AIDA Cruises fell prey to a ransomware attack which disconnected all its ships from the internet. The cruise line informed its passengers that they had IT restrictions and because of that they had to cancel the trip. The attackers have shared ransom demand note with the AIDA or else they will leak sensititve informtion.

In December 2020, AIDA Cruises faced a severe IT disruption attributed to a DoppelPaymer ransomware attack, crippling critical systems including phone and email communications. The incident forced the cancellation of New Year’s Eve cruises, including the AIDAperla voyage, leaving passengers stranded and operations paralyzed. The company publicly acknowledged the outage via website notifications, confirming that customers could not reach them through standard channels. While the full scope of data compromise remains undisclosed, the attack disrupted core business functions, leading to financial losses from canceled bookings, reputational damage, and operational downtime. The ransomware’s impact extended beyond IT systems, directly affecting customer trust and revenue streams during a peak holiday period. The incident underscores the vulnerability of the travel industry to cyber extortion, particularly when critical infrastructure like communication platforms is targeted.