Manufacturer: Mirage
Scale: 1/500
Additional parts: PE parts and self made decals
Model build: Oct 2017-Jun2018
AIDAvintage
Mirage
1/400
1/400
A Timeless Cruise
Made with Suno
Back in time
The salty spray kissed Amelia's face as she leaned against the railing of the AIDAvintage. Unlike the behemoth cruise ships that dominated the industry, the AIDAvintage felt refreshingly intimate. With only 600 passengers on board, it was more like a luxurious yacht than a floating city. Built with the intention of evoking a bygone era, the ship's design was a delightful throwback to the 1930s. Polished wood paneling adorned the hallways, and the public spaces gleamed with art deco flair.
Amelia had always felt overwhelmed by the throngs of people on larger cruises. Here, on the AIDAvintage, there was a sense of camaraderie. Faces became familiar as passengers passed each other on the sun-drenched decks. Conversations flowed easily, fueled by the gentle rocking of the ship and the shared sense of adventure.
Their first port of call was Bergen, Norway. The vibrant city, nestled amidst dramatic fjords, was a feast for the senses. Amelia wandered through the cobbled streets, marveling at the colorful wooden houses. In the evenings, she sipped cocktails in the ship's elegant bar, listening to the dulcet tones of a jazz trio. The music transported her back to a time of flappers and Fred Astaire, a feeling accentuated by the vintage-inspired attire of some of the passengers.
As they sailed the Mediterranean, the pace of life slowed to a delightful amble. Days were spent lounging on deck chairs, soaking up the sun and exchanging stories with fellow passengers. Evenings were filled with delectable meals, lively dance nights in the grand ballroom, and stargazing on the open deck. The intimacy of the ship fostered a unique sense of community. Passengers from all walks of life – a retired couple celebrating their golden anniversary, a group of friends on a reunion trip, a young couple on their honeymoon – came together to forge unexpected friendships.
One sunny afternoon, while exploring a charming coastal town in Italy, Amelia stumbled upon a hidden gem – a vintage bookstore. The scent of old paper filled the air as she browsed the shelves, her fingers trailing across worn spines. There, nestled amongst travelogues and classic novels, she found a first edition Agatha Christie. The thrill of the discovery was amplified by sharing it with a fellow passenger, a retired librarian who, like Amelia, was a bibliophile.
The voyage on the AIDAvintage wasn't just a vacation; it was a step back in time. It was a world away from the frantic pace of modern life, a place where elegance reigned and conversation flowed like the finest wine. As Amelia disembarked, a tinge of sadness mingled with the post-vacation glow. The AIDAvintage had offered more than just stunning destinations; it had offered a sense of belonging, a connection to a simpler, more glamorous era. It was a voyage she knew she would never forget.
AIDAvintage – Rückkehr der goldenen Kreuzfahrtzeit
By the mid-2010s, the global cruise industry had grown into a competition of giants. Ships carrying five to six thousand passengers became the norm, towering, floating cities with shopping malls, water parks, and theme-park entertainment. Yet beneath the glossy marketing, cruise analysts noticed a growing counter-movement: travelers longing for a quieter, more elegant experience—something reminiscent of the stylish ocean liners of the 1930s and 1950s.
In 2015, AIDA Cruises—Germany’s largest cruise line and part of the Carnival Group—launched an internal study titled “Projekt Zeitreise.” Its goal: explore whether a retro-classic cruise ship, built with modern safety standards but reflecting the charm of a bygone era, could be economically viable. Early surveys confirmed a clear trend: passengers were willing to pay more for smaller ships with traditional maritime character.
Thus, in late 2016, AIDA made a surprising announcement: the construction of a new ship class, not larger, but smaller—inspired by the aesthetics of pre-war and mid-century ocean liners. The project name: AIDAvintage.
Construction began at the Meyer Werft in Papenburg in early 2017, using a modified hull derived from earlier expedition vessels. At 160 meters in length and with capacity for 600 passengers, the AIDAvintage was one of the smallest cruise ships built in Germany since the 1980s. She received a gracefully sloped bow, teakwood promenade decks, and classic funnels carrying the AIDS logo.
On January 14th, 2018, the ship slid from the covered construction dock into the Ems River. Maritime journalists described the launch as “eine Zeitreise ins elegante Zeitalter des Seereisens.” Six months later, in June 2018, AIDAvintage officially entered service.
The ship’s itineraries avoided the mass-tourism hotspots of the mega-liners. Instead, AIDAvintage offered:
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“Nordisches Licht” – 14-day voyages through Norwegian fjords, visiting small ports inaccessible to larger ships.
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“Klassische Mittelmeerroute 1954” – a reconstruction of historic Italian and French Riviera itineraries.
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“Südamerika Retro” – routes tracing the old Hamburg–Buenos Aires passenger line.
Inside, the ship featured Art-Deco salons, 1950s-style lounges, and crew uniforms modeled after those of mid-century ocean liners. No casinos, no plastic slides, no shopping malls—only traditional maritime travel.
While skeptics doubted the concept, AIDAvintage proved an unexpected success. Her voyages frequently sold out months in advance, especially among passengers who disliked the anonymity of large cruise ships. The project even influenced other cruise lines, sparking a “neo-classic” design wave by the early 2020s.
This is the 1/500 scale Mirage model of the Polish passenger ship Pilsudski painted in AIDA colors. Its mainly used as a test model for the big AIDAluna Revell kit to see if the how the painting can be made.
The model itself is pretty basic and part quality is not really good, but for the test model, it was ok. The ship was build OOB, painted with Revell Aqua Colour. Decals are self printed, based on those of the Revell AIDAluna kit (scanned, scaled down and printed). Some PE railings were added as well.
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