AIDAsol is the fifth of seven Sphinx Class cruise ships being built by Meyer Werft for the German cruise operator AIDA Cruises. It is a sister ship to AIDAdiva, AIDAbella, AIDAluna and AIDAblu, and the eighth ship in the AIDA fleet. Delivered in March 2011, AIDAsol embarked on its maiden voyage in April 2011 from Kiel, Germany.
The construction of the vessel was financed by KfW IPEX-Bank, a leading ship financier. Integrated navigation system NACOS Platinum was supplied by SAM Electronics.
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AIDAsol design
Based on the informal club resort cruise concept of AIDA Cruises, the design of AIDAsol was especially focused on attracting the young and active guests in the German market. The ship can accommodate 2,198 passengers in 1,096 passenger cabins on double occupancy basis.
Interiors were made attractive by applying Mediterranean colour schemes comprised of combination of blue and white. Light wood materials and silver leaf were used to decorate the walls of the Theatrium. Another major attraction of the vessel is its two 131ft high staircases. Colour light-illuminated metal plates of varied sizes were used to grace the front staircase, while three-dimensional pattern was given to the rear staircase.
The additional features that the vessel has over the previous four ships of its series include an additional deck, own brewery and a 25,000ft² spa. There are seven restaurants and 12 bars. The restaurants occupy an area of 46,532ft², while the area of sun deck is 71,257ft².
The area of the parquet floor is 2,500m² and that of the PVC floor is 4,500m². Around 4,100m² of tiles and 27,500m² of carpet have been used.
AIDAsol is also an energy-efficient cruise ship. Its propulsion engines help in reducing CO2 emissions and its lighting system saves 3,000t of greenhouse gases per year.
The deadweight of the vessel is 6,100t. The overall length is 252m, moulded breadth is 32.2m and draught is 7.3m.
AIDAsol construction
Carnival Corporation, the parent company of AIDA Cruises, ordered for the construction of the vessel in December 2007. The keel laying ceremony was held at Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany in July 2009.
The shipyard used the advanced laser-hybrid technology to assemble 54 steel blocks to form the body of the vessel. The total weight of paint applied was approximately 200t and around 1,700km of cables were laid. A big LED video screen is installed on the pool deck.
Th first float-out was undertaken in late February 2010 and the sea trials were successfully completed in February 2011. The 71,000GRT vessel was delivered on 31 March 2011. It was christened on 9 April 2011 in front of 45,000 people.
AIDAsol staterooms and facilities
The ship’s 1,096 passenger cabins include 453 standard balcony cabins, 34 spa balcony cabins, 212 outside cabins and 375 inside cabins.
The vessel is said to have the largest fitness and wellness facility at sea. Body & Soul Spa, located on decks 12, 14 and 15, offers a Finnish sauna, an aroma sauna and a steam bath. Located on deck 11, the Body & Soul Sports is installed with fitness and training equipments. Volleyball, basketball and street soccer can be played on the outdoor deck.
Dining facilities onboard include seven restaurants and 12 bars. Italian food is served at the Bella Donna Restaurant and Asian food at the East Restaurant. Burger and wrap creations, grilled steaks and salads can be found at the California Grill. Rossini, Buffalo Steak House and Sushi Bar restaurants are the other dining venues.
The 12 bars offer 270 varieties of drinks. The Anytime Bar offers ocean views through glass walls. The Time Out Bar is located in the Theatrium, while Pier 3 Bar is located on Deck 3. The Theatrium has about 1,100 seats.
A selection of the latest movies in 3D is shown in the Cinemare movie theatre.
Propulsion
The vessel is powered by diesel-electric dual propulsion engine. Total propulsive power is 25,000kW and total engine output is 36,000kW. The propellers have a combined weight of 13.2t.
