AIDAstella

The 2013-built AIDAstella cruise ship is the 7th and last Sphinx-class AIDA liner, with sisterships AIDAblu, AIDAsol and AIDAmar.

History - construction and ownership

AIDA Cruises is a Rostock-headquartered subsidiary company owned by Carnival Corporation. AIDA is Europe's largest German cruise line (followed by TUI) targeting younger and more active travelers. AIDA was founded in 1960 (as "Deutsche Seereederei") and in 2000 was acquired by P&O Princess Cruises, which merged with Carnival Corporation (shipowner) in 2003. AIDA's first World Cruise (AIDAcara) was in 2017-2018 (October-February) with 116-day roundtrip itinerary from Hamburg Germany.

The 2200-passenger ship AIDAstella was not operational until the 17th of March 2013. She was christened in Warnemunde 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 - the 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 facial expressions.

Decks and Cabins

Most AIDAstella staterooms (1097 total, in 24 grades) include 15 Suites, 505 Balconies, 391 Oceanview, 374 Inside cabins. Balcony cabins are sized 17-23 m2 (185-250 ft2) with 3-6 m2 (30-65 ft2) step-out balconies. The Oceanviews are sized 14-17 m2 (150-185 ft2), the Interior cabins are 14 m2 (150 ft2). Wheelchair-accessible cabins are 11. The largest accommodations are the Sundeck Deluxe Suites (56-87 m2 / 605-935 ft2) with private sundeck (12-50 m2 / 130-540 ft2).

The boat has 14 decks, of which 12 are passenger-accessible and 7 with cabins.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

A lot of restaurants (their total number is seven) and bars (they are twelve) are available onboard AIDAstella. Try beer brand, draft beer, meatloaf, 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 (a 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 a surcharge)
• Sushi Bar (Japanese restaurant at surcharge, reservations are required)
• California Grill (complimentary, American cuisine restaurant)
• East Restaurant (Asian cuisine, buffet-style complimentary restaurant).

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and 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 an outdoor area with a paddling pool)
• Internet stations with printers (located in the Reception/Lobby area; Wi-Fi coverage is available 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, a 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 Sports 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 sun loungers)
• 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

AIDAstella 2018 refurbishment review

Ship's 5-day drydock refurbishment in 2018 (March 3-8, in Dubai UAE) resulted in the following changes:

• Eisbar by Langnese Happiness Station (ice cream bar) was added on Deck 11. At the new bar, passengers can create their own favorites from various ingredients. The available options include swirls, soft-serve and Carte d'Or (premium ice creams).
• A new gaming room was added to the Teen Club (deck 12).
• The Body & Soul SPA complex (deck 12) received new flooring.
• All public areas received new (energy-efficient) LED lighting and new carpeting (approx 3500 m2 / 37,700 ft2).
• The 5-day contract with the Drydocks World shipyard included general maintenance works and routine classification.

Itineraries

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 the Red Sea and Europe. At 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.

AIDAstella is the 7th liner in the Sphinx-class/series of AIDA Kreutzfahrten, and fleet's 10th vessel. It was christened on March 16, 2013, in Warnemunde Germany. AIDA's Stella ship technology features ballast tanks designed to hold all micro-organisms when the tanks are emptied in call ports worldwide. 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, AIDAStella became the first Carnival Corporation vessel that docked at the newly constructed Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal (Mina Zayed). This UAE port is an important homeport/turnaround port in Red Sea, with a total of 60 calls (2016 schedule) of which 40x by AIDA (23 calls by AidaStella). The visits were part of ship's 2015-2016 itinerary program of 7-day roundtrips from Dubai to Muscat (Oman) and Mina Sulman (Bahrain).