Families who cruise with AIDA in summer 2027 can add something a bit different to the deck plan: a proper basketball camp for the kids, run with German pro club Rostock Seawolves.
Two one-week camps are planned for children aged 9 to 14, each attached to an existing AIDA summer itinerary. The first runs on the AIDAperla from July 24 to 31, 2027, sailing from Hamburg to Southampton, Le Havre, Zeebrugge and Rotterdam. As a bonus, the group visits a local basketball club during the trip. The second departs a week later on the AIDAnova, from Kiel to Scandinavia between July 31 and August 7, 2027 — and that one builds to a proper finale.
In Kristiansand, Norway, the kids train outdoors. Then in Aarhus, Denmark, they meet the Bakken Bears, the local club, train alongside the Bears' own junior players and finish with a final tournament. It's a real highlight rather than a token visit.
The camps themselves are structured like a genuine sports camp, not just childcare. Participants are split into two groups by skill level, covering dribbling, passing and shooting, with the coaching emphasis on teamwork and enjoying the game. A professional from the Rostock Seawolves travels with the camp to pass on tips from the pro game. The package also includes team-building activities, camp kit and giveaways, shared lunches and that closing tournament — enough structure, in theory, to turn a cabin full of strangers into an actual team by the end of the week.
The cost is €299 per child, on top of the cruise fare, and can be reserved through the myAIDA portal once the cruise itself is booked. There's also a financial nudge to commit early: cruises booked by November 18 are free for children under 16, which makes the maths considerably friendlier for a family of two adults and a couple of basketball-mad tweens.
Why it matters: themed kids' camps are one of the better answers to the classic family cruise problem — keeping children aged roughly 9 to 14 genuinely engaged while parents get their own holiday. If your child already plays club basketball, a week coached by a pro, ending in a tournament alongside Danish juniors, beats the standard kids' club by a distance. If they don't, the skill-level grouping suggests beginners aren't excluded. Just note that only two departure dates are involved, both in late July and early August 2027, so availability will likely be limited. The itineraries themselves are solid too — a Channel cruise taking in Southampton, Le Havre, Zeebrugge and Rotterdam, or a Scandinavian run through Norway and Denmark — so non-playing family members still get a proper holiday out of it.
