Carnival Corp. & plc and its AIDA Cruises brand, a cruise line in Germany, have officially debuted what they say is the world’s first cruise vessel to be powered at sea and in port by liquefied natural gas (LNG).
AIDAnova was named on Aug. 31 at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, representing the first naming of a cruise ship at the shipyard in more than 20 years. The celebration included a concert featuring a light show, fireworks display and live performance from DJ David Guetta.
The vessel is the first of 11 next-generation Carnival cruise ship between 2018 and 2025 able to generate their power at sea and in port from LNG.
AIDAnova’s use of LNG will reduce exhaust emissions and support Carnival’s aggressive sustainability goals, the company says. It will embark on its first voyage at the end of September and will head for Eemshaven in the Netherlands. Once the ship has received its final fittings and completed various sea trials, AIDAnova will be delivered to AIDA Cruises in an official handover ceremony from the Meyer Werft shipyard on Nov. 15 in Bremerhaven, Germany. AIDAnova will begin its maiden voyage from Hamburg to the Canary Islands on Dec. 2.
As of 2023, more than half of AIDA Cruises’ guests will be spending their vacation on a cruise ship that runs on LNG.
