MAKINEN completed a comprehensive interior refurbishment project onboard AIDAdiva in spring 2025 at Chantier Naval de Marseille. The project was part of AIDA’s Evolution program, and included over 1,000 passenger cabins and suites. The team also converted 12 balcony cabins into 6 suites, and transformed the Pier 3 area into new crew cabins. Additional works were carried out in corridors and other areas.
Project Manager Mikael Karlsson said the project required careful coordination and steady progress throughout.
“AIDAdiva was one of the large-scale projects we delivered this spring. It required detailed planning and strong cooperation across all functions, both from our team and from the customer and our partners on site. The scale of the refurbishment and the number of spaces involved made it a demanding but very successful project.”
“The outcome reflects the effort and professionalism of the entire team. Everyone involved had a clear focus on quality and keeping the work moving forward,” Karlsson added. The project brought together around 280 professionals from MAKINEN and its partner network. Schedule, quality, and clear communication remained central throughout the delivery.
The refurbishment series continues this fall with AIDAluna. The team is already preparing for the next phase, applying refined methods and improved processes developed during the AIDAdiva project.
A video walkthrough of the passenger cabins and suites is available below, along with a selection of photos.
Photo and video: marine interior images / Alexander Rudolph
MAKINEN will be exhibiting at the Cruise Ship Interiors Design Expo Americas in Miami on June 3–4, 2025. The event takes place at the Miami Beach Convention Center, and MAKINEN can be found at Booth 1016.
CSI Design Expo brings together cruise line representatives, shipyards, and suppliers from across the industry, with a focus on interior design, outfitting, and supply for the passenger ship sector.
At Booth 1016, MAKINEN will present its turnkey interior offering, from cabin refurbishments to expedition vessel newbuild deliveries and marine-grade furniture manufacturing.
To book a meeting with our team during the expo, please contact CEO Jaakko Makikalli at jaakko.makikalli@ismakinen.com.
MAKINEN will visit Seatrade Cruise Global 2025 in Miami Beach on the exhibition days from Tuesday, April 8 to Thursday, April 10. The event is the largest gathering of cruise industry professionals, with more than 10,000 attendees and over 600 exhibitors. The event brings together cruise lines, shipyards, designers, outfitters, and suppliers to share ideas and discuss what’s next for the industry. This year, Seatrade Cruise Global celebrates its 40th anniversary.
MAKINEN will be represented by CEO Jaakko Mäkikalli and Markus Mäkinen, President of Makinen Inc. If you’d like to meet or schedule a meeting during Seatrade, please reach out to them via email at jaakko.makikalli@ismakinen.com or markus.makinen@ismakinen.com.
Learn more at https://www.seatradecruiseevents.com.
The latest issue of the Turku Chamber of Commerce magazine features businesses from the Turku region. MAKINEN’s CEO, Jaakko Mäkikalli, shares insights into our marine interior business, covering cabin refurbishment, furniture production, full interior deliveries for expedition vessel series, and the methods behind our efficient project execution.
Find the article Sisustusosaamista maailman merillä (in Finnish only) here.
We are launching MAKINEN In Focus, a six-part video series taking a closer look at what goes into marine interior projects. From planning and logistics to project management and execution, we’ll discuss what it takes to deliver high-quality interiors for both newbuilds and refurbishments. Along the way, we’ll cover the process, challenges, and solutions—and how everything comes together at a dry dock.
The first episode, About MAKINEN, is now live. CEO Jaakko Makikalli and President of MAKINEN Inc. Markus Makinen explain what we actually do when we deliver marine interiors—whether it’s refurbishing existing spaces, building new ones, or managing full turn-key projects.
New episodes will be released every few months, each focusing on a different aspect of marine interior projects. You can also find past videos of completed projects on our YouTube channel—subscribe to stay updated!
MAKINEN team and the CMHI shipyard are making steady progress on the seventh Infinity-class expedition vessel, SunStone Ships’ Douglas Mawson, launched in late November 2024 and set for delivery in 2025.
MAKINEN COO Ville Helenius visited the site to see the progress firsthand and gain insight into the ongoing work. The vessel, featuring Ulstein’s innovative X-BOW, will soon join the Aurora Expeditions fleet, designed for exploration in challenging environments.
The interior design is by Tomas Tillberg Design, and MAKINEN is the sole interior contractor for the entire Infinity-class vessel series, having outfitted the six previous sister ships. Work continues on Douglas Mawson as we install the interiors with the same attention to detail and quality that define the series.
In the photo, from left: Sami Leinonen, Mirna Zhou, Zhaoping Ding, Peipei Zhong, Timo Mouru, and Ville Helenius.
MAKINEN is featured in the latest edition of Business Enquirer (Issue 132). The article explores MAKINEN’s expertise in turnkey marine interiors, highlighting recent projects such as Icon of the Seas, Margaritaville at Sea Islander, and the SunStone Ships Infinity-class series.
CEO Jaakko Makikalli and Markus Makinen, President of Makinen, Inc. USA, discuss the company’s focus on precision, transparency, and delivering projects efficiently. These values have been at the heart of MAKINEN’s success over the past three decades, helping the company build a solid reputation in the marine interior industry.
The article highlights how MAKINEN’s commitment to quality and on-time delivery continues to drive its growth and global presence.
Click here to download the MAKINEN article: The Rising Demand for Marine Interior Expertise
Click here to view the full Business Enquirer Issue 132
