Celestyal Discovery is a cruise ship, built in 2003 by the German shipyard Aker MTW in Wismar, and was operated by AIDA Cruises for twenty years as AidaAura, as was her sister shipAIDAvita. In November 2023 the ship was sold to the Greek cruise line Celestyal Cruises and entered service in March 2024.
The cruise ship has capacity for 1,266 passengers. Celestyal Discovery has 633 cabins, ranging from 13.5–32.0 square meters (145–344 sq ft) in size of which 60 are equipped with a balcony. The vessel is equipped with several amenities for the passengers including bars, lounges, a library and a two-storey theater. Celestyal Discovery has a crew of 389. The vessel has a swept-back funnel and a wedge-shaped stern.[1]
Construction and career
The cruise ship was laid down on 11 January 2002 at the Aker MTW shipyard in Wismar, Germany with the yard number 004. The vessel was launched on 14 September 2002 and completed on 3 April 2003.[3] The vessel cost $350 million.[4] The vessel was christened AIDAaura by International model Heidi Klum on 12 April 2003 at Warnemünde.[5] The vessel made its maiden voyage in April 2003.[1] In 2003, the vessel was built for P&O Cruises, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc, which took over ownership of the vessel and registered the cruise ship in London, United Kingdom.[3][6] In 2004, AIDAaura was acquired by Costa Crociere and the registry moved to Genoa, Italy and the operator changed to AIDA Cruises, a subsidiary of the Carnival Corporation.[6][2]
MV AIDAaura departing Tallinn 17 May 2016
On 8 October 2018, AIDAaura departed from Hamburg on a 117-day round-the-world cruise. The ship visited 41 ports in 20 countries on four continents.[7]AIDAaura, with about 1,200 people on board, was held on 3 March 2020 in the harbor of Haugesund, Norway, while two asymptomatic German passengers were tested who had been in contact with a person who subsequently developed COVID-19; their test results were negative.[8][9]
In January 2023 AIDA Cruises said that the ship would be decommissioned in autumn 2023.[10] Istanbul-based Miray Cruises announced in June that they had acquired a ship, for delivery in September, reported to be AIDAaura, for their Life at Sea Cruises intended 3-year world voyage, beginning in November 2023. Replacing the intended Gemini, the ship would be renamed Lara and undergo renovations in Istanbul.[11][12] The last voyage of the AIDAaura ended in Bremerhaven, Germany on 21 September 2023.[13] In November it was reported that Miray were no longer the buyer, with speculation that it would now be Celestyal Cruises.[13]
On 16 November 2023, Celestyal Cruises confirmed their purchase of AIDAaura and that she will enter service in March 2024 as Celestyal Discovery after a winter refit, replacing Celestyal Olympia.[14][15] The ship entered service on 22 March 2024.[16][17] Celestyal plans to add 47 cabins.[18]
