Celestyal Discovery

The 2003-built (as AIDAaura) cruise ship Celestyal Discovery was one of the two smallest and oldest vessels in the AIDA fleet, alongside her sistership AIDAvita (built in 2002).

In 2023, following a major refurbishment, the ship (renamed "MV Lara") was planned to operate for Miray's new travel brand, Life at Sea Cruises. However, the deal with Miray International was not completed. Instead, AIDAaura was sold to Louis Group Plc and is now operated by its subsidiary and travel brand, Celestyal Cruises.

The vessel (IMO number 9221566) is currently Italy-flagged (MMSI 247117400) and registered in Genova. Celestyal Discovery is scheduled to be reflagged to Malta (MMSI tba) and registered in Valletta.

History – construction and ownership

On January 5, 2023, AIDA announced that the 20-year-old AIDAaura was sold and would leave the fleet in October 2023. Her last voyage for AIDA was originally scheduled to depart on September 26 (12-day "Westeuropas Flüsse" roundtrip from Bremerhaven) but was first rescheduled for August 19 (21-day "Island Grönland 2") and finally for September 9 (12-day "Westeuropas Flüsse").

On June 29, 2023, Miray International (Istanbul, Turkey-based company and owner of Miray Cruises) announced that its new brand "Life at Sea Cruises" would operate its 3-year World Voyage (starting November 1, 2023) aboard AIDAaura/MV Lara instead of the previously planned MV Gemini (1992-built).

The ship was officially handed over to Miray on September 29, 2023, in Port Bremerhaven. During a scheduled drydock refit in Rotterdam, the vessel received Life at Sea Cruises’ dark blue livery (hull and funnel), underwent machinery upgrades, stateroom renovations, and modifications such as a new business center (converted from the conference hall) and the addition of a cigar lounge and wine bar. All public areas were redesigned for long-term residential cruising.

In November 2023, AIDA confirmed that Miray International was no longer the buyer. The new owner was announced as Celestyal Cruises. The ship (renamed Celestyal Discovery) was scheduled to begin operations in March 2024, replacing the 1982-built Celestyal Olympia.

AIDAaura was the third vessel to join AIDA's fleet and had a passenger capacity of 1,300.

Decks and Cabins

AIDAaura staterooms (680 total, in 11 categories) included 2 Suites (Forward-Facing Sundeck Premium Suites on Deck 7), 62 Balcony, 357 Oceanview, and 214 Inside cabins. The largest were the Forward-Facing Premium Suites, measuring 33 m² (355 ft²) with an additional 25 m² (270 ft²) private terrace.

Celestyal Discovery’s largest accommodations are the two Grand Horizon Suites (bow-facing triple cabins on Deck 11, 42 m² plus a 16 m² balcony) and the two Grand Dream Suites (bow-facing triple cabins on Deck 7, 32 m² plus a 25 m² balcony).

During the 2025 refurbishment, 30 Junior Dream Suites (25 m² plus 6 m² balcony) and 15 interior cabins were added, increasing passenger capacity by 7.5%.

Outside cabins (Exterior Cosmos) are categorized as BA-Balcony (double, 17 m²/Deck 7), XD (triple, 17 m²/Decks 5-7), XC (triple, 17 m²/Decks 4-6), XBO (quad, 14-17 m²/Decks 6-7), XB (quad, 14-17 m²/Decks 3-6), and XA (double, 14 m²/Decks 4-5).

Inside cabins (Interior Cosmos) are categorized as IC (quad, 15 m²/Decks 6-7), IB (double, 15 m²/Decks 4-5), and IA (quad, 15 m²/Decks 4-5).

The ship has 12 decks, of which 10 are passenger-accessible and 5 have staterooms.

Shipboard facilities and amenities

Celestyal Discovery has four restaurants, including two complimentary main dining rooms (Thalassa and The Taverna) with open seating.

The Smoked Olive is a Suite guest-exclusive restaurant added in 2025, offering complimentary meals along with select à la carte options.

Grill Seekers is a specialty surf-and-turf steakhouse, open for lunch and dinner. It also functions as a VIP private dining venue serving regional dishes inspired by the cruise itinerary.

Grill Seekers’ lunch menu includes starters like Sticky Chicken Wings and Spinach-Parmesan Dips, mains such as Grilled Argentinian Striploin, BBQ Smoked Ribs, and Rotisserie Platters, and desserts including Affogato and Baklava.

Dinner options expand to Piri Piri Spring Chicken, Surf & Turf, Tomahawk Ribeye for Two, and Wagyu Beef Sirloin, with sides like wild rice pilaf and potato gratin, and desserts such as Crepe Suzette and Rum Baba.

Poolside venues Greek Deli and Fig & Honey serve light snacks and beverages.

The wellness complex includes the Sozo Spa (with Thermal Suite, steam room, sauna, jacuzzi), Glow Beauty Bar, a gym-equipped Fitness Center, and an expansive sundeck with a swimming pool and three whirlpools.

There are seven bars and lounges, including Star Bar (Deck 8), Ocean Bar (Deck 7), AFTer Bar & Club (Deck 10), and Cafe Nation (Deck 9)—an Italian-style coffee bar and lounge offering illy brand beverages and over 90 drink options.

AIDAvita’s dining venues included Calypso and Markt (buffet restaurants with open seating and casual dress). Rossini was the à la carte specialty restaurant.

• Rossini – Specialty restaurant (reservations required, 6-course à la carte menu)
• Markt – Buffet restaurant with terrace
• Calypso – Indoor/outdoor buffet dining

Entertainment venues on AIDAaura included Das Theater and the AIDA Bar & Anytime Disco.

The wellness areas were named Body & Soul Spa and Fit & Fun (fitness center). The pool deck featured palm trees, rock formations, and sports courts.

AIDAaura's full list of lounges, clubs, and entertainment venues included:

• Kids Club (age-based activities: Seahorses 3–6, Dolphins 7–9, Sharks 10–11)
• Internet stations with printers in the lobby
• Ocean Bar (outdoor seating)
• The Theater (750-seat, lectures, games, bingo)
• Conference Room with AIDA TV Studio
• Art Gallery with auctions
• AIDA Bar with panoramic windows
• Photo Gallery & Shop with facial recognition kiosks
• AIDA Shop (duty-free merchandise)
• Nightfly Bar (adults-only, live music)
• Beauty Salon (hair, manicure, pedicure)
• Fitness Center with classes
• Mini Golf and Golf Simulator
• Sunbathing area served by Pool Bar & Grill
• Hemingway Lounge (library, games)
• Anytime Bar (disco and dance classes)
• Time Tunnel (video games arcade)
• Waikiki Lounge (teens 12–17, activities)
• Sports Deck (basketball/volleyball court)
• Spa complex with sauna, whirlpool, relaxation rooms
• Top Deck with FKK/nudist sunbathing area
• Jogging Track

The Pool Deck features a swimming pool, three whirlpools, Pool Shop, deck games (Shuffleboard, Giant Chess, Ping Pong), live entertainment stage, bingo nights, and pool parties.

Celestyal Discovery also has two Conference Rooms and Amphitheatro—a multipurpose lounge rentable for events.

Celestyal Discovery itineraries

Starting March 2024, Celestyal Discovery took over Celestyal Olympia’s schedule. Bookings opened in December 2023.

The Maiden Voyage departed from Lavrion on March 22, 2024.

The inaugural program featured 3-, 4-, and 5-day “Iconic Aegean” itineraries, with roundtrips from Piraeus-Athens and Kusadasi-Ephesus, visiting Patmos, Rhodes, Santorini, Mykonos, and Heraklion (Crete).

The originally scheduled 2025-2026 winter program (Three Continents itinerary in the Aegean) was replaced with Arabian Gulf cruises from Abu Dhabi. The revised “Iconic Arabia” itineraries included:

• 3-night cruises (Fridays, visiting Dubai and Sir Bani Yas Island)
• 4-night cruises (Mondays, visiting Doha, Ras Al-Khaimah, and Khasab)
• 7-night B2B combinations of both cruises

AIDAaura itineraries

AIDAaura’s itineraries included South Africa roundtrips from Cape Town, Iceland-Greenland, and Northern Europe cruises from Hamburg and Bremerhaven.

She visited major ports in the UK, France, Belgium, and Spain. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, AIDAaura was paused from March 2020 to May 2022 and resumed service on May 7, 2022.

Throughout her 20-year career with AIDA, the ship operated itineraries in the Caribbean, North America (Canada and USA), Europe (Mediterranean, Baltic, Iceland, Greenland), South America (including the Amazon), and Asia.

AIDAaura was AIDA's third cruise ship, with sistership AIDAvita. Shortly before Aura’s delivery, Carnival Cruise Lines (CCL) merged with P&O Princess, forming Carnival Corporation. As a result, AIDA became part of the world’s largest cruise company—Carnival Corporation & PLC.

Like all AIDA ships, Aura carried a fleet of complimentary bicycles for passengers to use in call ports. A significant portion of her interior was dedicated to sports facilities. The onboard language was German, as most AIDA guests were German-speaking Europeans (Germans, Austrians, Swiss), typically younger and more active travelers. Older Germans often preferred more traditional German cruise brands.

Construction of the vessel began on January 11, 2002, with the keel-laying ceremony. She was launched (floated out) from drydock on September 7, 2002, and delivered to AIDA on April 3, 2003. The ship was built by Aker MTW/Lloyd Werft in Wismar, Germany, the same shipyard that built AIDAvita.

The vessel (Nordic Yards Wismar hull number A325282 / Aker MTW yard number 004) has a volume of 42,289 GT, a deadweight of 4,157 DWT, a max beam of 35.5 m (including Bridge wings), and a max draught of 6.3 m. She is powered by a diesel-electric propulsion system with Wartsila generators driving two ABB electric motors (model AMZ 1600YX-14) delivering a combined output of 18.8 MW (25,210 hp). While managed by AIDA Cruises, the shipowner was COSTA CROCIERE SPA.

AIDAaura was christened on April 12, 2003, in Port Warnemünde, Germany.

The table below shows AIDAaura’s final cruise with AIDA—a 12-day "Westeuropas Flüsse ab Bremerhaven" itinerary in 2023.

Celestyal Discovery’s Maiden Voyage departed from Lavrion on March 22, 2024, under the command of Captain Panagiotis Giakoumatos. The 3-night "Iconic Aegean" itinerary visited Mykonos, Kusadasi, Patmos Island, and Santorini.

Celestyal Discovery 2025 refurbishment review

In November 2024, details were announced for the ship’s scheduled drydock refit and full refurbishment of all staterooms and public areas, carried out from January to March 2025 at Skaramangas Shipyards in Greece.

The refit added 47 new staterooms, increasing passenger capacity to 1,300 (a 7.4% increase). New accommodations included 2 Grand Horizon Suites (with large step-out balconies located above the Navigation Bridge), 30 Junior Dream Suites (a newly introduced category), and 15 Cosmos Cabins (interior staterooms featuring seasonal décor).

New staterooms were available for booking starting December 10, 2024.

The project also introduced The Smoked Olive—an exclusive restaurant for Suite guests—and a new pop-up evening dining venue, offering private bookable space and regional cuisine inspired by current itineraries.

Following the refurbishment, premium staterooms (balcony cabins and suites) gained new perks such as priority check-in, a Sail Away cocktail party, premium pillow menu, daily hosted cocktail hour, and exclusive access to Ray’s Sundeck and Cabanas (reserved for Grand Dream and Grand Horizon Suite guests). Grand Suite guests on Celestyal Journey also receive complimentary unlimited access to the Thermal Spa Suite (jacuzzi, steam room, sauna, relaxation area), while Stargazer Penthouse Suite guests enjoy an in-room unlimited mini-bar.

AIDAaura 2013 refurbishment review

During the ship’s drydock (April 18–28, 2013) in Trieste, Italy, the following changes were implemented:

• Waikiki Lounge (Deck 10), a teen-exclusive beach-style bar with floor-to-ceiling windows, bean bags, DJ workshops, parties, and Nintendo Wii competitions.
• New gym equipment was installed in the AIDA Body & Soul sports complex, including MyRide indoor cycles with virtual trainers.
• An Art Gallery was added on Deck 8, displaying works by artists such as James Rizzi, Romero Britto, and Udo Lindenberg, with onboard art auctions including "Blind Date" sales.

Approximately 1,800 m² of carpeting was replaced in public areas using eco-friendly, recyclable materials. The old carpets were repurposed as fuel for cement production.

(CANCELED) Life at Sea Cruises' 3-year World Voyage (2023-2024-2025)

On March 1, 2023, Miray International launched its new brand "Life at Sea Cruises" and began booking for the "Ultimate Adventure"—a 3-year World Voyage originally set to sail on MV Gemini. In July 2023, the ship was changed to AIDAaura (renamed MV Lara).

Initially scheduled to depart Istanbul on November 1, 2023, the cruise was to visit 382 destinations in 148 countries, covering 112,965 NM (130,000 mi / 209,214 km), with 288 overnight port stays, 13 UNESCO World Heritage sites, 6 Equator crossings, and all 7 continents.

The departure was rescheduled to November 11, then November 30, with alternative embarkation offered in Barcelona and Miami.

The 3-year voyage (1,095 days) was available as full or segmented itineraries, including:

• 206-day South Pacific & Australia (71 destinations in 26 countries)
• 177-day Europe (74 destinations in 38 countries)
• 173-day North Asia (54 destinations in 32 countries)
• 169-day Asia & South China Sea (55 destinations in 12 countries)
• 98-day South America & Antarctica (35 destinations in 11 countries)
• 98-day North America & Hawaii (32 destinations in 8 countries)
• 70-day North Asia (23 destinations in 4 countries)
• 67-day Caribbean & Central America (29 destinations in 23 countries)

Inside cabins (12–13 m²) started from USD 44,712 per person per year or USD 3,726 monthly. Suites (20–24 m²) were priced from USD 119,295 per year or USD 9,990 monthly. Reselling staterooms was not allowed.

Booking incentives included a 50% Buy-Back Guarantee, Flex Fare pricing (starting at USD 35,000 pp/year for inside cabins), and a Resident Referral Program with up to USD 3,600 onboard credit per booking.

In August 2023, partnerships were announced with The Dive Place (Winter Garden, Florida) and Scuba Diving International (SDI) for the onboard “Dive Around the World” certification program.

On November 19, 2023, Miray Cruises canceled the voyage due to investor withdrawals. CEO Vedat Ugurlu issued an apology, promising alternative solutions and offering full refunds (starting mid-December 2023), hotel expenses coverage through December 1, and return flights for passengers already in Istanbul. The cancellation followed the resignation of Life at Sea Cruises' CEO, Kendra Holmes.

AIDAaura World Cruise 2019-2020

Bookings for AIDA’s third world cruise (second for AIDAaura) opened on August 3, 2018. The 117-day voyage departed Hamburg on October 28, 2019, and ended February 22, 2020.

• 41 ports in 17 countries, including Australia (5 ports), New Zealand (3 ports), Chilean Fjords, Brazil (Rio), Argentina (Buenos Aires), Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Mauritius (New Year’s Eve), South Africa, Namibia, Dakar, Canaries, Lisbon, and Le Havre.
• Segments ranged from 34 to 48 days. Prices started at EUR 4,700 pp with a EUR 700 Early Saver discount for bookings before May 31, 2019.

AIDAaura World Cruise 2018-2019

Bookings for AIDA’s second world cruise on AIDAaura opened on July 21, 2017. The 117-day voyage departed Hamburg on October 8, 2018, and concluded February 2, 2019.

• 41 ports in 20 countries across 5 continents, including maiden calls in South Africa, Namibia, and South Pacific (Melbourne, Tasmania, Fiji, Samoa, New Caledonia).
• Popular ports included Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Ushuaia, Santiago, Easter Island, Tahiti, Bora Bora, Sydney, Perth, Madagascar, Mauritius (New Year’s Eve).
• Prices started at EUR 12,995 (USD 15,360) for inside cabins, and EUR 16,565 (USD 19,580) for oceanview cabins.

AIDAaura was the second ship in AIDA’s fleet to operate a world cruise, following AIDAcara in 2017. AIDAcara’s 116-day voyage (October 17, 2017, to February 10, 2018) visited 41 ports in 23 countries, with a westbound itinerary featuring a Transatlantic crossing and Suez Canal transit.