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.
AIDA Cruises head office | |
Company type | Public |
---|---|
Industry | Tourism |
Founded | 1960 |
Headquarters | Rostock, Germany |
Products | Cruises |
Parent | Costa Crociere S.p.A. (of Carnival Corporation & plc) |
Website | aida |
History
editThe 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
editIn 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]
Company name | Dates |
---|---|
VEB Deutsche Seereederei Rostock (DSR) | 1952—1974 |
VEB Deutfracht/SeereedereiRostock | 1974—1990/1993 |
Deutsche Seereederei Touristik & Seetours | 1994—1997 |
Arkona Touristik | 1998—1999 |
AIDA Cruises | 1999—present |
Fleet
editCurrent fleet
editShip | Built | Builder | Entered Service for AIDA | Pax[21] | Gross Tonnage | Flag | Notes | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sphinx Class | ||||||||
AIDAdiva | 2007 | Meyer Werft | 2007 – present | 2,050 | 69,203 tons | |||
AIDAbella | 2008 | Meyer Werft | 2008 – present | 2,050 | 69,203 tons | |||
AIDAluna | 2009 | Meyer Werft | 2009 – present | 2,050 | 69,203 tons | |||
Icarus Class | ||||||||
AIDAblu | 2010 | Meyer Werft | 2010 – present | 2,192 | 71,304 tons | The name was used for a former AIDA ship from 2004 to 2007. | ||
AIDAsol | 2011 | Meyer Werft | 2011 – present | 2,192 | 71,304 tons | |||
AIDAmar | 2012 | Meyer Werft | 2012 – present | 2,192 | 71,304 tons | |||
AIDAstella | 2013 | Meyer Werft | 2013 – present | 2,192 | 71,304 tons | |||
Hyperion Class | ||||||||
AIDAprima | 2016 | Mitsubishi | 2016 – present | 3,286 | 125,572 tons | Delivered on 14 March 2016[22] and began operating on 25 April [23] (Flagship of AIDA) | ||
AIDAperla | 2017 | Mitsubishi | 2017 – present | 3,286 | 125,572 tons | Delivered on 27 April 2017[24] and began operating on 28 May | ||
Excellence Class | ||||||||
AIDAnova | 2018 | Meyer Werft | 2018 – present | 5,252 | 183,858 tons | Largest ship ever built and operating for AIDA
Delivered on 12 December 2018[25] and performed inaugural cruise on 19 December 2018[25] |
||
AIDAcosma | 2021 | Meyer Werft | 2021 – present | 5,464 | 183,858 tons | Steel cutting ceremony 15 August 2019[26] Delivered on 21 December 2021 |
Former fleet
editAs Deutsche Seereederei/DSR/Arkona Touristik
editShip | Built | In service for Deutsche Seereederei |
Gross Tonnage | Flag | Notes | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Völkerfreundschaft | 1948 | 1960–1985 | 16,144 GRT | 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. | ||
Arkona | 1981 | 1985–2001 | 18,853 GRT | 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. |
As AIDA Cruises
editShip | Class | Built | Builder | In service for AIDA Cruises |
Gross Tonnage | Flag | Notes | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AIDAblu | Crown | 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. Scrapped in Alang in 2020. | ||
AIDAcara | 1996 | Kvaerner Masa-Yards (Finland) | 1996 – 2021 | 38,557 tons | Previously AIDA. Sold in 2021 to a currently unnamed company, renamed Astoria Grande. | |||
Unnamed | Excellence | 2023 | Meyer Werft | Never entered service | 183,858 tons | 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 – 2022 | 48,200 tons | Transferred from Costa Cruises and formerly sailed as Costa neoRiviera. It was sold in 2022 to Ambassador Cruise Line and now operates as Ambition.[29] | ||
AIDAvita | 2002 | Aker MTW | 2002 – 2023[30] | 42,289 tons | Sold, now operating as Blue Dream Melody for Blue Dream Cruises[31] | |||
AIDAaura | 2003 | Aker MTW | 2003 – 2023 | 42,289 tons | decommissioned on 21 September 2023, now operating as Celestyal Discovery for Celestyal Cruises[32][33][34] |
References
edit- ^ a b "Impressum". AIDA Cruises. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
- ^ Design 07, ShipPax Information ISSN 1403-3437
- ^ a b c 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.
- ^ a b Stieghorst, Tom (9 January 2003). "P&O'S Board OKs Carnival Merger". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved 13 November 2019.
- ^ a b "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.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ "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". 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 (10 August 2015). "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 (19 October 2017). "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "AIDA Cruise Ships". 4 February 2024.
- ^ "AIDAprima Delivered". Cruise Industry News. 14 March 2016.
- ^ "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.
- ^ a b "AIDAnova Delivered". Cruise Industry News. 12 December 2018.
- ^ Ebelthite, Shaun (15 August 2019). "AIDA Cruises cuts steel for second LNG-powered mega ship". Cruise Arabia & Africa.
- ^ "Carnival orders new LNG liner for AIDA Cruises". LNG World News. 27 February 2018.
- ^ "Carnival Cruise Line To Grow Fleet By Two Additional Ships by 2023 – Carnival Cruise Line News". Carnival Cruise Line. Retrieved 23 June 2021.
- ^ "AIDAmira to Leave Fleet, AIDAsol Joins AIDA Selection Program". 26 January 2022.
- ^ "Die "Aidavita" ist jetzt verkauft". 21 March 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
- ^ "Η AIDAvita στην κινεζική Blue Dream Cruises". 12 January 2024.
- ^ "Dieses Schiff startet zur längsten Reise in der Geschichte der Kreuzfahrt" (in German). 21 September 2023. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
- ^ "Das war's: In Bremerhaven endet die letzte Fahrt der "Aidaaura"" (in German). 20 September 2023. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
- ^ "Das Ende der "Aidaaura": Kreuzfahrtschiff kommt ein letztes Mal nach Bremerhaven" (in German). 20 September 2023. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
External links
edit- Official website
(in German)