AIDAnova Delivery Pushed Back

Posted on 30 October, 2018 by Spacejunkie2

AIDA Cruises has announced the AIDAnova will not be delivered as scheduled, following a notification from Meyer Werft.

As a result, a number of preview cruises will not take place, but the ship is still on schedule to sail its maiden voyage on Dec. 2 from Hamburg to the Canary Islands.

“Our aim is to use AIDAnova for a ship that not only complies with the usual high AIDA quality but also inspires our guests in many product areas with new innovations,” AIDA said, in a prepared statement.

Earlier this week, a small fire broke out onboard the ship but was quickly contained, with local media suggesting it may have been arson. As a result, sea trials were also said to be delayed.

AIDAnova Set for Ems River Transit

Posted on 7 October, 2018 by Spacejunkie2

The new AIDAnova will leave Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg and carefully transit the Ems River on her way to Eemshaven, according to a statement.

The transfer is set to begin on Oct. 8 and conclude about 24 hours later, AIDA said.

The ship will leave around 8:00 a.m. from Papenburg, and pass the Friesen-bridge near Weener in the early afternoon. Another milestone will happen in the early evening as the ship will pass the Jann-Berghaus-bridge in Leer .

After the passage of the Ems barrier Gandersum around 1:00 a.m., the ship is expected to arrive in Emden at 02:30 a.m. and moor in Eemshaven at 09:00 a.m.

AIDA will provide pretzels, croissants, coffee and tea at the Meyer shipyard, at the Friesen-bridge and at the Jann-Berghaus-bridge for onlookers.

Meyer Werft Floats AIDAnova, the World’s First LNG-Powered Cruise Ship

Posted on 23 August, 2018 by Spacejunkie2

AIDANova pictured Tuesday, August 21, 2018, after its float-out from Meyer Werft’s covered building dock. Photo: Meyer Werft

German shipbuilder Meyer Werft has floated out the world’s first LNG-powered cruise ship from its covered construction dock in Papenburg.

The float-out of AIDAnova took place Tuesday evening from the shipbuilder’s 504-meter building dock II. The vessel was then berthed at the outfitting pier, where its mast and funnel cladding will be fitted.

AIDAnova is scheduled to make the trip down the river Ems to Bremerhaven in late September. There, the cruise ship will undergo final outfitting and interior fittings, while further testing will be performed on the ship’s LNG-powered engines followed by sea trials.

AIDAnova is the first of three LNG-powered ships planned for Carnival Corp.’s AIDA brand. The ship is scheduled to join AIDA Cruises’ fleet this Fall as the first-ever cruise ship in the world to be fully powered by LNG. The AIDAnova will have over 2,600 passenger cabins, a gross tonnage of over 180,000, a length of 337 meters and a width of 42 meters.

The second ship in the series will be christened in the spring of 2021, followed by the third in 2023.

As of earlier this year, Carnival had agreements in place with Meyer Werft and its Finish sister yard Meyer Turku to build nine LNG-powered cruise ships across four of Carnival’s nine global cruise brands with delivery dates between 2018 and 2023

A video of the float-out is below: