AIDA Cruises: Emma Schweiger to christen AIDAprima on May 7, 2016, as highlight of the HAMBURG PORT ANNIVERSARY

AIDAprima, the eleventh member of the AIDA fleet, will be christened by Emma Schweiger (13) on May 7, 2016, as a glamorous highlight of the 827th HAMBURG PORT ANNIVERSARY. With her down-to-earth, cheerful personality, the young actress embodies the fresh and unconventional spirit that the successful brand AIDA stands for like no other.

With the slogan “Holiday a new way!” AIDA Cruises, the main sponsor of the 827th HAMBURG PORT ANNIVERSARY, will be presenting a variety of vacation options from May 5 to May 8, 2016, with a number of events on shore and on the water. The spectacular christening ceremony for AIDAprima, the new flagship of Germany’s leading cruise company, AIDA Cruises, and the fireworks at Hamburg’s Harbor Piers (Landungsbrücken) will be the dazzling highlight of this maritime festival on the evening of May 7, 2016.
AIDAprima will be accompanied by a further member of the fleet, AIDAaura, which will also be part of the exciting ceremony against the backdrop of Hamburg Port.
After the ceremony, AIDAprima will head for the most beautiful cities in Western Europe. Guests on AIDAaura will set sail on an 8-day voyage to Denmark and Norway.

The christening day

Accompanied by numerous barges and sports boats, AIDAprima and AIDAaura will enter Hamburg Port together early in the morning on May 7, 2016. Around 8 a.m., AIDAaura will dock at the Cruise Center Altona. AIDAprima will head for the new Cruise Center Steinwerder and dock around 8 a.m. as well. 
For visitors to the Port Anniversary who would like to take a close-up look at AIDAprima, AIDA Cruises is offering a free barge shuttle service between the pontoon Inner Harbor South (subway Baumwall) and Cruise Center Steinwerder.

Christening ceremony in the evening

Around 8 p.m., AIDAprima will depart from Cruise Center Steinwerder and present itself to all visitors along the Port Anniversary festival promenade. The ship will sail to Övelgönne (“Strandperle”) and back.
At 10 p.m., AIDAprima will dock in front of the Harbor Piers (Landungsbrücken) for its christening.

At 9 p.m., AIDAaura leaves the Cruise Center Altona. Festively illuminated by 26 SkyTrackers and 12 moving lights, AIDAaura will get into position – sailing backwards – at 9:50 p.m. at Harbor Piers (Landungsbrücken).
At 10 p.m., the christening ceremony will begin with a music and light show.
Still in the darkness – AIDAprima will be about 150 m behind the brightly lit AIDAaura. Standing in a beam of light, godmother Emma Schweiger will join the christening ceremony on Deck 15, accompanied by Captain Detlef Harms: The sun deck of a suite directly above the bridge of AIDAprima on the starboard.
Godmother Emma Schweiger will then christen AIDAprima. Thanks to a LED wall that is centrally installed on the exterior of AIDAprima, viewers can watch the naming ceremony live at the Harbor Piers (Landungsbrücken).
After the bottle of champagne (12 l Moët & Chandon) has been broken over the bow, a spectacular music and light show on board AIDAprima will turn the night sky over the Elbe into a glittering sea of color.
The light show comprises a fascinating interplay of color with LED lights along the entire exterior of the ship and the foil domes of the Beach Club and the Four Elements, synchronized with 342 LED string lights on the verandas of AIDAprima, 34 SkyTrackers on Deck 5, and 68 SkyTrackers on the upper decks 15 & 16 and the Theatrium.

Following this, around 10:30 p.m., the AIDA fireworks for the HAMBURG PORT ANNIVERSARY will bring this unparalleled maritime festival to a glorious conclusion. At a height of 150 meters and spanning around 200 meters, the night sky over the Elbe will shine in a sea of color for another 15 minutes. 
 
After a brief stop at Cruise Center Altona, AIDAprima will leave the people of Hamburg and guests in the Hanseatic City at 11:50 p.m. and set sail on a 7-day cruise to the most beautiful cities in Western Europe.  

Live coverage on television and the Internet

For those who cannot join the festivities in Hamburg, NDR Fernsehen will be covering AIDAprima’s christening live from Hamburg Port on May 7, 2016, from 9:45 p.m. until 10:45 p.m.
From 9:30 p.m. until 10:45 p.m., AIDA Cruises will broadcast the christening of its youngest fleet member live on the Internet at taufe.aida.de, on the AIDA Facebook page www.facebook.com/aida and on board of the ships of the AIDA fleet.

Port Anniversary event program

On shore, tall and small cruise fans can explore the whole diversity of the AIDA “vacation world” on the Marco Polo Terraces in HafenCity. AIDAprima is at the heart of the theme island. Guests can visit a replicate stateroom and see what their future home on board will be like. With digital glasses, they can also take virtual tours of AIDA ships. Travel consultants provide information on the most beautiful vacation cruises to more than 200 destinations all over the world. Those who are interested can book their desired staterooms for the next cruise on board one of AIDA’s 11 ships right there. In the family area, lots of games, fun, and entertainment await the youngest cruise fans.

During the Port Anniversary, the beach club HAMBURG del mar at Harbor Piers (Landungsbrücken) is transformed into a world of AIDA. From here, guests have a fantastic view of the festivities on the water.

More information on AIDAprima at www.aida.de/neuegeneration. All AIDA “vacation world” offerings can be booked at www.aida.de, at travel agencies, or by phoning the AIDA Customer Center at +49 (0) 381 / 20 27 07 07.