The AIDAluna is celebrating its 15th year of service this month.

Constructed at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany, the cruise ship was delivered to AIDA Cruises on March 16, 2009.

As the third vessel in a series known as the Sphinx Class, the AIDAluna was built in less than a year, at a cost of $400 million.

The construction process involved 55 blocks, which were assembled at Meyer Werft’s indoor building hall in Papenburg, Germany.

After the completion of outfitting, the 69,200-ton ship left the shipyard for sea trials in late February 2009. Following the traditional 70-km conveyance along the Ems River, the ship reached the North Sea for the first time.

Following a delivery ceremony and pre-inaugural activities, the AIDAluna embarked on its maiden voyage on March 22, 2009.

The 14-night cruise sailed from Hamburg, Germany, to Palma de Mallorca, Spain. Visiting a total of five countries, the one-way itinerary included stops in Le Havre, Santander, La Coruña, Lisbon, Cádiz, Tangier, Valencia and Barcelona.

A christening ceremony was held in Palma de Mallorca on April 4, 2009, with the German top model Franziska Knuppe serving as the ship’s godmother.

After returning to Northern Europe, the AIDAluna began a summer season in the Baltic Sea before repositioning to the Canaries for the winter.

For the summer of 2024, the 2,030-guest ship is offering a series of short cruises to Sweden, Norway, and Denmark, as well as 14- to 22-night cruises to Spitsbergen and the Arctic Circle.

Sailing roundtrip from Hamburg, these itineraries include visits to various destinations in Northern Europe, including Svalbard, Norway, Iceland, Greenland, and the British Isles.

In November, the AIDAluna will return to Central America for a winter season exploring different regions of the Caribbean.

Following a six-week major modernization project, the ship is scheduled to sail to new destinations starting in 2026. One of the new itineraries is a 48-day cruise to Brazil, marking AIDAluna’s debut in South America.