AIDA's New Ship Design May Be Shared Across Carnival Brands

Felix Eichhorn, CEO of AIDA Cruises, has stated that the innovative design platform being developed for the company’s forthcoming vessels could be utilized by other Carnival Corporation cruise lines.

“At Carnival, there’s close coordination between the brands regarding technology platforms. If a design proves successful in practice, it’s often adapted,” Eichhorn shared in a recent interview with the Hamburger Abendblatt.

The new AIDA ships, ordered earlier this year, will be constructed at the Fincantieri shipyard in Italy, with scheduled deliveries set for 2030 and 2032.

“The platform isn’t just interesting for us at AIDA Cruises … within the Carnival Group, ships for other brands could be built on this basis,” Eichhorn added.

He emphasized that while the foundational design could be shared, variations will occur depending on the brand, particularly in how they tailor the onboard experience for guests.

The upcoming ships are being developed collaboratively from scratch by AIDA, Fincantieri, and a team of architects. Eichhorn explained that the new class aims to improve energy efficiency, streamline hotel operations, and offer more adaptable cabin and space configurations.

Despite these advancements, core AIDA elements such as the Theatrium—an integrated atrium and performance venue—will remain part of the onboard experience.

“With the new ship class, we will take the AIDA experience to the next level,” Eichhorn said, adding that further information will be disclosed in the future.

Carnival Corporation previously announced that these ships will represent a new class of mid-sized vessels. They are expected to be approximately 150,000 gross tons, feature around 2,100 guest cabins, and be capable of running on multiple fuel types.

In the same interview, Eichhorn also confirmed that AIDA’s Sphinx-class ships will undergo comprehensive refurbishment projects, with all upgrades scheduled to be completed by 2028.