The AIDAvita is getting ready to officially leave the Carnival Corporation fleet, according to media reports.
Laid-up in Estonia for several months, the 2002-built vessel is out of AIDA Cruises’ plans and saw a change of flag earlier this month.
Previously flying the Italian flag like the rest of the company’s fleet, the AIDAvita is now registered under Portugal’s International Shipping Register of Madeira.
The same flag was used by another Carnival Corporation vessel, the Costa Magica, before it was recently handed over to new owners.
Other preparations for the transfer include the removal of AIDA Cruises logo from the ship’s funnel and hull, the German reports said.
Meanwhile, in Greece, the AIDAvita reportedly showed up in the cruise schedule of the Piraeus Port Authority.
Indicating a possible summer program in the Eastern Mediterranean, the 42,000-ton is listed as a visitor to the Greek port every third or fourth day starting in late June.
One of several cruise ships leaving the Carnival Corporation fleet during the COVID-19 pandemic, the AIDAvita has been out of service since March 2020.
In mid-2022, AIDA Cruises announced plans to retire the ship – which was one of the oldest of the fleet at the time – but did not reveal plans for its future.
Sharing a similar design with AIDA’s original vessel, the AIDAcara, the 1,270-guest vessel was built in Germany by the Aker MTK shipyard.
Building on the “club-ship” concept, the AIDAvita offers multiple open-seating restaurants, mostly offering buffet-style service, in addition to a relaxed and informal atmosphere onboard. The vessel also features several bars and lounges, a library, a two-deck theater and more.
Before the pandemic, the ship was sailing under the AIDA Selection program. According to AIDA, the concept includes unique deployments on “more classic vessels” that are ideal for what the company describes as a “particularly intense and unique way” of experiencing countries and its people.