By
Laura Hyde |
AIDA Cruises has completed a seven-week refurbishment onboard AIDAluna at the Chantier Naval Shipyard in Marseille, France, as part of AIDA Cruises’ Evolution programme. The ship will return to service on 10 December 2025 with a five-day ‘Côte Bleue & Costa Brava’ itinerary, sailing from Palma de Mallorca, Spain, to Marseille, France, and then to Palamós and Barcelona in Spain.
Following the refurbishment, AIDAluna now features two new wellness suites, a refreshed nail spa and hair spa, a modernised Theatrium with seating areas and state-of-the-art lighting and sound technology, and a Fun Park with climbing tower, newly designed Kids Club and games centre. The new Sky Deck includes two whirlpools, lounge furniture and cabanas.
The ship’s Fun Park features a climbing tower, Kids Club and games centre
There’s also 10 restaurants and snack bars – including French Kiss, East Fusion, Tapas & Bar and the Yacht Club – as well as 13 bars and cafés, including the French Kiss Bar & Bistro, the Panorama Bar with signature drinks and afternoon tea, and the new Lanai Bar.
All the ship’s cabins have been refitted and now feature USB and USB-C ports, sensory night lights and new interior and exterior furniture. New suites with private sun deck, new master bathroom and space for up to five guests have also been created on the ship’s stern.
Interactive screens have been installed in the public areas of the ship, while a RFID boarding pass system has been installed to improve the passenger experience.
AIDAluna now features 10 restaurants and snack bars, including the French Kiss bistro (pictured)
Fully recycled carpet underlays were installed on AIDAluna as part of a project by AIDA Cruises and Oceancircle. The Green Guard Underlay is made from old carpets from AIDAdiva and AIDAluna, which were first pressed in mobile facilities at the shipyard before being converted into recycled carpet underlay at processing centres.
A 100 per cent recyclable and allergy-friendly carpet as installed in crew areas and in the reception area. The carpet uses ECONYL yarn from Aquafil and is produced by the Italian manufacturer Radici Marine.
During the shipyard period, a total of 45,000 square metres of old carpets, 10,000 square metres of carpet underlay, and 2,500 square metres of artificial turf were removed and processed into something new. Over 1,000 mattresses were also collected to be recycled by Oceancircle and used as new carpet underlay in the planned refurbishments for the next ships in the Selection fleet.
Sun loungers, balcony chairs and side tables were also collected and recycled.
The Sky Deck features two whirlpools, lounge furniture and cabanas
In order to make the ship more sustainable, AIDA Cruises has installed a number of technologies, including a new reverse osmosis system which aims to increase energy efficiency in the in-house production of fresh drinking water from seawater. Three different types of solar films are being tested on the pool deck of AIDAluna as part of a pilot research and development project. The transparent photovoltaic panels enable the use of sunlight to generate renewable energy without restricting guests’ views. There’s also a biocide-free coating in the underwater area aims to reduce friction and lower fuel consumption.
The refurbishment project involved 2,200 specialists, including 1,378 external technicians, 648 crew members and 188 specialists from AIDA and Carnival Maritime. An additional 140 external companies were also involved.
The modernised Theatrium now features state-of-the-art lighting and sound technology
“With AIDA Evolution, we are investing a three-digit million sum in the modernisation of our Selection fleet,” said Felix Eichhorn, president of AIDA Cruises. “In doing so, we are clearly committed to our smaller ships and make them fit for the future – both in terms of the travel experience and in terms of technical innovations and sustainability. AIDAluna is another milestone on this journey.”
AIDA Cruises will carry out refurbishment projects onboard five more Selection ships by 2028, with AIDAbella due in drydock from January to March 2026, followed by AIDAmar in late 2026.
Read more: How AIDA Cruises is charting a path to net zero, according to president Felix Eichhorn