Marseille welcomes world’s first LNG cruise ship, AIDAnova, with official plaque presentation

On Thursday, May 9, 2019, Captain Boris Becker welcomed numerous representatives from politics, port-related businesses and tourism aboard AIDAnova in Marseille for the traditional plaque exchange for the world’s first LNG cruise ship at a French port.

AIDAnova is the world’s first cruise ship that, thanks to dual-fuel engines on board, can be operated both in port and at sea with low-emission liquefied natural gas (LNG). Emissions of particulate matter and sulfur oxides are eliminated almost completely, while nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide emissions are sustainably reduced. AIDA Cruises will be commissioning two more ships of this LNG generation in 2021 and 2023.

Until the beginning of November 2019 AIDAnova will be sailing seven-day cruises, calling at some of the Germans’ most popular travel destinations in the Mediterranean – Civitavecchia (Rome), La Spezia (Florence), Marseille and Barcelona. The Spanish port town is not only the second changeover port on these cruises: AIDAnova will also be re-fueled regularly with low-emission LNG in Barcelona.

All cruises with AIDAnova can be booked at travel agencies, by calling the AIDA Customer Center at +49 (0)381/202 707 07 or at www.aida.de.

About AIDA Cruises:
AIDA Cruises is one of the fastest growing and most successful tourism businesses in Germany. The company employs about 12,500 people from more than 50 countries on land and on board AIDA ships. AIDA Cruises operates one of the world’s most state-of-the-art fleets, comprised of 13 cruise ships.
Two new LNG cruise ships built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg (Germany) will join the fleet by 2023. More information at www.aida.de

Technical data AIDAnova:
Shipyard:  Meyer Werft, Papenburg (Germany)
Keel laying:   September 4, 2017
Commissioning:  December 12, 2018
Length:  337 meters
Width:   42 meters
Max. draft:  8.80 m
Gross tonnage:  183,900 GT
Decks:   20
Number of staterooms: 2,626 (21 different stateroom varieties)
Restaurants:  17
Bars:   23
Crew:   approx. 1,500

Note for journalists:
Click on the following link to see a photo gallery of the most beautiful pictures of AIDAnova: costagroup.thruinc.net/Desktop/Distro/Open/SHORE-019M9IWB484