Today's sea day started for me at 7:00 AM with a walk on deck. After that, I treated myself to my early riser coffee before heading to breakfast. I'm starting to wonder when a slightly later sleep rhythm will kick in. After all, I still have an incredible four months of world travel ahead of me! On the other hand, the clocks on our journey eastward are constantly being set back by one hour. 😂
A very special highlight awaited me at breakfast: the long-awaited tuna salad! It’s not available every day, so of course, I had to grab it. I admit, for most people, tuna salad at 7:30 AM might be more of a stomach challenge. But for me, it’s a whole different story. I could bathe in it! 😂
Moreover, there was a stunning sunrise that I was able to watch from the East Restaurant. The only downside: the windows were unfortunately quite salty, making the view less clear than it could have been. But you can’t have everything. The Atlantic still showed itself from its most beautiful side.
At 10:00 AM, bocce was on the agenda. After that, I headed to the AIDA bar with an AIDA iced tea, where I watched the dance class. While others practiced their dance steps, I concluded that I would probably break all my bones attempting those moves. I prefer to stick to activities where the risk of injury is manageable! 😂
A Piece of Bavaria in the Middle of the Atlantic
From 11:30 AM, it became festive, as a Bavarian brunch with an ensuing schnitzel parade was on the program. It all started with a potato soup before the actual parade began.
The special thing about it: the officers personally distributed the schnitzels to the guests who raised their hands. An unusual way of serving food, which provided plenty of entertainment!
An additional highlight was the election of the ship’s mayor. Volunteers could run with their own campaign slogan, and the audience decided by applause who was ahead. There were three candidates in total. The two finalists eventually had to compete against each other in a tiebreaker – specifically in beer drinking! 🍺
The winner gets to officially open the Oktoberfest on board tonight with the ceremonial tapping of the keg. Thus, the title of the day was definitively found:
“Oktoberfest on a World Tour – Late but Festive!”
After the Bavarian festivities, I indulged in a cappuccino at the Sol Bar before I took a moment to lie down. A bit of recuperation had to happen after all.
Great Anticipation and a Serious Moment
At 1:00 PM, an announcement was made over the loudspeaker that the AIDA world cruise 2028/2029 was now bookable. Some guests likely experienced an immediate travel fever. Accordingly, a line formed at the travel expert's counter. While we are currently on our world journey, some are apparently already planning their next big adventure. Such wanderlust is quite something!
But just ten minutes later, an announcement was made that abruptly jolted everyone out of this excitement: A passenger needed to be evacuated by helicopter for medical reasons. The Portuguese Navy took over the evacuation.
This also tied back to an earlier announcement around 11:30 AM when the emergency team from AIDAsol was called. It was clear now that there was indeed a medical emergency behind it.
I truly hope that the affected guest is better now and receiving the necessary medical care. Wishing a heartfelt recovery! ❤️
This moment reminded us how quickly things can change. One moment, you’re booking the next world cruise with full enthusiasm, and shortly after, a fellow traveler needs medical attention from the ongoing vacation. Joy and sorrow can sometimes lie uncomfortably close together.
After these varied impressions, the day continued. I spoiled myself with a strawberry roulade and an espresso before stopping by “Let’s Guess” at 3:30 PM.
The game principle is simple: The hosts ask various estimation questions, such as about shoe sizes or the number of days on board. Whoever is closest with their estimate wins. A delightful change that sometimes makes you wonder just how far you can get with a good guess.
Afterward, I made a quick stop at the bar to have some tea. It had become a bit chilly on the pool deck by now.
I actually intended to head straight back to my cabin after that. But as it sometimes goes on a cruise, things didn't go as planned. In the stairwell, I ran into Sabrina, whom I already knew from one of our world traveler pre-meetings. So instead of the planned walk to my cabin, we made an impromptu detour to the Sol Bar for a drink.
At 6:00 PM, the next meeting of the solo travelers was on the agenda. An hour later, we went together for dinner. It’s wonderful when familiar faces gradually emerge on board and individual encounters become shared experiences.
From the Australian Captain to the 70s
At 7:30 PM, the prime time with our captain, who has lived in
Australia for 30 years, followed. Especially on a world cruise, it is fascinating to hear the captain’s stories and experiences, as he will lead us with the ship over many oceans to numerous fascinating destinations.
At 8:30 PM, the show “Can You Feel It” continued in the Theatrium. The colorful time travel back to the 70s provided entertainment and added a splash of color to the evening.
However, the actual evening program was still to come: at 9:15 PM, the Oktoberfest was officially opened in the Theatrium with the ceremonial tapping of the keg.
Oktoberfest with All That Goes With It – and a Lot of People
What followed was an Oktoberfest that addressed quite a few classic clichés. There were can tossing, nailing, sack throwing, and even fruit slot machines. For the latter, officers pulled the fruits; if you caught three of a kind, you received a voucher.
Of course, the culinary classics could not be missing: pretzels, Obatzda, beer, and cotton candy contributed to the proper Oktoberfest feeling. Bavaria in the middle of the Atlantic!
Normally, I'm usually quite enthusiastic about such events. However, today the sheer number of people spoiled it for me. It felt like around 1,500 of the nearly 2,000 guests were crammed onto a single deck. It got correspondingly hot, cramped, and crowded.
Thus, I bid farewell to the event relatively early and headed back to my cabin. After all, you don’t have to stay until the very end just because something is going on. Four months still lie ahead of me – it’s okay to take it a bit easier sometimes.
My Conclusion on the Fifth Day
To be honest, I don't feel like I've truly arrived on this world trip yet. That may sound strange given how long I’ve been looking forward to this journey and how intensely I planned it. But it probably just takes some time to realize that I’m actually on the road for 126 days and still have four whole months ahead of me.
The sometimes enormous crowds at the events are also unusual. Perhaps this will ease a bit as the journey progresses when the routines settle in and guests distribute themselves better. I will definitely try to find my own pace and not get swept up in every program point.
However, today’s day mainly showed me one thing: how closely joy and sorrow can sometimes be. While some are already booking the next world cruise for 2028/2029 and looking forward to the future, another guest had to be evacuated by helicopter right from our trip.
We plan, book, and look forward to the big adventures. In doing so, we sometimes forget that none of this is a given. Health, the ability to travel, discovering new places, and enjoying a morning coffee while watching the sunrise over the Atlantic – all these are things we should consciously appreciate much more often.
Perhaps this is one of the most important realizations of this world trip: not to overvalue every little thing, not to get upset about everything, and instead, to consciously enjoy the many beautiful moments.
For in the end, it is not the perfectly organized days or the events where everything runs smoothly that make a journey unforgettable. It is the encounters, the special moments, and sometimes, the moments that remind us how precious it all is.
Four more months of world travel lie ahead of me. I want to enjoy them – with all their ups and downs, with cappuccinos, tuna salads, new acquaintances, and countless experiences. Because each day is a gift. 🌍❤️🚢
