Aboard the AIDAluna: What Cruise Logistics and Good Freight Forwarding Have in Common

At the Ladies Logistics Lounge event on the AIDAluna, it became clear: the attitude behind good logistics is always the same – whether at sea or on the road.

A special place for a special topic

On June 2, 2026, the AIDAluna was docked at the Cruise Center Altona – and on this day, it was not a cruise ship, but the venue for the Ladies Logistics Lounge (LLL). Since 2010, this networking format for female specialists and executives in logistics has regularly invited participants to look behind the scenes of the industry. This time: cruise logistics.

Béatrice Fenske, Managing Director of NST International Spedition GmbH, was one of 35 participants at a fully booked event.

Supply Chain at Sea – Top-Class Logistics

2,000 passengers, one week, zero leeway

Anne Albrecht, Director Supply Chain at AIDA Cruises, gave a rare insight into the supply logistics of a cruise ship. What appears from the outside to be a holiday destination is in reality a highly complex logistical system: food, spare parts, luggage, shop products, maintenance materials – and works of art – must be on board on time, in full, and in the correct order.

For 2,000 passengers. Every week. Without exception.

AIDA Evolution – Modernization as a Logistics Task

The AIDAluna is part of the AIDA Evolution program, the largest modernization project in AIDA Cruises' history, which started in February 2025. Sphinx-class ships will be gradually renewed until 2028. This too is logistics: coordinating shipyard dates, securing supply chains, and maintaining ongoing operations.

What this has to do with forwarding

The answer is simpler than the question: When time windows become tight, standard routes are eliminated, and flexibility is required, what counts is exactly what good forwarding is all about. Finding solutions instead of looking for excuses.

No "can't do" – only "how can it be done?" This is the attitude Béatrice took away from the day. And it's already an everyday reality at NST anyway.

Women in logistics – making visible what is there

The LLL is more than a networking meeting. It is a signal: logistics needs female leaders – not despite AI and digitalization, but precisely because of them. Creativity, networking, different perspectives: these are strengths that drive the industry forward.

With over 1.4 million cruise passengers in the 2025 season, Hamburg is Germany's leading cruise port. Behind this number lies a huge logistical ecosystem – and at its heart: people who make things possible.