AIDA Cruises Donates to the Nurse Club Foundation

AIDA Cruises Donates to the Nurse Club Foundation

AIDA Cruises has given 5,000 euros to the Nurse Club Foundation, which focuses on creating unforgettable moments for people with special needs, such as families in palliative situations.

The company said in a press release that many of the families have faced difficult times where life revolved around illness and worries.

Various projects of the foundation offer them escape routes from everyday life.

“At AIDA Cruises, we live diversity and inclusion. Promoting social initiatives is an important concern for us, especially when it comes to enabling participation for all,” said Alexander Ewig, AIDA’s SVP of marketing and sales, at the donation handover.

The Nurse Club Foundation’s long-term goal is to create a completely accessible beach section in Warnemünde so that tourists with disabilities can enjoy their vacation on the Baltic Sea.

“Rostock should show that inclusion is possible, and at the highest level,” said Julian Sturm-Schneider, one of the founders of the non-profit foundation.

AIDA said that with its support, the foundation can further advance its vision and realise new projects.

The company added that it has adapted for many years to the requirements of people with individual and health-related impairments.

Since May 2022, an accessibility expert council established under the patronage of Kristina Vogel has advised the company to make vacations on AIDA ships even more accessible.

AIDAsol and AIDAmar Connect to Shore Power Simultaneously

In a cruise industry first, AIDA Cruises marked the beginning of the season with a double call of the AIDAsol and AIDAmar in Rostock-Warnemünde, where the two cruise ships connected simultaneously to shore power, according to a press release.

“We are delighted by this successful shore power premiere in Rostock-Warnemünde. Thanks to the opening of further shore power facilities in European ports, we will be able to expand our commitment this year. Our goal is to be able to use shore power in all ports in the future. We, therefore, welcome the decisions of other ports to develop a corresponding solution. With our commitment to decarbonization, we are not only driving the energy transition in the cruise sector, but we are also providing an example of how to shape local value creation in our destinations sustainably,” said Felix Eichhorn, president of AIDA Cruises.

The two ships using shore power to supply energy is an important contribution to reducing carbon emissions while ships are docked in port, AIDA said in a press release.

The first shore power facility for cruise ships opened in the Baltic Sea region in 2021 with the AIDAsol in Rostock-Warnemünde during the 12th German National Maritime Conference.

The shore power plant in Warnemünde can supply two ships simultaneously at berths P7 and P8.

AIDA Cancels Cruises Due to IT Problems

AIDA is canceling its New Year’s Eve cruises for the AIDAperla and AIDAmar, citing IT problems as German media widely reported the company was facing a cybersecurity issue.

The AIDAperla is now set to resume service in the Canaries on January 2, followed by the AIDAmar on January 3.

Bild, a German newspaper, reported on Monday a cybersecurity issue at both the AIDA headquarters in Rostock and aboard the company’s vessels. Citing passengers aboard, Bild said that the ships’ onboard boarding card system was not functioning. 

“The boarding pass system has stopped working,” one passenger said. “Slips of paper are used that would otherwise be automatically debited, for example when you buy something. We learned secretly from the staff that there had been a hacker attack on the AIDA servers.”