Groundbreaking partnership for environmentally friendly cruise tourism in Mecklenburg- Western Pomerania

On September 11, 2018, around 280 executives of AIDA Cruises welcomed the prime minister of Mecklenburg- Western Pomerania, Manuela Schwesig at the AIDA Management Days in Rostock. The occasion was marked by the signing of a Declaration of Intend between AIDA Cruises, the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the Hanseatic and University City of Rostock and ROSTOCK PORT to jointly promote environmentally friendly and sustainable cruise shipping in Rostock.

“Cruise tourism is of particular significance to Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. We are proud that so many ships arrive here and that, today, Warnemünde is the most important arrival port for cruise ships in Germany. And we are also very pleased that with AIDA Cruises, one of the industry’s most important companies is based here in Rostock and is securing jobs. We are signing a joint declaration so that in future cruise ships can be supplied with shoreside power at the Port of Rostock. I am convinced that this is a good step and it is an important contribution towards making cruise tourism more sustainable.”

AIDA President Felix Eichhorn underlined: “With our Green Cruising strategy, we are investing billions of euros in a future-proof cruise market – both in the area of sustainable propulsion technologies like the use of LNG or shoreside power, as well as in environmental management on board. The partnership that we have sealed today is an important milestone for the further development of sustainable cruise tourism in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, and it is an important step for AIDA in achieving emission-free cruising. Together we will continue to expand our long-standing and successful collaboration with the federal state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and the City of Rostock, and will be sending out an important signal – not only in Germany but across Europe.”

The aim of the agreement is, analogous to Hamburg and Kiel, to build a shore power plant for cruise ships in the port of Rostock. Already in 2020, the first ships of AIDA Cruises should be supplied with shore power while docking in Rostock-Warnemünde. Therefore AIDA Cruises will fully equip its ships that regularly call Rostock-Warnemünde with a shore power connection.

Furthermore, AIDA Cruises will support Rostock Port and the Hanseatic and University City of Rostock in important projects and events through sponsorship activities. From September 14 to 16, 2018, the first Rostock Cruise Festival will be celebrating its premiere with AIDA as premium partner.