AIDA Cruises adds Northern Lights and Azores to offerings

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 22 March 2015 22 March 2015

AIDA Cruises, the German unit of Carnival Corp & plc group, says it will introduce winter cruises to Norway and add e.g. the Azores to the range of its destinations in a new brochure launched 20 march.

"Dreaming of the most beautiful travel destinations in the world," as the new brochure is headlined, features about 130 routes including all-new destinations and route combinations. "Each cruise is presented on one page with a clear overview of dates, departure and arrival times, prices, and special highlights on the route," the company said in a statement.

"As a new and exclusive highlight, the new catalog includes three dates for cruises to wintry Norway. These 14-day cruises from/to Hamburg take guests to the land of the northern lights and a unique winter landscape in the fjords. On the route "Norway with Lofoten & North Cape" with AIDAvita guests can explore new territory at three destinations: in Bodø north of the polar circle, in Haugesund in Norway, and in Århus in Denmark," AIDA said.
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In August, Fishguard in Wales and the English city of Newcastle will enhance the route "Great Britain & Ireland." The route "Nordic islands with Iceland" will include three stops at the volcanic glacier island and also the Shetland Islands, Orkney, Scotland, and Denmark.

For the first time, cruises to the Canary Islands with their year-round mild temperatures can be booked in summer as well. New routes at this destination combine the Canary Islands and the Azores. Hot volcanoes, historical towns, crater lakes as smooth as glass, and miles of hydrangea hedges - the Azores are an unusual destination far away from mass tourism. AIDA stops in Faial, Terceira, and São Miguel.

More cruise highlights include new destinations in the Mediterranean, such as classy Nice on the Côte dAzur, the Balearic beauties Ibiza and Minorca, La Spezia, the picturesque Propriano in Corsica, and Souda Bay in Crete.

Up north, surprising new destinations await guests, such as the British Channel Island Guernsey, the Yell Sound strait and Norwegian destinations such as Tromsø, Kristiansand, and Versterålen.
On the Canary Islands, El Hierro will be a destination for AIDA cruises for the first time; St. Thomas will be a stop in the Caribbean, Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic, and Costa Maya in Mexico. Bornholm will be added to the Baltic Sea, and North America will now include Portland as an attractive new port.

The AIDA routes in the new catalog will take cruise guests to more than 200 ports in 63 countries on five continents. "Cruises ranging from 3 to 51 days in duration allow totally individual vacations.
From fascinating nature up north to cultural treasures in the Baltic countries, Indian summer trips in Canada, cruises in the mysterious Orient, and exotic islands in the Caribbean and in Southeast Asia - the new AIDA program offers astounding variety. European cities and cosmopolitan hubs such as Shanghai, Hong Kong, New York, and Montreal deliver a program full of contrasts for urban explorers," AIDA said.

For the first time, cruises with additional programmes, such as theme cruises, workshops, and presentations by guest artists and lecturers are specially marked in the catalog. This makes it easier to find personal highlights. On the popular theme cruise "AIDA dances", guests train with celebrity dancer and jury member of the RTL show "Let's Dance", Motsi Mabuse. With the Yogaida & Ayurveda Special, renowned experts introduce guests to a world of ancient healing arts and wellness traditions. And the AIDA holiday cruises, whether for Easter, Christmas, or New Years Eve, promise wonderful buffets, festive celebrations, and fantastic surprise.
The new flag ship AIDAprima will leave Yokohama in Japan on 1 October 2015, for its 50-day maiden voyage. AIDAprima will spend the winter in the Orient for 7-day cruises before it heads north in the second part of its maiden voyage to its future home port in Hamburg. With the port on the Elbe as the point of departure, AIDAprima will set off year-round on Metropolitan Cruises in Northern Europe starting in April 2016.

Royal visit the LNG Hybrid Barge in Hamburg

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 21 March 2015 21 March 2015

Attending a conference on the use of liquefied natural gas in maritime industry, on March 20, 2015, His Majesty King Willem-Alexander and Her Majesty Queen Máxima paid a visit to the world's first LNG Hybrid Barge in Hamburg.

The Dutch royal couple informed themselves first-hand about the innovative and environmentally friendly technology and was enthusiastic about it.

"We're delighted to welcome such noble guests and we appreciate the Dutch royal couple's interest in this in this project, which is the first of its kind in the world," Michael Ungerer, President of AIDA Cruises, says. "The Netherlands have become a trailblazer in the use of LNG for supplying ships with energy. We are confident that we will celebrate a premiere in early 2016 in Rotterdam, when AIDAprima – as the only cruise ship equipped with a Dual Fuel Engine so far – will be supplied with LNG for its production of energy for the first time in the Netherlands."

The world’s first LNG hybrid barge of Becker Marine Systems was christened with the name Hummel on October 18, 2014, in HafenCity Hamburg.

With the start of the new cruise season in the spring of 2015, AIDAsol will for the first time be supplied with electricity produced from liquefied natural gas (LNG) in a test run while it is berthed in the Port of Hamburg.

Thanks to the use liquefied natural gas in the energy production of ships, emissions and particle discharge will be significantly reduced. Compared to the use of conventional marine diesel with 0.1 percent sulfur content, no sulfur oxides and no soot particles are emitted. Nitrogen oxide emissions will be reduced by up to 80% and carbon dioxide emissions by 30%.

With the LNG Hybrid Barge, up to now a worldwide unique pilot project to generate power on board cruise ships out of LNG while being docked in port, Becker Marine Systems and AIDA Cruises are setting an example for environmental and climate protection.

Two P&O Cruises Australia ships in Vanuatu disaster relief mission

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 19 March 2015 19 March 2015

Two of the three ships of P&O Cruises Australia, the Sydney based contemporary market unit in Carnival Corp & plc group, will take a disaster relief mission role after a cyclone that hit Vanuatu as part of their forthcoming cruises, the company said on Facebook

Pacific Dawn and Pacific Pearl are now scheduled to call at Port Vila. Pacific Dawn will be the first to call there. The immediate focus is Pacific Dawn. Working with Save the Children, Pacific Dawn will be carrying a range of aid including food, bottled water, tents that can shelter up to 450 people and more than 4500 square metres of tarpaulins. We are seeking advice on how guests can contribute to the relief effort. We will provide further updates on this.

Pacific Dawn will visit Noumea and Lifou as scheduled before sailing to Vila for a brief stay on Wednesday to deliver the humanitarian aid. Vila is still in a state of emergency. As a result, the call will be limited to just the few hours needed for unloading.

“While the port is not yet officially open we anticipate it will be in a position to accept this brief visit for humanitarian relief purposes. With such a difficult situation on the ground, passengers will be unable to leave the ship in Vila however we are confident they will understand given the urgent humanitarian nature of the call,” P&O Cruises Australia said.

“We are also preparing for Pacific Pearl’s call at Vila on Saturday, March 28. Pearl will also be carrying humanitarian aid. The scale of the emergency in Vanuatu is unprecedented in the South Pacific and the calls to Vila by Pacific Dawn and Pacific Pearl are part of our overall response.”

“To date, we have committed AUD300,000 to Save the Children's relief efforts in Vanuatu comprising AUD150,000 from Carnival Australia on behalf of its cruise brands and AUD150,000 from Carnival Corporation & plc Chairman Micky Arison through his family foundation. For our Pacific Dawn and Pacific Pearl guests, these cruises will involve being part of a humanitarian mission to help the very special people of Vanuatu,” the company said.

Mein Schiff 4 adds third pre-inaugural shakedown cruise

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 19 March 2015 19 March 2015

Mein Schiff 4, the next newbuilding of TUI Cruises, will add a third short pre-inaugural shakedown cruise to its programme, the company said in a statement. The cruise will depart Hamburg on 02 June and take two nights before terminating in Kiel, where the 99,300 gross ton ship is due to be named on 05 June, TUI Cruises said. Two similar kind of short cruises, which are offered exckusively to the line's past passengers, have been unviled earlier.