AIDA Cruises

Last updated

AIDA Cruises
Company type Public
Industry Tourism
Founded1960
Headquarters Rostock, Germany
Products Cruises
Parent Costa Crociere S.p.A.
(of Carnival Corporation & plc)
Website aida.de

AIDA Cruises is a German cruise line founded in the early 1960s and organized as a wholly owned subsidiary of Costa Crociere S.p.A., [1] which in turn belongs to Carnival Corporation & plc. Based in Rostock, Germany, [1] AIDA Cruises caters primarily to the German-speaking market; as seagoing "club resorts", AIDA ships have on-board amenities and facilities designed to attract younger, more active vacationers. [2] As of September 2023, the cruise line operates 11 ships.

Contents

AIDA Cruises has been Carnival-owned since 2003. [3] [4]

History

The company was founded in 1952 as VEB Deutsche Seereederei Rostock (German Shipping Company Rostock) as the German Democratic Republic's state-owned shipping company, based at Rostock, and became VEB Deutfracht/Seereederei Rostock in 1973. [5] It began its passenger operations with Völkerfreundschaft ("Peoples' Friendship"), in the 1960s. [3] After the reunification of Germany in the early 1990s Deutfracht/Seereederei Rostock was privatised and became Deutsche Seereederei Rostock GmbH. [5] DSR acquired Seetours of Bremen and cruises were marketed under the Seetours brand. [3] On 1 January 1998, DSR split their operations into cargo and tourism, with a new company Arkona Touristik taking over the cruise business. [6] Then during 2000 a company was formed, known as AIDA Cruises; with P&O Cruises acquiring a 51% stake in the new organisation, and Arkona Touristik retaining the other 49%. [7]

As subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc

In 2001, P&O Princess Cruises acquired the remaining 49% interest in AIDA and the cruise business associated with Seetours International. [8] In 2003, P&O Princess merged with Carnival Corporation, to form Carnival Corporation & plc, the world's largest cruise holiday company. [4] The Seetours cruise business, that had been acquired by P&O, was rebranded as AIDA Cruises in 2004. [9]

Following the merger, executive control of AIDA Cruises was transferred to Costa Cruises Group, one of the main operating companies of Carnival Corporation & plc, with responsibility for the group's European brands. [9] [10] AIDA Cruises is now one of ten brands owned by Carnival Corporation & plc, based at Miami, Florida, accounting for 6.5% of its share of revenue [11] and has been led by President Felix Eichhorn since 1 September 2015. [12]

In October 2017, AIDAcara departed from Hamburg on the company's first World Cruise. After a 116-day sailing, the ship returned to Hamburg on 10 February 2018. [13] The ship visited Southampton, Lisbon, Madeira, Rio de Janeiro, Ushuaia, Easter Island, Tahiti, Singapore, and the Maldives, among other destinations. [14] On 8 October 2018 AIDAaura left Hamburg on the company's second World Cruise; the 117-day voyage visited 41 ports in 20 countries on four continents. [15] Several of the destinations were new to the company, including South Africa, Namibia, Melbourne, Tasmania, Fiji, Samoa and New Caledonia. [16]

In December 2018, AIDA debuted AIDAnova, the first cruise ship to be fully powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG). [17] Earlier, in May 2016, AIDAprima and AIDAsol had become the first two ships in the AIDA fleet to be simultaneously powered by LNG. [18] In August 2019, AIDA signed an agreement with Corvus Energy to install battery storage systems for the electrification of their ships. [19] In October 2019, AIDA announced that it would test a new fuel-cell technology for large-scale cruise ships aboard the AIDAnova as early as 2021. [20]

History of AIDA Cruises [6]
Company nameDates
VEB Deutsche Seereederei Rostock (DSR)1952—1974
VEB Deutfracht/SeereedereiRostock1974—1990/1993
Deutsche Seereederei Touristik & Seetours1994—1997
Arkona Touristik1998—1999
AIDA Cruises1999—present

Fleet

Current fleet

ShipBuiltBuilderEntered Service for AIDAPax [21] Gross Tonnage FlagNotesImage
Sphinx Class
AIDAdiva 2007 Meyer Werft 2007 – present2,05069,203 tonsCivil Ensign of Italy.svg Italy AIDAdiva in Kiel.jpg
AIDAbella 2008Meyer Werft2008 – present2,05069,203 tonsCivil Ensign of Italy.svg Italy Hamburg Cruise Center Steinwerder 09 (cropped).JPG
AIDAluna 2009Meyer Werft2009 – present2,05069,203 tonsCivil Ensign of Italy.svg Italy AIDAluna 06.jpg
Icarus Class
AIDAblu 2010Meyer Werft2010 – present2,19271,304 tonsCivil Ensign of Italy.svg Italy The name was used for a former AIDA ship from 2004 to 2007. AIDAblu (ship, 2010) 003.jpg
AIDAsol 2011Meyer Werft2011 – present2,19271,304 tonsCivil Ensign of Italy.svg Italy AIDAsol in Warnemunde.jpg
AIDAmar 2012Meyer Werft2012 – present2,19271,304 tonsCivil Ensign of Italy.svg Italy AIDAmar at Pier 24 in Port of Tallinn 17 August 2015.JPG
AIDAstella 2013Meyer Werft2013 – present2,19271,304 tonsCivil Ensign of Italy.svg Italy AIDAstella, 6.jpg
Hyperion Class
AIDAprima 2016 Mitsubishi 2016 – present3,286125,572 tonsCivil Ensign of Italy.svg Italy Delivered on 14 March 2016 [22] and began operating on 25 April [23] (Flagship of AIDA) AIDAprima (ship, 2016) 006.jpg
AIDAperla 2017Mitsubishi2017 – present3,286125,572 tonsCivil Ensign of Italy.svg Italy Delivered on 27 April 2017 [24] and began operating on 28 May AIDAperla in Bridgetown, Barbados - February 2020.jpg
Excellence Class
AIDAnova 2018Meyer Werft2018 – present5,252183,858 tonsCivil Ensign of Italy.svg Italy Largest ship ever built and operating for AIDA

Delivered on 12 December 2018 [25] and performed inaugural cruise on 19 December 2018 [25]

AIDAnova (ship, 2018) in the port of Hamburg.jpg
AIDAcosma 2021 Meyer Werft 2021 – present5,464183,858 tonsCivil Ensign of Italy.svg Italy Steel cutting ceremony 15 August 2019 [26]
Delivered on 21 December 2021		 AIDAcosma 09.jpg

Former fleet

As Deutsche Seereederei/DSR/Arkona Touristik

ShipBuiltIn service
for Deutsche Seereederei		Gross TonnageFlagNotesImage
Völkerfreundschaft 19481960–198516,144 GRTFlag of East Germany.svg East Germany Ex-Stockholm. Later sailed as Volker, Fridtjof Nansen, Italia I, Italia Prima, Valtur Prima, Caribe, Athena, and Azores for various cruise lines. Former Astoria for Cruise & Maritime Voyages. Laid up as of 2022. Bundesarchiv Bild 183-71706-0047, MS "Volkerfreundschaft", erste Fahrt.jpg
Arkona 19811985–200118,853 GRTFlag of East Germany.svg East Germany/Flag of Germany.svg Germany Originally operated by HADAG as Astor. Was later sold to Transocean Tours as Astoria in 2002. Sailed as Saga Pearl II with Saga Cruises. Sold for scrap in 2022. MS-Arkona 1989 Ostsee.jpg

AIDA former fleet

ShipClassBuiltBuilderIn service
for AIDA Cruises		Gross TonnageFlagNotesImage
AIDAblu Crown1990 Fincantieri 2004 – 200769,845 tonsCivil Ensign of Italy.svg Italy Before entering AIDA fleet in 2004: Crown Princess and A'Rosa Blu After exiting AIDA fleet in 2007: Ocean Village Two, Pacific Jewel, and Karnika. Scrapped in Alang in 2020. AIDAblu LaPalma (recropped).JPG
AIDAcara 1996 Kvaerner Masa-Yards (Finland)1996 – 202138,557 tonsCivil Ensign of Italy.svg Italy Previously AIDA. Sold in 2021 to a currently unnamed company, renamed Astoria Grande. 0906 Kreuzfahrt Norwegen 1937.jpg
Unnamed Excellence 2023Meyer WerftNever entered service183,858 tonsCivil Ensign of Italy.svg Italy Ordered on 27 February 2018 with Meyer Werft [27] Ship transferred to Carnival Cruise Line during construction. [28]
AIDAmira Mistral 1999 Chantiers de l'Atlantique 2019 – 202248,200 tonsCivil Ensign of Italy.svg Italy Transferred from Costa Cruises and formerly sailed as Costa neoRiviera. It was sold in 2022 to Ambassador Cruise Line and now operates as MS Ambition. [29] At Playa de Las Teresitas, Tenerife 2021 018 (cropped).jpg
AIDAvita 2002 Aker MTW 2002 – 2023 [30] 42,289 tonsCivil Ensign of Italy.svg Italy Sold, now operating as Blue Dream Melody for Blue Dream Cruises [31] AIDAvita at Pier 25 in Tallinn 18 September 2016.jpg
AIDAaura 2003Aker MTW2003 – 202342,289 tonsCivil Ensign of Italy.svg Italy decommissioned on 21 September 2023, now operating as Celestyal Discovery for Celestyal Cruises [32] [33] [34] Malta-Aida.JPG

Future fleet

In April 2025, the order of two ships at Fincantieri was announced. The delivery is planned for early 2030 and late 2031. [35] [36] The contract was concluded on 7 April 2025. [37]

References

  1. 1 2 "Impressum". AIDA Cruises. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  2. ↑ Design 07, ShipPax Information ISSN   1403-3437
  3. 1 2 3 Smith, Peter C. (2014). Cruise Ships: The Small-Scale Fleet. Barnsley, S. Yorkshire: Pen & Sword Books Ltd. p. 160. ISBN   978-1-7815-9281-6.
  4. 1 2 Stieghorst, Tom (9 January 2003). "P&O'S Board OKs Carnival Merger". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  5. 1 2 "Meilensteine in der Geschichte der DSR (Milestones in the history of DSR)". Deutfracht/Seereederei DSR (in German). Archived from the original on 10 September 2013. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
  6. 1 2 Schwerdtner, Nils (2013). "Part 2.8". German Luxury Ocean Liners: From Kaiser Wilhelm Der Grosse to Aidastella. Stroud: Amberley Publishing. ISBN   978-1-44560-474-9.
  7. ↑ "P&O Cruises buys stake in German company". Travel weekly. 2000. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  8. ↑ Alex (29 September 2000). "P&O/Priness First Half 2000 Earnings". cruiseindustrynews.com. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  9. 1 2 "Seetours re-brands as Aida Cruises". FVW. 4 October 2004. Archived from the original on 31 October 2019. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
  10. ↑ "Costa Cruises, company profile". Archived from the original on 9 April 2010. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  11. ↑ "2012 World Wide Market Share". Cruise Market Watch. 20 November 2011.
  12. ↑ Satchell, Arlene (10 August 2015). "Carnival Corp. taps Felix Eichhorn to lead German brand AIDA Cruises". sun-sentinel.com. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  13. ↑ Staff, CIN (12 February 2018). "AIDAcara Returns to Hamburg Following World Cruise" . Retrieved 13 February 2018.
  14. ↑ Tore, Iuliia (19 October 2017). "AIDA's first world cruise launched from Hamburg | Rus Tourism News". www.rustourismnews.com. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  15. ↑ Staff, CIN (21 July 2017). "AIDAaura Set for 2018 World Cruise" . Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  16. ↑ Kalosh, Anne. "AIDA charts new destinations in second world voyage" . Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  17. ↑ "Carnival's AIDA Cruises to test fuel cell technology". Ship Technology. 14 October 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
  18. ↑ "LNG Powers AIDAprima and AIDAsol in Hamburg". World Maritime News. 15 May 2016. Archived from the original on 16 May 2016.
  19. ↑ "AIDA Cruises Plans Fleet Electrification". The Maritime Executive. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  20. ↑ "Carnival's AIDA Cruises Pioneering the Industry's First Fuel-Cell Technology". TravelPulse. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  21. ↑ "AIDA Cruise Ships". 4 February 2024.
  22. ↑ "AIDAprima Delivered". Cruise Industry News. 14 March 2016.
  23. ↑ "AIDAprima in Singapore – Cruise Industry News | Cruise News". www.cruiseindustrynews.com. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
  24. ↑ "AIDA Cruises Takes Delivery of AIDAperla". World Maritime News. 27 April 2017. Archived from the original on 27 April 2017.
  25. 1 2 "AIDAnova Delivered". Cruise Industry News. 12 December 2018.
  26. ↑ Ebelthite, Shaun (15 August 2019). "AIDA Cruises cuts steel for second LNG-powered mega ship". Cruise Arabia & Africa.
  27. ↑ "Carnival orders new LNG liner for AIDA Cruises". LNG World News. 27 February 2018.
  28. ↑ "Carnival Cruise Line To Grow Fleet By Two Additional Ships by 2023 – Carnival Cruise Line News". Carnival Cruise Line. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
  29. ↑ "AIDAmira to Leave Fleet, AIDAsol Joins AIDA Selection Program". 26 January 2022.
  30. ↑ "Die "Aidavita" ist jetzt verkauft". 21 March 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  31. ↑ "Η AIDAvita στην κινεζική Blue Dream Cruises". 12 January 2024.
  32. ↑ "Dieses Schiff startet zur längsten Reise in der Geschichte der Kreuzfahrt" (in German). 21 September 2023. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  33. ↑ "Das war's: In Bremerhaven endet die letzte Fahrt der "Aidaaura"" (in German). 20 September 2023. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  34. ↑ "Das Ende der "Aidaaura": Kreuzfahrtschiff kommt ein letztes Mal nach Bremerhaven" (in German). 20 September 2023. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  35. ↑ "Carnival Corporation Finalizes Agreement with Fincantieri for Two Next-Generation AIDA Cruises Ships Set for Delivery in fiscal 2030 and 2032". 7 April 2025. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
  36. ↑ "Fincantieri signs agreement with Carnival Corporation for two cruise ships for Aida Cruises". 7 April 2025. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
  37. ↑ "AIDA Cruises erweitert Flotte um zwei Kreuzfahrtschiffe einer neuen Generation" (in German). 7 April 2025. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
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