AIDA Cruises
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Company type | Public |
---|---|
Industry | Transportation |
Founded | 1960 |
Headquarters | Rostock, Germany |
Products | Cruises |
Website | http://www.aida.de/ |
AIDA Cruises is a German cruise line founded in the early 1960s and organized as a wholly owned subsidiary of Carnival Corporation & plc since 2003.[1][2] Based in Rostock, Germany, 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.[3] As of December 2019, the cruise line operates 14 ships, with two additional ships on order.
History
The company was founded as Deutsche Seereederei (German Shipping Company) with a ship called Völkerfreundschaft ("Peoples' Friendship"), and entered the cruise industry in the 1960s.[1] After the reunification of Germany in the early 1990s Deutsche Seereederei was privatised and became DSR. DSR acquired Seetours of Bremen and cruises were marketed under the Seetours brand.[1] On 1 January 1998, DSR split their operations into cargo and tourism, with a new company Arkona Touristik taking over the cruise business.[4] 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%.[5]
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.[6] In 2003, P&O Princess merged with Carnival Corporation, to form Carnival Corporation & plc, the world's largest cruise holiday company.[2] Seetours was rebranded as AIDA Cruises in 2004.[7]
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.[7][8] 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[9] and has been led by President Felix Eichhorn since 1 September 2015.[10]
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.[11] The ship visited Southampton, Lisbon, Madeira, Rio de Janeiro, Ushuaia, Easter Island, Tahiti, Singapore, and the Maldives, among other destinations.[12] 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.[13] Several of the destinations were new to the company, including South Africa, Namibia, Melbourne, Tasmania, Fiji, Samoa and New Caledonia.[14]
In December 2018, AIDA debuted AIDAnova, the first cruise ship to be fully powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG).[15] Earlier, in May 2016, AIDAprima and AIDAsol had become the first two ships in the AIDA fleet to be simultaneously powered by LNG.[16] In August 2019, AIDA signed an agreement with Corvus Energy to install battery storage systems for the electrification of their ships.[17] 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.[18]
Company name | Dates |
---|---|
EB Deutsche Seereederei Rostock (DSR) | 1952—1974 |
VEB Deutfracht/SeereedereiRostock | 1974—1990/1993 |
Deutsche Seereederei Touristik & Seetours | 1994—1997 |
ArkonaTouristik | 1998—1999 |
AIDA Cruises | 1999—present |
Ships
Current fleet
Ship | Built | Builder | Entered Service for AIDA | Gross Tonnage | Flag | Notes | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AIDAcara | 1996 | Kvaerner Masa-Yards (Finland) | 1996 – present | 38,531 tons | ![]() |
Previously AIDA | ![]() |
AIDAvita | 2002 | Aker MTW | 2002 – present | 42,289 tons | ![]() |
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AIDAaura | 2003 | Aker MTW | 2003 – present | 42,289 tons | ![]() |
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AIDAdiva | 2007 | Meyer Werft | 2007 – present | 69,203 tons | ![]() |
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AIDAbella | 2008 | Meyer Werft | 2008 – present | 69,203 tons | ![]() |
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AIDAluna | 2009 | Meyer Werft | 2009 – present | 69,203 tons | ![]() |
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AIDAblu | 2010 | Meyer Werft | 2010 – present | 71,300 tons | ![]() |
The name was used for a former AIDA ship from 2004 to 2007. | ![]() |
AIDAsol | 2011 | Meyer Werft | 2011 – present | 71,300 tons | ![]() |
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AIDAmar | 2012 | Meyer Werft | 2012 – present | 71,300 tons | ![]() |
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AIDAstella | 2013 | Meyer Werft | 2013 – present | 71,304 tons | ![]() |
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AIDAprima | 2016 | Mitsubishi | 2016 – present | 125,572 tons | ![]() |
Delivered on 14 March 2016[19] and began operating on 25 April[20] | ![]() |
AIDAperla | 2017 | Mitsubishi | 2017 – present | 125,572 tons | ![]() |
Delivered on 27 April 2017[21] and began operating on 28 May | ![]() |
AIDAnova | 2018 | Meyer Werft | 2018 – present | 183,858 tons | ![]() |
Largest ship ever built and operating for AIDA
Delivered on 12 December 2018[22] and performed inaugural cruise on 19 December 2018[22] |
|
AIDAmira | 1999 | Chantiers de l'Atlantique | 2019 – present | 48,200 tons | ![]() |
Transferred from Costa Cruises and formerly sailed as Costa neoRiviera; debuted on 4 December 2019[23] | ![]() |
Future fleet
Ship | Scheduled delivery date | Builder | Gross Tonnage | Planned flag | Notes | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AIDAcosma | May 2021 | Meyer Werft | 183,858 tons | ![]() |
Steel cutting ceremony 15 August 2019[24] | |
TBD | 2023 | Meyer Werft | 183,858 tons | ![]() |
Ordered on 27 February 2018 with Meyer Werft[25] |
Former fleet
Ship | Built | Builder | In service for AIDA Cruises |
Gross Tonnage | Flag | Notes | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AIDAblu | 1990 | Fincantieri | 2004–2007 | 69,845 tons | ![]() |
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 |
References
- ^ a b c Smith, Peter C. (2014). Cruise Ships: The Small-Scale Fleet. Barnsley, S. Yorkshire: Pen & Sword Books Ltd. p. 160. ISBN 1-7815-9281-0.
- ^ a b Writer, Tom Stieghorst Business. "P&O'S BOARD OKS CARNIVAL MERGER". Sun-Sentinel.com. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
{{cite web}}
:|first=
has generic name (help) - ^ Design 07, ShipPax Information ISSN 1403-3437
- ^ a b Schwerdtner, Nils (2013). "Part 2.8". German Luxury Ocean Liners: From Kaiser Wilhelm Der Grosse to Aidastella. Stroud: Amberley Publishing. ISBN 1-44560-474-4.
- ^ "P&O Cruises buys stake in German company". Travel weekly. 2000. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
- ^ Alex (29 September 2000). "P&O/Priness First Half 2000 Earnings". www.cruiseindustrynews.com. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
- ^ a b "Seetours re-brands as Aida Cruises". FVW. 4 October 2004. Archived from the original on 31 October 2019. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
- ^ "Costa Cruises, company profile". Archived from the original on 9 April 2010. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
- ^ "2012 World Wide Market Share". Cruise Market Watch. 20 November 2011.
- ^ Satchell, Arlene. "Carnival Corp. taps Felix Eichhorn to lead German brand AIDA Cruises". sun-sentinel.com. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
- ^ Staff, CIN (12 February 2018). "AIDAcara Returns to Hamburg Following World Cruise". Retrieved 13 February 2018.
- ^ Tore, Iuliia. "AIDA's first world cruise launched from Hamburg | Rus Tourism News". www.rustourismnews.com. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
- ^ Staff, CIN (21 July 2017). "AIDAaura Set for 2018 World Cruise". Retrieved 15 February 2018.
- ^ Kalosh, Anne. "AIDA charts new destinations in second world voyage". Retrieved 2 March 2018.
- ^ "Carnival's AIDA Cruises to test fuel cell technology". Ship Technology. 14 October 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
- ^ "LNG Powers AIDAprima and AIDAsol in Hamburg". World Maritime News. 15 May 2016.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "AIDA Cruises Plans Fleet Electrification". The Maritime Executive. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
- ^ "Carnival's AIDA Cruises Pioneering the Industry's First Fuel-Cell Technology". TravelPulse. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
- ^ "AIDAprima Delivered". Cruise Industry News. 14 March 2016.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "AIDAprima in Singapore – Cruise Industry News | Cruise News". www.cruiseindustrynews.com. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
- ^ "AIDA Cruises Takes Delivery of AIDAperla". World Maritime News. 27 April 2017.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b "AIDAnova Delivered". Cruise Industry News. 12 December 2018.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "AIDAmira Christened". Cruise Industry News. 1 December 2019.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Ebelthite, Shaun (15 August 2019). "AIDA Cruises cuts steel for second LNG-powered mega ship". Cruise Arabia & Africa.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Carnival orders new LNG liner for AIDA Cruises". LNG World News. 27 February 2018.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Aida Company Site
- Aida Cruises Official Site (in German)
- Company Facts and Figures
- Cruise Critic Review
- Carnival Corporation – AIDA