Launched in 2013, AIDAstella is the 7th and last Sphinx-class AIDA Cruises ship, together with her sisters AIDAblu, AIDAsol and AIDAmar.

History - construction & ownership

AIDA Cruises is a German cruise line that is British-American owned and based in Rostock (Germany). Founded originally as Deutsche Seereederei, in the 1960s the company entered cruise industry. In 2000, AIDA Cruises was purchased by P&O Princess Cruises. After in 2003 Carnival Corporation and P&O Princess formed Carnival Corporation & plc, the executive control of AIDA was transferred to Costa Cruises, responsible for Carnival Group European brands.

The 71,304-ton, 2,194-passenger cruise ship AIDAstella was not operational until the 17th of March 2013. She was christened in Warnemude port by 10 godmothers. AIDAstella sailed on her maiden cruise from Hamburg to Las Palmas, visiting Dover, Le Havre, Santander, La Coruna, Cadiz, Casablanca, Santa Cruz de Tenerife) to Las Palmas. The remarkable ceremony of the actual christening took place in the ship's Theatrium. The selection of 10 godmothers was a "thank you" for the people who helped in the shipbuilding process. Eight of them were female crew members, representing different countries and departments of the AIDA company. One godmother represented Jos L Meyer (the shipbuilder), and one - Partner Ship Design (the ship designers).

Besides the ship's staff and crew, AIDA cruise passengers are also served by Peper robots - latest cyborg technology implemented fleetwide in 2016. These humanoid robots greet and guide passengers upon embarkation. They also assist them throughout the cruise by providing information and tips on onboard dining, entertainment, enrichment program (workshops, pre-scheduled events), casino and shopping promotions, shore excursions and tours. Pepper robots are mobile and communicate in 3 languages (English, German, Italian). They can also interpret human emotions by analyzing voice tones and face expressions.

Cruise itinerary program

AIDAstella itinerary program is based on Canary Islands round-trip cruises from Gran Canaria, Holy Land voyages from Antalya and Mediterranean cruises with departures from Palma de Mallorca. During winter, AIDAstella operates on 7-day Dubai cruises, featuring Suez Canal repositioning between Red Sea and Europe. In the end of 2015, the cruise ship was the first from the Carnival Corporation's fleet to visit the new Mina Zayed Cruise Terminal in Abu Dhabi.

Cabins

Most AIDAstella staterooms are 185-250-sq.foot Balcony rooms (471). There are a total of 1097 staterooms in 24 categories. The largest aboard AIDAstella are the Panorama Deluxe Suites (580 ft2).

Dining options - Food & Drinks

A lot of restaurants (their total number is seven) and bars (they are twelve) are available onboard AIDAstella. Try beer brand, draft beer, meat loaf, white sausages, American best beef & bison, Jerk Chicken, Clam Chowde, Surf & Turf (beef fillet with lobster tail). Good old wines are available to try.

Follows the complete list of AIDAstella restaurants and food bars.

• Rossini (specialty, dinner-only restaurant at surcharge, reservations required; offers waiter service and 6-course a-la-carte menu)
• Markt Restaurant (complimentary main dining room; self-service buffet restaurant with a variety of food stations and a small terrace)
• Bella Donna (Italian cuisine restaurant, complimentary, buffet-style dining, open 24 hours)
• Buffalo Steakhouse (American fare restaurant with a la carte menu; reservations required; at surcharge)
• Sushi Bar (Japanese restaurant at surcharge, reservations are required)
• California Grill (complimentary, American cuisine restaurant)
• East Restaurant (Asian cuisine, buffet-style complimentary restaurant).

Entertainment options - Fun & Sport

Indoor and outdoor swimming pools are available onboard AIDAstella for those who are keen on sports. The Body & Soul SPA offers magical relax. Entertainment like board safaris and pirate parties help guests feel at ease and enjoy the voyage. Visit the Kids Club if your kids are with you. A library, board games and even a 4D cinema are another part of the amenities.

Follows the complete list of AIDAstella lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens and adults.

• Pier 3 Bar (coffee bar)
• Kids Club (AIDA Cruises kids program is complimentary, with supervised, age appropriate activities: the 3 age groups include Seahorses for 3-6 yo, Dolphins for 7-9 yo and Sharks 10-11 yo; the Kids Club has outdoor area with a paddling pool)
• Internet stations with printers (located in the Reception/Lobby area; Wi-Fi coverage is avaolable shipwide, including in all guests rooms)
• Studio AIDA (TV studio, producing films related to ship's itinerary and activities, plus a radio program)
• AIDA Stella Bar (cocktail bar with live music)
• Theatrium (948-seat, 3-deck high; a combination of an Atrium and a theater, with glass walls, stage with dynamic platforms, and glass dome; hosts large-scale productions)
• Art Gallery (Kunstgalerie; sells original artworks of renowned art schools and German artists; hosts art auctions)
• AIDA Lounge (with 270-degree panoramic views and comfortable seating)
• The Library (Bibliotek; offers card and board games)
• AIDAstella casino
• Cafe Mare (patisserie & specialty coffee bar)
• Vinotek (fine wines shop; offers sommelier service and wine tasting events)
• Brauhaus (beerhouse; onboard brewery, purified seawater is used for brewing beer; the Beer House sells its own draft beers)
• Destille (Distillery; fruit spirits bar)
• AIDA Bar (big-capacity lounge with panoramic windows)
• Photo Gallery & Shop (professional photo & video services, duty-free accessories and equipment; new feature are the photo kiosks with touch-screens /face-recognition system)
• AIDA Shop (duty-free merchandise at discount prices; the shopping arcade has a general store selling liquor and tobaccos, as well as small boutiques for jewelry, luxury watches, perfumes, brand fashion clothing, AIDA logo goods)
• Beauty Salon (Friseur; provides hairdresser, barber services, professional manicure/pedicure)
• Body & Soul Sport Fitness Centre (with a modern Gym and separate area for classes)
• Zen Lounge (relaxation room; hosts indoor classes)
• 4D Kino Cinemare (4D Cinema room)
• Time Out Bar (sports bar); Ocean Bar (outdoor cocktail bar)
• Blutenmeer (Blooming Sea flower shop)
• Sundeck area (served by the Beach Bar)
• Anytime Bar (Diskothek; ship’s disco & nightclub with DJ program and themed dance parties; during the day hosts organized dance classes)
• HYPE (teens club with supervised activities in two age groups – Orcas for 12 -13 yo and Teens 14 -17 yo; complimentary)
• Body & Soul SPA complex (Africa-themed, with Beauty Salon & Spa Reception, massages /treatments rooms, Wellness Suite, Wellness Oase, Aroma Sauna, Finish Sauna, Steam Room, relaxation room)
• Wellness Oase (Oasis, with a large whirlpool, hammocks, relaxation beds, decorated with palm trees and live plants)
• Wellness Suite (max 4 guests, rented for 4 hours; with its own veranda, Sauna, Whirlpool, luxury bath amenities)
• SPA Bar (complimentary fresh fruits, tea, wellness drinks)
• Sundeck / sunbathing area (Freibereich, located above the swimming pool; with loungers, served by the Pool Bar); the ship’s Top Deck is dedicated to Freikorperkultur / FKK Bereich nudist area with sunloungers)
• Sun Deck games area (Sonnendeck – Freibereich, with shuffleboard, giant chess, Boccia, backgammon, darts, table tennis)
• Videowand (outdoor theater, with a big-size LED screen)
• Sports Deck area (Sportaussendeck with a combined sports court volleyball/basketball, Golf Cage, putting green area, golf simulator)
• Power Walking/Jogging Track.

• Passenger decks: 12
• Cabin grades number: 25
• Total number of cabins: 1097 (of which 23 Suites, 488 Balcony rooms, 172 Outside, 414 Inside)
• Dining Rooms: No MDR (no assigned dining times, no traditional dining room).
• Restaurants and food bars: Rossini (the only a la carte, waiter service restaurant; offers near-gourmet quality food), Markt (buffet, self-service), Buffalo (steakhouse), Bella Donna, East (Asian food), Sushi bar, California grill.
• Lounges & Bars: Ocean bar, Anytime bar, Pool bar, Time Out bar, Beach bar, Blu bar, Pier 3, Cafe Mare, Wine Cellar, AIDA bar and lounge, Zen lounge, Brewhouse and Distillery.
• Body & Soul Spa and Fitness, Wellness Oase, Beauty Salon, Library, Theatrium (three decks high), 4D Cinema, LED Videoscreen, Casino, Kids’ club, Hype (Teen Area), pools, Kids’ pool, jacuzzis, Internet center, Medical center, AIDA shop, gallery, conference room, sports court, golf simulator and putting green, jogging track, Sun deck area, winter garden.
• The AIDAstella cruise ship is the seventh Sphinx series vessel operated by the German line AIDA Kreutzfahrten. As integrated in the fleet this is the 10th of the AIDA ships. The vessel was christened on March 16, 2013 in Warnemunde.
• Related to the AIDAstella cruise ship technology facts are: her ballasttanks are designed not to let the taken in micro-organisms leave again when the tanks are emptied in some other part of the world. This was the first ever ship equipped with such a system. For illuminating the interiors of the ship were used 1200 m of flexible LED modules and 9000 halogen Eco lamps provided by Osram.
• On Nov 23, 2015, the AIDA Stella ship was the first Carnival Corporation vessel that docked at the newly constructed Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal (Mina Zayed). This UAE cruise port of call is an important turnaround port in the Red Sea region, with a total of 60 calls (scheduled for 2016) of which 40 by AIDA Cruises (23 calls by AidaStella). The visits are part of the ship's 2015-2016 itinerary program of 7-day round-trip cruises from Dubai to Muscat (Oman) and Mina Sulman (Bahrain).