AIDA Cruises opens LEGO store and play area aboard AIDAprima

AIDAprima has undergone a mini-refurb with a new LEGO store and play area introduced ahead of her Hamburg season.

The standalone LEGO store and experience was opened by Annette Rosendahl, sales director at the LEGO Group, Travel Retail Europe and Steffi Heinicke, senior vice president, Guest Experience, AIDA Cruises.

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The 75sqm LEGO shopping and experience area includes the classic LEGO themes like LEGO DUPLO and LEGO City, as well as novelties like the LEGO Volkswagen T2 Camper Van and the 6,000-brick LEGO Harry Potter Hogwarts Castle.

“With this cooperation, we are once again underlining our family friendliness and our commitment to the needs of our guests with a range of timeless products for all generations,” said Steffi Heinicke, senior vice president, Guest Experience, AIDA Cruises.

“[The LEGO store] adds an additional highlight to our world of experiences and shopping for young and old guests along with bringing another quality brand onboard,” she added.

While LEGO has previously partnered with MSC Cruises for its children’s play areas, making MSC the only cruise line with dedicated LEGO play centres, AIDAprima will be the first cruise ship in the world with a full LEGO store.

“We are excited to open our first LEGO store on a cruise ship, on the AIDAprima,” said Annette Rosendahl, sales director at the LEGO Group.

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“The LEGO store offers an immersive brand experience, allowing for kids and adults to engage with our brand and we are looking forward to bringing this experience to the AIDA guests,” she added.

AIDAprima will sail weekly roundtrip voyages from Kiel until October 23rd, visiting Copenhagen, Visby on the island of Gotland, and Stockholm.

From October 30th, 2021 until April, 2022, she will reposition to Hamburg and sail Western European cruise itineraries.

AIDAprima previously homeported in Dubai. For the 2020/21 cruise season, she was meant to sail roundtrip weekly cruise itineraries in the Arabian Gulf, but was forced to cancel her season early due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

She was one of the first ships AIDA brought back into service, resuming cruising from Kiel back in July this year.