AIDAaura Completes 20 Years in Service

Posted on 16 April, 2023 by Spacejunkie2

Scheduled to leave the AIDA Cruises fleet later this year, the AIDAaura will complete 20 years in service this month.

The 42,000-ton vessel was built at the Aker MTW shipyard in Germany and was christened on April 12, 2003, during a ceremony at the German port of Warnemünde.

The ship was named by top model Heidi Klum. A few days later, the AIDAaura welcomed it’s first paying guests as AIDA’s third purpose-built “club ship.”

As part of the company’s unique product concept, the 1,270-passenger ship features multiple open-seating restaurants, mostly offering buffet-style service, in addition to a more relaxed and informal atmosphere.

The AIDAaura is also equipped with several bars and lounges, a library, a two-story theatre, and more, serving the German-speaking market. During its inaugural season, the ship sailed a series of itineraries in the Mediterranean, Caribbean, and Central America.

The AIDAaura also served as the house of the German Olympic Committee during the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.

During its 20-year career with AIDA, the ship offered over 800 cruises, sailing to varied destinations that also include Northern Europe, the Indian Ocean, the Amazon, Southeast Asia, Greenland, the Arctic, and more.

After joining the company’s AIDA Selection program in 2016, AIDAaura also offered AIDA’s first-ever world cruise. Sailing during the 2018-2019 winter season, the global tour included visits to 41 destinations in 117 days.

Currently offering a farewell season, the ship is scheduled to be withdrawn from the AIDA Cruises fleet at the end of the third quarter of 2023.

AIDAaura’s last voyage for the company sets sail on September 9 and visits well-known European rivers such as the Thames for Tilbury on the outskirts of the British capital London, the Seine in France for Rouen, and the Scheldt in Belgium for Antwerp.

Costa and AIDA Eye Methanol With New Agreement

Posted on 16 February, 2023 by Spacejunkie2

Costa Group and the leading methanol producer, Proman, have signed an MOU to drive further the implementation of methanol as a marine fuel for the cruise industry, according to a press release.

The partnership aims to accelerate the energy transition and decarbonization of the existing fleet for Costa and AIDA by enhancing the supply of sustainable methanol, paving the way for the retrofitting of existing vessels to operate on clean fuel, as well as investment in further methanol-fueled new builds.

“The technology to retrofit a vessel to accept methanol as a fuel is available today. Our methanol products can facilitate the transition to low-carbon intensity fuels. Methanol-powered vessels have a proven track record of reducing and eliminating major greenhouse gas emissions, delivering immediate air quality improvements around major ports and shipping lanes. We are excited to bring our expertise along the full methanol value chain to help deliver on Costa Group’s bold ambitions,” said Tim Cornelius, Proman’s Managing Director of Corporate Development.

“We are reducing the carbon footprint of our fleet while at the port and at sea, investing in advanced environmental technologies and partnering with companies such as Proman who share a passion for the sustainable energy transition. By enabling cruise ships to use methanol as a propulsion fuel, Costa follows the ambition to take the next big step towards GHG-neutral operations of our fleet by 2050,” added Dr Christoph Schladoer, VP of Decarbonization Costa Group.

Carnival’s AIDA Brand Reports Record Bookings

Posted on 18 January, 2023 by Spacejunkie2

AIDA Cruises has joined P&O Cruises UK as two Carnival Corporation brands reporting record cruise bookings to start 2023.

Felix Eichhorn, President of AIDA Cruises, said: “We are seeing very strong interest for AIDA cruises across all channels. The record level of bookings covers the entire cruise program for 2023 and beyond. We are delighted that the AIDA fleet is on top of so many people’s minds when planning their vacations and that – whether for the first time or for a repeat – they are embracing our multi-faceted travel offering to the world’s most beautiful destinations.”

For long-haul destinations, AIDA said it is providing additional flight options for sun-hungry guests.

Helping the bookings has been AIDA’s sales push, with children up to 15 years old travelling free in the same cabin as their parents, for cruises booked for the summer 2023 season by the end of January.

Itineraries that have performed well, according to the company, are seven-day voyages from/to Kiel with the AIDAnova to Norway and Denmark or the one-week “Mediterranean Treasures from Mallorca” with AIDAcosma.