Originally delivered to AIDA Cruises in mid-1996 as the AIDA, the Astoria Grande recently marked its 30th year of service.
The ship was christened during a ceremony at the German port of Warnemünde on June 7, 1996, with Christiane Herzog, wife of then German President Roman Herzog, serving as godmother.
Now serving the Russian market under the Astoria Grande Cruises banner, the 38,600-ton vessel was built at the Kvaerner Masa-Yards in Finland.
Introducing a new product to the German market, the AIDA was designed to offer the company’s unique club-ship concept.
Focusing on first-time cruisers, the project was aimed at bringing the “freedom of land-based” resorts onboard, as Lars Clasen, president of Seetours International, then the parent company of AIDA Cruises, revealed in an interview with Cruise Industry News in 2002.
The AIDA was the first ship to introduce the concept of open seating in multiple restaurants, mostly offering buffet-style service.
Clasen said that at the time the vessel originally had over 90 percent of its restaurant capacity consisting of self-service venues.
The 1,186-passenger ship was also the first vessel built for AIDA Cruises, which is currently owned by Carnival Corporation and operates 11 vessels.
Renamed the AIDAcara in December 2001, the 1,186-passenger vessel spent most of its first years of service offering itineraries in the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, the Canary Islands and Northern Europe.
After expanding its itineraries to new regions, including South America and the Middle East, the ship embarked on its first full world cruise in early 2017.
The AIDAcara continued to sail for AIDA Cruises through 2020, when the pandemic forced an industry-wide operations pause.
Unlike most of its fleetmates, the vessel never resumed service for the German brand, and was instead sold off in June 2021.
As Cruise Industry News reported at the time, Aquillon Shipping announced the purchase of the vessel, with plans for a new cruise operation in Russia.
Renamed the Astoria Grande, the ship resumed service in early 2022, offering cruises to the Black Sea and Turkey from its new homeport of Sochi.
In 2026, the vessel will offer expanded itineraries that are also set to visit destinations in Greece and the Western Mediterranean.
