AIDA Orders Ship for 2023 Delivery from Meyer Werft

Posted on 27 February, 2018 by Spacejunkie2

Carnival Corporation announced it has signed a shipbuilding contract for a third LNG-powered cruise ship for its AIDA Cruises brand. The ship will be built at Meyer Werft, with an estimated 2,700 staterooms at 180,000 tons.

It is the 98th ship on order for the global fleet between now and 2026.

With today’s announcement, AIDA Cruises now has a total of three LNG ships on order. AIDAnova is scheduled to join AIDA Cruises’ fleet in December as the first ship of its new generation of LNG vessels, and the first-ever cruise ship in the world to be fully powered by LNG. The second ship of this series will be christened in the spring of 2021.

“On board our ships, which travel the most beautiful destinations worldwide, we offer the greatest holiday variety on the German market with a complete package of culture, entertainment, sports, wellness and culinary delights,” said Felix Eichhorn, president of AIDA Cruises. “The interest in AIDAnova, the first ship of our new generation, is enormous, even before the commissioning later this year. With today’s new shipbuilding contract, we will ensure the further growth of the cruise market in the long term and will be able to provide excellent cruises for this steadily growing holiday segment in the future as well. Thanks to an even wider variety on board, we are opening up completely new possibilities for attracting new target groups across generations for this unique holiday experience.”

Tim Meyer, managing director of Meyer Werft, said: “This is the 10th AIDA Cruises ship we are building in Papenburg, emphasizing a long-term partnership between AIDA Cruises and Meyer Werft. AIDAnova and the following two sister ships feature the latest technology focused on sustainability and energy efficiency.”

AIDA To Offer Short Cruise Before the Nova’s Maiden Voyage

Posted on 4 February, 2018 by Spacejunkie2

AIDA Cruises has announced a series of what it calls pre-premiere cruises on the AIDAnova before the ship sails here maiden voyage on Dec. 2, 2018. AIDA will take ownership of the first new build of the new generation of LNG-fueled ships from Meyer Werft on Nov. 15, 2018.

These short cruises can be booked as of 10:00 a.m. on Feb. 1, 2018. The first four-day trip will start directly after the formal handover of the ship in Bremerhaven on Nov. 15 and will sail to Oslo and then to Hamburg. Further short cruises will be sailing to either Rotterdam or Oslo.

Among the design features aboard the new ship, AIDA highlighted the Four Elements, “surrounded by lush vegetation, guests can climb through the treetops or daydream in cosy, cushioned loungers.”

She will also be the first AIDA ship to feature water slides.

The Time Machine restaurant is said to offer adventure and culinary arts, where “guests will enter a world full of wonders, craziness and surprises. Everything revolves and moves – waiters become magicians, conjuring up a delicious three-course meal.”

The Body & Soul Organic Spa will cover 3,500 square meters and promises to offer more than 80 treatments. For the first time, there are two private outdoor sun islands for couples. Another completely new feature is the outdoor sports area with endurance training equipment and training space for morning yoga, Pilates and more.

The Beach Club will offer a summer experience no matter where the ship is. According to AIDA this light-flooded venue is full of Caribbean warmth, protected by a dome that lets the sun and vacation tan in, but keeps the wind and rain out.

Accommodations include 20 different types of stateroom. The new 73- square-meter Penthouse Suite extends over two decks. Guests will be able to enjoy views through the panorama windows and on their 20-square-meter private sun deck.

For families, Veranda Staterooms Deluxe will be available for the first time on Decks 15, 16 and 17.

AIDAnova also sets another record for the brand, offering more culinary diversity with a total of 17 restaurants. In addition, AIDA’s entertainment has evolved with new formats that involve the guest more than before, the line said.

Untapped German demand is still very high, survey finds

Posted on 24 November, 2017 by Spacejunkie2

AidaPrima in Hamburg. Photo credit James Jones

Many Germans want to go on a cruise holiday even though relatively few have actually been on an ocean trip so far, according to a new survey by GfK.

Plenty of pent-up demand in Germany for Royal Caribbean and other cruise lines, researchers say
Photo: RCL/Michel Verdure

Cruises are not only one of the fastest-growing holiday segments in Germany but also have the greatest potential, a recent study by market researchers GfK found. Only 7% of German tourists have taken a vacation on a ship over the past five years. Yet as many as one in four finds this way of travelling personally very attractive.

This gap between high attractiveness and an actual lack of travel experience is bigger than with any other kind of holiday, according to GfK. This means that more than two-thirds of those who find cruises very attractive were not yet on a cruise ship.

Almost 2.4 million ocean cruises were undertaken by Germans in 2016. It was the first sea voyage for a good third of the passengers while 63% had booked a cruise again. Both these factors support continued growth for this holiday segment, as the level of attractiveness for cruises more than doubles once tourists have actually been on a cruise holiday.

“Cruise operators are managing to win a high proportion of first-time customers,” commented Dörte Nordbeck, Head of Travel & Logistics Germany at GfK. “It is very likely that many of them would like to repeat this special experience.”

Cruises are particularly attractive to those who have already been on an ocean cruise (60%) or a river cruise (41%).

In general, the attractiveness of cruises increases with age. Although every third woman between the ages of 25 and 34 is enthusiastic about a holiday at sea, only 16% of young men are. Only with increasing age do the holiday preferences in favour of a cruise between women and men become more and more similar.

In contrast, river cruises are only an ‘in-trend’ for 24% of Germans and just 18% describe this form of holiday as “very attractive”. Yet even this figure is three times higher than the 6% of Germans who have holidayed on a boat in the past five years.

River cruises are considerably less attractive for younger people, with only 10% of men and 18% of women aged 25-34 describing it as “very attractive”. Respondents aged 65 and over, however, favor river cruises just as much as ocean trips.