AIDA Appoints Dr. Anika Birkholz as VP of Revenue and Customer Care

AIDA Cruises has appointed Dr. Anika Birkholz as its next Vice President of Revenue & Capacity Management, effective Feb. 1, 2026. The role also adds responsibility for Customer Care and places Birkholz on the AIDA Executive Committee, as executive committee member Dennis Schrahe prepares to leave the company later in 2026.

AIDA said Birkholz’s remit will span Revenue Management and Guest Transportation, along with Customer Care, linking pricing and capacity decisions with travel logistics and post-booking support. Felix Eichhorn, President of AIDA Cruises, said the company is bringing in “a proven expert” with more than 15 years of leadership experience in international tourism.

Executive committee transition and timing

Birkholz will succeed Schrahe as a member of the AIDA Executive Committee. Schrahe is scheduled to leave the company on April 30, 2026, to take up a new professional opportunity, and AIDA said he will remain in place until then and support the handover to ensure continuity.

Quantitative background and commercial experience

AIDA said Birkholz holds a doctorate in business mathematics and a master’s degree in applied statistics, and is joining the cruise line following senior commercial leadership work in the tourism sector. Before joining AIDA, she served as Director Commercial for the DACH region at TUI Germany and was a member of its management board.

In comments released with the appointment, Birkholz said she is “looking forward to collaborating with the teams on land and on board” and contributing ideas, adding that the goal is to deliver “the best travel experience” while advancing AIDA’s growth strategy.

Commercial backdrop: demand growth and booking momentum in Germany

The leadership change comes as AIDA points to resilient demand in its core market. AIDA cited figures showing that just over three million German ocean cruise passengers traveled in 2025, a nine percent year-over-year increase.

Eichhorn said AIDA delivered profitable growth in 2025 with unchanged capacity and record occupancy. The company also reported hosting around 1.5 million guests in 2025, maintaining its position as the leading cruise brand in the German market, and said it is seeing steady, above-average advance bookings for summer 2026.

AIDA also pointed to a higher share of longer-term premium bookings, framing the mix as a sign that guests are placing particular emphasis on quality and exceptional travel experiences. The company added that it remains positive about demand even as geopolitical challenges continue to affect the broader travel environment.

Strong demand from German ports and close-to-home itineraries

AIDA highlighted year-round interest in itineraries departing from Hamburg, Kiel, and Warnemünde, alongside continued demand for Northern Europe sailings and nearby regional routes. The company’s most-cited destinations include Northern Europe, the United Kingdom, and the Baltic region, with Northern Europe sailings commonly featuring Norway, Denmark, and Sweden.

• Northern Europe sailings that include calls in Norway, Denmark, and Sweden, which AIDA said continue to draw strong interest.
• United Kingdom itineraries, which the company also listed among the routes seeing sustained demand.
• Baltic region cruises, cited by AIDA as another area of continued passenger interest.

Multi-generational travel as a demand signal

AIDA said multi-generational travel is a growing focus for its product planning. In a YouGov study commissioned by the company, 66 percent of respondents in Germany said they have already taken vacations with multiple generations of their family, and around 20 percent said cruises are particularly suitable for multi-generational trips.

Shore power expansion and calls for more port infrastructure

Alongside its commercial updates, AIDA described efforts to expand the use of shore power during port stays in Northern Europe. The company said it is offering 20 Northern Europe cruises in 2026 in which shore power is used at every port during stays.

AIDA said the first short cruise in this series begins March 12, departing from Kiel aboard AIDAbella and calling at Kristiansand, Oslo, and Copenhagen before returning to Kiel.

Eichhorn also outlined rapid growth in shore power connections, while company updates provided slightly different year references for the recent total. AIDA said it recorded just over 60 shore power connections in 2023, and reported more than 400 connections in 2024; in a separate update, it described the tally as over 400 in 2025. With additional European shore power facilities coming online, Eichhorn said the company expects to reach about 600 shore power-supported port calls in 2026, while adding that further expansion of shore power infrastructure in Europe remains necessary.

AIDA’s new executive committee appointment comes as the company points to strong forward demand indicators for 2026 and continues to scale operational initiatives such as shore power across Northern Europe itineraries ahead of the executive transition later in the year.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

When does Dr. Anika Birkholz start her new role at AIDA Cruises?

AIDA said Dr. Anika Birkholz will start as Vice President of Revenue & Capacity Management on Feb. 1, 2026.

What areas will Birkholz oversee at AIDA?

AIDA said her responsibilities will cover Revenue Management and Guest Transportation, along with Customer Care, and that she will join the AIDA Executive Committee.

When is Dennis Schrahe leaving AIDA Cruises?

AIDA said Dennis Schrahe is scheduled to leave on April 30, 2026, to take up a new professional opportunity, and that he will support the handover until that date.

What is AIDA’s shore power plan for Northern Europe cruises?

AIDA said it is offering 20 Northern Europe cruises in 2026 that use shore power at every port during stays. Eichhorn cited growth from just over 60 shore power connections in 2023 to more than 400 connections reported in 2024 (and described as over 400 in a separate 2025 update), with an expectation of reaching about 600 shore power-supported port calls in 2026 as more European facilities come online.