16th Service Anniversary, Caribbean Finale, and Modernization Outlook

Bild: beejees [pixabay.com]
AIDAluna: 16 Years of Service and Set for Major Modernization
Today, April 4, 2025, AIDAluna marks a milestone: the 16th anniversary of its entry into service. The cruise ship, built as the third vessel in the established Sphinx series for AIDA Cruises, was officially named on April 4, 2009. The christening ceremony, performed by model Franziska Knuppe,

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A notable peculiarity marked AIDAluna's entry into service: the christening ceremony took place only after its maiden voyage. The ship embarked on its maiden journey from Hamburg on March 22, 2009. It was only after completing this first trip that it was christened in Palma de Mallorca on April 4, 2009, before heading back to Hamburg for the following cruise.

On its 16th anniversary today, AIDAluna is currently in the port of Castries, St. Lucia, in the southeastern Caribbean. This signals the approaching end of its 2024/25 Caribbean season. The transatlantic crossing back to Northern Europe is scheduled for mid-April. There, during the 2025 summer season, the ship will operate longer voyages departing from Hamburg as well as short cruises from Kiel.

Now with 16 years of service, AIDAluna is one of the more experienced ships in the AIDA fleet, with only two older vessels in the company. A significant renewal is scheduled for the autumn: as part of the fleet-wide 'AIDA Evolution' modernization program, AIDAluna will undergo a comprehensive refurbishment from October 23 to December 9, 2025. For this seven-week process, the ship will be in dry dock at the Chantiers Naval de Marseille shipyard. After the work is completed, AIDAluna will operate in the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands for the 2025/26 winter season.

Current Itinerary (March 29 – April 12, 2025): La Romana – Sea Day – Philipsburg (St. Maarten) – Basseterre (St. Kitts) – Pointe-a-Pitre (Guadeloupe) – Roseau (Dominica) – Castries (St. Lucia) – Bridgetown (Barbados) – Fort-de-France (Martinique) – Sea Day – Kralendijk (Bonaire) – Willemstad (Curacao) – Oranjestad (Aruba) – Sea Day – La Romana