Tag 1: Hamburg - the gateway to the world

We arrived in Hamburg from the south via the A1. We crossed the Elbe bridge towards the Landungsbrücken, Elbphilharmonie, Hafencity, passed by the fish market and the famous restaurant 'Hummer Pedersen' to the Cruise Terminal Altona.

Upon arrival, we were able to unload our luggage directly at the terminal and say goodbye to our friends who accompanied us and wanted to enjoy Hamburg for a few more days. For us, it was time to queue up for check-in. The line seemed endless (about 200m) even though AIDA had offered specific check-in times. But on the one hand, it seemed like everyone arrived almost at the same time, and on the other hand, the procedure was 'slow'. We had to go through several stations: health questionnaire, vaccination proof, test proof, passport, and baggage check. After about 1.5 hours, we were onboard the ship. To our delight, our suitcases were already in the cabin, neatly prepared.

We decided to 'settle in' with a drink and waited for the departure. At 8:00 p.m., it was 'all aboard'. To our surprise and joy, the ship first sailed upstream towards the Elbphilharmonie and then turned around. It was only after this wonderful panorama of Hamburg city that we headed towards the mouth of the Elbe, passing through Elbchaussee, Blankenese, and Wedel.

The pilot will leave the ship at 11:45 p.m. Our world trip has begun.