A German married couple has sued AIDA Cruises after a world cruise, claiming that the nudist area on the ship was significantly smaller than what was indicated at the time of booking. The tourists demanded compensation, and the court partially upheld their claim, reports infohub.kz.

According to Bild, Sabine Hartmann and Michael B. from Dortmund booked a 128-day world cruise on the AIDAdiva in February 2024. The trip cost them nearly 70,000 euros (about 37.53 million tenge).

The couple had studied the ship's plans in advance. At that time, there was a large FKK area on the 14th deck. FKK is a popular German culture of clothing-free leisure. Special nudist areas exist on beaches, in parks, hotels, and even on cruise ships.

However, before the cruise, the AIDAdiva underwent a major refurbishment. Instead of the former FKK area on the 14th deck, a new Sky Deck for luxury passengers was created.

For other passengers, a small nudist area was left on the ship. According to the couple, it was much smaller than before and also lost some amenities, such as a shower and a jacuzzi.

The couple felt that the vacation conditions had changed significantly and demanded a refund of 15,000 euros (approximately 8.1 million tenge). They also asked the company to allow all passengers to use the new upper deck but were refused.

The case went to court. The Regional Court of Rostock agreed that the tourists' expectations had indeed been violated. However, the court ruled that compensation should be not 15,000 euros but 5% of the trip's cost. The decision is not yet legally binding.

The cruise itself took place as planned. The AIDAdiva departed from Hamburg on November 10, 2025, and visited 28 countries and 53 ports over 128 days.

Cruise ships have long been more than just a way to get from one city to another. Some ships have dozens of restaurants, pools, water parks, theaters, clubs, spas, and separate relaxation areas. There are also themed cruises, and some companies offer special ships and trips for nudists.

Earlier, Kursiv LifeStyle reported that China has started offering weekend cruises from Shanghai on the nine-deck ship Adora Magic City. Unlike classic sea tours, this route does not include stops at foreign ports.