AIDA Cruises’ AIDAsol arrived in Port Louis, Mauritius on Friday, Jan.19, starting the last leg of its world cruise.
Having sailed on October 2023 when it departed from Hamburg, the AIDAsol has so far crossed each of the major oceans once during this world voyage.
Mauritius serves as the last port of transfer for guests on the 2023-24 world cruise.
After leaving Port Louis, the ship will head for Saint-Denis, Reunion, before exploring several ports in South Africa including Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth. Other ports of call on the last leg of the journey are Walvis Bay, Namibia; Praia, Cape Verde Islands; Tenerife, Canary Islands; Funchal, Madeira; Lisbon, Portugal; Porto, Portugal; and Portland, England. The ship is scheduled to arrive back in Hamburg on Feb. 21.
In October 2024, the AIDAsol will again embark on a world tour with some destinations in New Zealand that have not previously been visited by AIDA Cruises.
Sailing roundtrip from its British homeport, the “2024 Grand Around the World Cruise” features visits to a total of 34 destinations across the globe.
After sailing to ports of call in Europe, the global itinerary is set to cross the Atlantic before arriving in the Caribbean and Central America.
The Ambience then transits the Panama Canal before continuing its way to the South Pacific, New Zealand and Australia.
The worldwide adventure also features a series of destinations in the Indian Ocean, Africa and South America on its way back to the UK.
Before resuming service, the Ambience underwent maintenance at a shipyard in Bremerhaven, Germany.
Originally set to be completed in early December, the job was delayed due to metal damage on the ship’s propellor shaft and stern bearings.
According to Ambassador, the problem was found during a routine inspection and required essential repair work, which led to additional time in the German drydock.
The two propeller shafts, each 20 meters long and weighing over 30 tons, together with their bearings had to be transported by sea to a specialist metal repair shop in Denmark, the company explained.
As a result, several cruises previously scheduled to sail onboard the Ambience were transferred to the Ambition – which saw the cancellation of a 38-night cruise to the Caribbean.
Explorer Dream Capacity: 1,804 guests Tonnage: 76,800 Year built: 1999 Former names: SuperStar Virgo Move: Chartered to Resorts World Cruises; to be renamed Resorts World One Date: January 2023
Rejoining its former fleet mate Genting Drem, the ex-SuperStar Virgo is set to debut in Singapore in February before kicking off a program of short cruises to nowhere departing from Hong Kong.
AIDAaura Capacity: 1,270 guests Tonnage: 42,200 Year built: 2003 Move: To be retired from AIDA Cruises’ fleet Date: January 2023
Pacific Venus Capacity: 696 guests Tonnage: 26,518 Year built: 1998 Move: Withdrawn from service as operator shuts down cruise business Date: January 2023
One of the market’s only three Japanese-flagged cruise ships, the Pacific Venus is now facing an uncertain future. Currently laid up in a shipyard in Japan, the 696-guest vessel was built at the Ishikawajima shipyard in Tokyo.
Costa Venezia Capacity: 4,232 guests Tonnage: 135,500 Year built: 2019 Move: Ended last cruise for Costa ahead of being transferred to Carnival Date: December 2022
Sailing from New York City on a year-round basis, the Venezia will be part of the new Carnival Fun Italian Style concept, which mixes Costa’s Italian heritage with Carnival’s experience and service.
Braemar Capacity: 977 guests Tonnage: 24,344 Year built: 1993 Former names: Crown Majesty, Crown Dynasty and Norwegian Dynasty Move: To be sold by Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines Date: November 2022
In late November, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines announced plans to rationalize its fleet and concentrate on modern tonnage. As a result, the British brand decided to retire Braemar from service.
Currently the smallest vessel of the fleet, the 1993-built cruise ship has been laid up in Scotland since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time of the announcement, Fred. Olsen is also said to be looking for a buyer for the vessel, which has a capacity for 977 guests in double occupancy.
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