Sphinx class

The first order by Carnival for the AIDA Cruises brand after the takeover of the P&O Princess operation, was a four ship class especially designed for AIDA Cruises. This class would be just under 70.000 tons and they became the largest ships in the fleet of AIDA. The name that had been chosen for the class was again Egyptian orientated, like the AIDA name and the hullart earlier. The ships were ordered from the long established Jos L. Meyer Werft at Papenburg in the north of Germany and the first ship floated out at the 4th of march 2007 and she was named AIDAdiva. 

Below is AIDAluna, the thirth ship of the Sphinx class and the last one of the original design. The picture was taken at Amsterdam at the 20th of march 2009, just four days after her delivery to her owners. Amsterdam was in fact her first port of call, after she left Hamburg, the true homeport for the ships of AIDA although they are registered at Genoa.

AIDAdiva measures 69.203 tons and she has a lenght of 251,76 meters. Her width is 32,19 meters and she caters for 2050 passengers served by 646 crewmembers. She has a draft of 7,50 meters. The ship has a total of 14 decks and the design is a little excentric, with a large bulbous middlesection made of glass bursting out of her upper decks. Within this, the Theatrium is housed, a unique space where the combination is made between, you'd guess, a theatre and an atrium. This 3-deck high space has a floor area of 3000 square meters, and it houses several bars next to the theatre itself. For passengers who like swimming more than theater, the Sphinx class is equipped with the largest sea-going swimming pools ever fitted onto a cruiseship. The first cruise of the new ship started in april of 2007. This ship was followed by AIDAbella, a name that was chosen out of a competition and reflects the beauty of these ships. I have to be honest to be a little sceptical about this, because the beauty of this new class was not very easy to spot at first sight. But I have to say I got used to the design by seeing more of these ships and it kind of works for me. Especially because it is a one-company design, something very new in past years for a Carnival-owned company. Next to that, it's very innovative and recognizable.

The Theatrium as it looks from the outside at AIDAsol. The Theatrium is a unique space and it gives a very recognizable feature to the Sphinx-class ships.

AIDAbella floated out on the 19th of october 2007 and she was named at april the 23rd 2008 by Eva Padberg, a beautifull German fashion model. So now the 'bella' part of the name really came to mind... The first cruise of the AIDAbella started in april of 2008, just one year after her older sister. It was also around this time, that AIDA Cruises announced that the class would be upgraded to six units, from which the fourth unit would be enlarged with the addition of one extra deck. The two newly ordered ships would also be built to this new design.

AIDAluna again, showing her other side at her Amsterdam arrival at the 20th of march 2009.

The thirth member of the Sphinx class,and thus the last of the originally intended design, is the AIDAluna, and she floated out at the 10th of february 2009. This ship has, next to the Theatrium, another theater at the poolside, a first for AIDA Cruises. She was delivered at the 16th of march 2009 and was named by another German supermodel, Franziska Knuppe. She named the ship at Palma de Mallorca at the 4th of april 2009 ofiicially and I was able to take pictures of the ship during the voyage from Hamburg to Palma when she visited Amsterdam as her first port of call.

The first of the newly designed ships, with the addition of the extra deck, was named AIDAblu. Although the company is still very young, this is the second time this name is used  because the former Crown Princess was called AIDAblu also for a few years before her transfer to Arosa Cruises as A'rosa Blu. The new AIDAblu was delivered at the 4th of february of 2010 and because of the extra deck, her tonnage is somewhat more then her earlier sisters, namely 71.300. The ship was named at the 9th of february of 2010 at Palma de Mallorca, yes, this city can be called the Mediterranean homeport for AIDA Cruises, by Jette Joop. This time she is not a model, but a German fashion designer. Back to the ship, she has some novelties. The ship has its own brewery where the beer that is served onboard is brewed. A TV studio comes with the package and also, she has one of the largest spa's afloat, even surpassing the large Samsara spa aboard the Costa Concordia, once named the biggest Spa at sea. The Spa onboard AIDAblu measures some 2600 square meters. For children, a special Kids Theatre is available.

AIDAblue entering the port of Amsterdam for the first time at the 11th of march 2010.

The fifth ship in the class is the AIDAsol. She is a very recent addition to the fleet, named in Kiel, Germany on the 11th of april 2011, witnessed by some 45.000 people. Her godmother Bettina Zwickler is not a fashionmodel or designer, but an inhabitant of Kiel who was chosen by fans of AIDA Cruises from a list of 1523 women who were in some kind of competition to be able to name the new AIDA ship.The naming ceremony was truly one of a large scale. A free concert in the style of the Night of the Proms was organized, and artists playing there included names like Kim Wilde and John Miles. Also, YouTube broadcasted the entire event and at the other ships of AIDA, passengers could enjoy a live-stream.  AIDAsol offers the same facilities as the AIDAblu, including the brewery and the large Spa. She and her sister have accomodations for 2174 passengers. Again, Amsterdam is one of her first ports of call and in fact, the ship is the 1000th cruiseship that berthed at the new passenger terminal, opened in 2000. At saturday the 16th of april 2011, the captain of the ship was offered the symbolic key of the city of Amsterdam by its mayor, Eberhart van der Laan. Also, the German ambassador in The Netherlands Heinz-Peter Behr, the vice-president of AIDA Cruises Michael Ungerer and the director of the port of Amsterdam Dertje Meijer attended this traditional symbolic event.

AIDAsol at the passengerterminal at Amsterdam during her first call and overnight stay at the Dutch capital. She is seen here at the 15th of april 2011, just days after her delivery to the company.

Currently, the sixth ship of the Sphinx class is under construction at Papenburg and will emerge in the spring of 2012 under the name of AIDAmar. It is expected that she also will be feauturing the same spaces as her earlier sisters.

AIDA Cruises at the moment is one of the fastest growing European-based cruise lines, adding a new ship every year. 

The Sol and the moon meet at Amsterdam, in the evening of the 15th of april. AIDA Cruises is a reletively new brand that visits Amsterdam, but the ships of the line have become a very familiar sight at the port, almost every week one of their ships sails into the Dutch capital. 

 Below are two pictures of AIDAsol while she sails past the village Velsen Zuid at the 30th of april 2011. This small village was almost destroyed totally when the Northsea Canal was built. Only a small part around the church is still existing. A new part of the village has been built at the northside of the Canal, and it's called Velsen Noord.