AIDA and Costa Cruises secure long-term operations at La Romana

Central Romana Corporation has signed a long-term strategic partnership agreement with AIDA Cruises and Costa Cruises, strengthening the position of La Romana in the Dominican Republic as a Caribbean cruise homeport and supporting closer coordination between cruise operations and international air transport.

The agreement was formalised during World Travel Market in London on 4 November 2026, in the presence of Dominican Republic Tourism Minister David Collado. It establishes mutual commitments covering vessel deployment, airline connectivity and the infrastructure required to support passengers embarking and disembarking in La Romana.

Both cruise brands belong to Carnival Corporation and have maintained operations in the Dominican Republic for several decades. The latest agreement provides a longer-term framework for planning cruise capacity, air services and passenger handling arrangements.

AIDA Cruises has separately confirmed that its agreement with Central Romana covers a ten-year period, providing greater certainty for its Caribbean fly-and-cruise operations.

Coordinating cruise and airport operations

Central Romana owns and operates both La Romana Cruise Port and La Romana International Airport, allowing cruise and aviation services to be coordinated within the same operational structure.

This arrangement supports the fly-and-cruise model, under which passengers arrive by air and transfer to cruise vessels using La Romana as their departure or arrival port.

The partnership is intended to strengthen coordination of ship schedules, international flights, berth availability and passenger transfers, providing greater predictability for cruise operators and transport partners.

The agreement builds on Central Romana’s longstanding relationships with Costa Cruises, which began in 1996, and AIDA Cruises, which established La Romana as a Caribbean homeport in 2003.

“This agreement marks an important milestone in our longstanding partnership,” said Luis Emilio Rodríguez Amiama, La Romana Airport & Cruise Port Director at Central Romana Corporation.

He said the mutual commitments would support the development of La Romana as a cruise homeport and improve the coordination of maritime and aviation operations.

AIDA outlines future Caribbean deployment

AIDA Cruises has provided additional information about its planned operations following the agreement.

Three AIDA ships are scheduled to visit La Romana during the 2026/2027 winter season, beginning with AIDAdiva on 14 November 2026.

The company also plans to maintain a three-ship presence in the wider Caribbean region during each of the 2027/2028 and 2028/2029 winter seasons, with La Romana included in their itineraries.

Anika Birkholz, Vice President of Revenue Management and Capacity at AIDA Cruises, said the agreement establishes a framework for coordinating cruise operations and air capacity over the coming decade.

The partnership also supports Costa Cruises’ continuing operations in the Caribbean, where La Romana has served as an established departure point for its regional itineraries.

For both cruise lines, the arrangement provides a framework for longer-term planning involving ship deployment, passenger volumes and international air connections.

Long-term commitments support La Romana’s cruise role

The agreement reinforces the Dominican Republic’s position within Caribbean cruise operations by linking port services with air connectivity and the associated passenger infrastructure.

Central Romana and its cruise partners expect the arrangement to support future growth in passenger and flight volumes, although no specific traffic forecasts or additional infrastructure investment amounts have been disclosed.

The companies have also not announced new cruise vessel orders or a detailed construction programme associated with the partnership.

The agreement therefore represents a commitment to the long-term development of an established cruise homeport rather than the opening of a new facility or the introduction of an entirely new cruise operation.