World’s Most Eco-Friendly Cruise Ship Debuts

Contents Show

Carnival Corporation’s AIDA Cruises has officially welcomed the newest member of their family; AIDAprima.  It’s the new flagship vessel for the cruise line, and is the first cruise ship in the world to be powered by Liquefied Natural Gas – the world’s cleanest burning fossil fuel.

The ship was christened during the Hamburg Port’s 827th anniversary, making for a doubly special event.  Several million people watched the festivities unfold at the harbor, on TV, online, and on Facebook when actress Emma Schweiger christened the ship.  Following was a dazzling music and light show, then fireworks burst into the night sky over the port’s festival promenade.  AIDAprima was accompanied by another vessel in the fleet, AIDAaura, which was also part of the ceremony.

Carnival Corp. has now taken delivery of three new ships just this year so far.  Carnival Cruise Line was delivered Carnival Vista late last month, and Holland America celebrated the handover of ms Koningsdam early last month as well.  The company is scheduled to receive their fourth new ship of 2016 when Seabourn Encore joins the fleet later this year.

What’s the Deal with LNG?

AIDAprima recently completed her full test run for her LNG operation, meaning the ship will be able to operate with the world’s cleanest burning fossil fuel while in port – a first for the industry.  It will lead to a reduction in emissions when the ship is docked.  With the use of LNG, the emission of sulfur oxide and soot will be completed eliminated.  Nitrogen oxide emissions will be reduced by up to 80 percent and carbon dioxide emissions by 20 percent.

In addition, the four next-gen ships for Costa and AIDA set to be delivered in 2019 and 2020 will be the first in the industry to be powered at sea by LNG.  They will go a step further than even AIDAprima did, using LNG to general 100 percent of the ship’s power both in port, and at sea.  This breakthrough will help protect the environment, and says a lot about the company’s sustainability goals.

AIDAprima & Specs

AIDAprima is 124,000 tons and will hold 3,300 guests.  It’s home-ported in Hamburg, Germany, making AIDA the first cruise line to have a ship based in Germany year-round.  April 30 marked the first of the ship’s all-season seven-day voyages through western Europe including London, Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam.

Onboard, guests are able choose from 14 stateroom categories, and there are 12 restaurants and 18 bars to enjoy.

Share this post