021, its distribution is natively digital — DAB+, satellite feed via Astra 23.5° East, webstream and app — matching the media habits of its travelling audience, from pre-cruise anticipation to post-voyage nostalgia.

Launch: 4 October 2021

AIDAradio launched on 4 October 2021 at 8 a.m. on the second national DAB+ multiplex — a cooperation between AIDA Cruises and Antenne Deutschland, the platform operator of the multiplex. "We bring the AIDA holiday feeling to our guests' homes — whether cooking, eating with the family, at work or in the car," said Alexander Ewig, AIDA Senior Vice President Marketing & Direct Sales, at the launch. Antenne Deutschland programme director Claudia Dinges was convinced the station would not only delight the AIDA community but reach a broad target group wanting "holiday for the ears": "With AIDAradio we occupy a niche in Germany that no other station has occupied in mass-appeal mainstream radio." The launch filled that gap as the only German travel/cruise radio on the national multiplex.

Programmes and Reception — Including On Board

The programme lineup includes "Leinen los! – Die AIDAradio Morning Show", "Abenteuer Landgang" (shore excursion adventures), the "AIDAradio Prime Time Show", "AIDAradio Talk", "Hafenschnack am Sonntag" and "AIDAradio Schiffsgeflüster" (ship gossip) — with interviews with crew members and captains, stories from on board, and news about ships, destinations and the world. Selected shows are also offered as podcasts on various platforms and in the station's mediathek. Reception is via DAB+ nationwide, DVB-S and webstream — and on the ships of the AIDA fleet itself, usually on channel 6 (where the bow camera sits), time-shifted so that the hourly time announcements and shows air at the familiar times at sea. During the AIDA FESTIVAL Cruise, AIDAradio broadcasts live from on board the AIDAprima; winners of the station's Newcomer Contest perform alongside established artists such as Robin Schulz, Ski Aggu and Mando Diao.

The Antenne Deutschland Platform

AIDAradio is one of the third-party programmes carried by Antenne Deutschland, the operator of Germany's second national DAB+ multiplex. The multiplex launched on 5 October 2020 with the in-house Absolut Radio family (Absolut HOT, Absolut TOP, Absolut Bella, Absolut Oldie Classics) plus Antenne Bayern, RTL – Deutschlands Hit-Radio, Rock Antenne and Toggo Radio; between 2021 and 2023 it was extended with Absolut Germany, AIDAradio, Nostalgie (Radio Nostalgie) and dpd Drivers Radio, while Klassik Radio Movie was replaced by Beats Radio and Sportradio Deutschland by 90s90s. The multiplex is broadcast on channels 5D, 8C, 9B and 12D from 92 transmitter sites, concentrated on urban areas and motorways, with DAB+ receivers switching automatically to the strongest local signal for seamless nationwide reception. For AIDA Cruises — headquartered in Rostock and Germany's best-known cruise brand — the station extends the holiday experience from the ship into listeners' everyday lives.

Live from the Ship: Festival and Event Presence

AIDAradio is closely woven into AIDA Cruises' event world. During the annual AIDA FESTIVAL Cruise the station reports and broadcasts live from aboard the AIDAprima, bringing the festival atmosphere to listeners at home. Its "AIDAradio Newcomer Contest" scouts new musical talent: the winners are chosen for their music and passion, perform on the festival stage alongside established acts such as Robin Schulz, Ski Aggu and Mando Diao, and play sets in the ship's Beach Club — the 2025 winners, the DJ duo Listorio & Elepanthr, described looking forward to performing before a large audience and to the five days spent together with the other artists and guests aboard. At the Hamburg Cruise Days 2022, fans could listen to AIDAradio at the AIDA Urlaubswelt on the Kehrwiederspitze while the AIDAprima glowed in the "Blue Port" light-and-drone show on Saturday evening — the station functioning as the acoustic brand ambassador of AIDA's harbour festival presence.