AIDAsol Reaches 15 Years in Service for AIDA Cruises
AIDAsol was the first AIDA Cruises ship fitted with shore power, allowing its engines to be shut down while alongside at equipped ports.
AIDAsol has reached 15 years in service for AIDA Cruises, with the 71,300-GT ship now sailing Northern Europe cruises from Hamburg before a 126-night world cruise and a scheduled AIDA Evolution refit. The Meyer Werft-built vessel entered service on March 31, 2011, as the fifth ship in AIDA’s Sphinx class.
AIDA is modernizing its Sphinx-era ships in stages. AIDAsol remains active on short and medium-length European itineraries in 2026 before its late-2027 yard period under the AIDA Evolution program.
Hamburg season precedes world cruise
AIDAsol is operating five- to 12-night cruises from Hamburg this year, with itineraries covering Scandinavia, the British Isles, Western Europe and the Bay of Biscay. Later in 2026, the ship is scheduled to depart on a 126-night world cruise calling at 43 ports across four continents.
The ship was christened in Kiel on April 9, 2011, after delivery from Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany. The naming event included a free concert, fireworks and a laser show, and drew more than 45,000 spectators. Bettina Zwickler, selected through a public contest organized by AIDA Cruises, served as godmother before the ship departed on its maiden voyage to Northern Europe.
Meyer Werft design centered on balconies and shore power
AIDAsol is about 253 meters long, 32.2 meters wide and has 14 decks, with capacity listed at 2,174 passengers and roughly 610 crew. Meyer Werft designed the ship with a large share of balcony cabins and a 2,500-square-meter central atrium, a feature that became closely associated with the Sphinx-class layout.
The shipyard also pointed to energy-efficiency technology installed during construction. AIDAsol was the first AIDA Cruises vessel fitted with a shore-power connection, allowing the ship to shut down its engines while alongside at equipped ports.
AIDA Evolution work continues through 2028
AIDA Evolution began in February 2025 with AIDAdiva and is scheduled to continue through 2028 across seven Selection ships. AIDAluna completed its major refit in late 2025, AIDAbella was scheduled for work from January to March 2026, and AIDAmar is planned for a later 2026 slot, with AIDAblu, AIDAsol and AIDAstella included in later phases.
The program covers restaurants, cabins, public areas, technology and energy-efficiency upgrades, with AIDA describing the work as a three-digit million-euro investment. For AIDAsol, the planned modernization is expected to add new dining venues, refresh the cabin product and update the ship’s interior design.
