Which Cruise Ships Have Lips on the Front?

If you enjoy cruising, you might have seen other cruise ships in port with large red lips on the front! They are very distinctive.

Unless you are German – or German speaking – you are are unlikely to have ever cruised on these ships, they belong to AIDA cruises.

AIDA cruises are a German Cruiseline. Like many other well-known cruise lines, they are owned by the parent company, Carnival.

The History Of AIDA

AIDA Cruise Lines was founded in 1996. They have a fleet of eleven ships, all with the distinctive face and lips design on the bow.

The original parent company was founded in 1952 as a state-owned German shipping company.

With Germany’s reunification in the early 1990s, the company was privatised and split into two parts – a cargo division and a tourism division.

A new company, Arkona Touristik, took over the cruise business. Then, in 2000, a company was formed, known as “AIDA Cruises.”

P&O Cruises acquired a 51% stake in the new organisation, and Arkona Touristik retained the other 49%.

In 2001, Princess Cruises took over Arkona’s 49%. Princess merged with Carnival in 2003, and AIDA was transferred to the Carnival company’s Costa Cruises arm.

Costa was responsible for the European arm of the Carnival organisation.

AIDA ships are very distinctive. Every ship in the AIDA fleet has the famous lip design, along with two eyes and blue waves that extend down the side of the ship.

Why The Lips?

The lips, eyes, and waves design was created by German artist Feliks Büttner.

They were first seen with the launch of AIDA’s debut ship, AIDAblu, in 1996.

Büttner wanted to give the ships a “cheerful and welcoming personality.” This is supposed to symbolise AIDA as a fun brand with a laid-back, less traditional approach to cruising.

AIDA’s Ethos

… Delivered in the AIDA Way
UNITED we are COLORFUL, we show RESPECT, we have PASSION, we build TRUST for a SAFE, SUCCESSFUL and SUSTAINABLE future.
• I am COLORFUL because I enjoy working in a diverse team; I am friendly, engaging and integrating; I stay curious and open minded
• I show RESPECT by valuing and caring for the individual; treating people equally and with kindness; taking the time to listen
• I have PASSION as I am proactive and innovative; I am ambitious for results; I deliver high quality and service; my enthusiasm and energy contribute to a happy environment; I exceed guest expectations
• I build TRUST by being fully committed to safety & environmental protection; being honest and transparent in my communications; acting responsibly, reliably and compliant; learning and allowing people to develop; being a professional and valuable partner

AIDA cruises

What Does AIDA offer?

Onboard their ships, you’ll find casual dining options and lively entertainment – and as they are a German company, you will even find Beer Gardens!

They provide a relaxed, enjoyable cruise experience, but bear in mind the main language spoken onboard will be German.

Their ethos is reflected in the ships’ friendly appearance, which features distinctive lips and faces on the front.

The cruise line is popular with children and families. It markets itself as seagoing “club resorts.”

AIDA ships have onboard amenities and facilities designed to attract younger, more active cruisers.

The ship design makes AIDA ships stand out from the more traditional cruise ships.

The AIDA Fleet – Ships With Lips

These are the eleven ships in the AIDA fleet

• AIDAbella
  •  Launched in 2007, the ship has a passenger capacity of over 2,050.
  • She was built in the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany.
  • She is a Sphinx Class ship
• AIDAblu
  • Launched in 2010, she has a passenger capacity of 2,050 and was named after an older, now retired AIDA ship.
  • AIDA aren’t the only cruiseline to reuse ship names, it is common in the cruise industry.
  • She is a Sphinx class ship
• AIDAcosma
  • LNG powers this newest addition to the fleet.
  • Built by Meyer Werft in Germany, she is part of the Helios class, along with its sister ship, the AIDAnova
  • She was launched in 2021.
• AIDAdiva*
  • A Sphinx class ship launched in 2007 and a sister ship of AIDAbella
• AIDAaluna
  • The third Sphinx class sister ship built, the same as AIDAbella and AIDAdiva
  • Launched in 2009, she was built at Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany.
• AIDAmar
  • She is the sixth ship in the Sphinx series, preceded by sisters AIDAdiva, AIDAbella, AIDAluna, AIDAblu, and AIDAsol, and then followed by AIDAstella.
  • She was completed in May 2012.
• AIDAnova
  • Launched in 2018, this ship was the first in the world to be powered entirely by liquefied natural gas (LNG) and is one of AIDA’s most recognisable ships.
  • She is a Helios class sister ship of AIDAcosma
• AIDAperla
  • One of the line’s modern ships was launched in 2017.
  • Her godmother is German fashion model and television host Lena Gercke.
  • Built by the Mitsubishi Shipbuilding company in their shipyard in Nagasaki, Japan
  • A Hyperion class ship, sister of AIDAprima
• AIDAprima
  • A standout ship in the fleet, featuring state-of-the-art facilities.
  • She was built in Japan and launched in 2016.
  • A Hyperion class ship 
• AIDAsol
  • The fifth Sphinx series ship, preceded by sisters AIDAdiva, AIDAbella, AIDAluna, and AIDAblu, and followed by AIDAmar and AIDAstella.
  • She was built in Germany and launched in 2010
• AIDAstella
  • The seventh Sphinx series ship. launched in 2013 and built in Germany

*Interesting fact In 2010, Francesco Schettino, later the captain of Costa Concordia, was captaining the Costa Atlantica (also a Carnival Corporation ship.) It entered the port of Warnemünde, Germany, at too high a speed, allegedly causing damage to the AIDAblu.

Do You Need to Speak German To Sail With AIDA?

German is the main language spoken onboard all AIDA ships.

Many of the crew members are multi-national and speak English as a second language ( sometimes better than they speak German).

Announcements are usually made in German and English.

The majority of passengers onboard are German-speaking, so whether this cruise line would suit you depends on your own personal preferences.

You can book AIDA cruises from outside Germany via a travel agent or the AIDA website.

You Can Smoke On The Ship’s Balconies!

AIDA are one of the few cruise lines that allow smoking on their ship balconies. 

Other cruise lines that allow smoking on balconies include Costa Cruises, TUI Cruises, and Fred Olsen Cruise Line. However, most other cruise lines don’t allow it for safety reasons.

Most other cruise lines prohibit smoking on balconies due to the fire hazard.

Whether you see smoking onboard as an advantage or disadvantage probably depends if you smoke! Find out more about smoking on cruise ships here:

Cruise Line Balcony Smoking Policies – On These Four Lines You Can Still Smoke On The Balcony

Find out why so many cruise lines have banned balcony smoking in the video below:

Are There Other Ocean Cruise Lines With Similar Designs?

No, the lips and face are unique to AIDA Ocean cruise ships.

Some other cruise lines, like the Norwegian Cruise Line and MSC, have hull art designs on their ships, but none of them look like AIDA!

River Ships With Lips

The German River Cruise Line A-ROSA also features lips on the fronts of their vessels.

A-ROSA offers river cruises across Europe, sailing on famous major rivers such as the Rhine, Danube, and Seine.

Their hull design, which also includes red lips at the front is similar to AIDA’s.

River ships are very different to Ocean cruise ships – they are tailored towards low passenger numbers and the scenic nature of river cruising.

Both companies were owned by P&O/Princess cruises in the 2000’s so maybe that is why they have a similar hull art design.

A-ROSA is a premium European River Cruise company, which was established in 2000 as a subsidiary of P&O Princess Cruises and is currently owned by UK-based Duke Street, CEO Jörg Eichler, and COO Markus Zoepke. The river cruise line’s fifteen vessels explore a wide variety of destinations on the Danube, Rhine/Main/Moselle, Seine, Rhône/Saône and Douro, offering city and nature tours as well as curated themed itineraries.

A-Rosa

Before You Go

Find out why River Cruises are more expensive than ocean cruises here:

Why Are River Cruises EXPENSIVE? – The Truth Behind The Price

Find out all about my cruise on MSC Euribia below – I had my own Butler!

I Spent 7 Days In The Exclusive Area of a NEW Cruise Ship (MSC Euribia) #ad

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