AIDA Cruises kicks off the 2023/2024 winter season in Hamburg
Season opening with AIDA Special "Sea of Lights" and Wincent Weiss live onboard AIDAnova // Hamburg celebrates passenger record thanks to year-round AIDA presence with 45 percent of all cruise calls in 2023
The cruise destination Hamburg and AIDA Cruises are writing another success story this weekend: For the first time, the Hanseatic city on the Elbe is welcoming over one million cruise passengers in one season, of which well over half are on AIDA ships (2023: more than every second cruise passenger in Hamburg is an AIDA guest). Accordingly, the German market leader in the cruise segment, AIDA Cruises, is the main passenger growth driver. Already seven years ago, AIDA Cruises began offering winter cruises from/to Hamburg to Europe's most beautiful cities and has thus developed the Hanseatic city into a year-round destination. Overall, AIDA Cruises generates the greatest cruise line-related economic added value for the Hanseatic city.
AIDA Cruises' commitment to the Elbe metropolis goes far beyond the amount of cruise calls, which account for 45 percent of all cruise calls in Hamburg this year alone. As a responsible company, AIDA Cruises is also engaged in social, cultural, and sporting departments. By supporting maritime events such as the Hamburg Harbour Birthday and the Hamburg Cruise Days, the German market leader has been working together with the city for many years to maintain Hamburg's international appeal as a tourist destination. This year, the sponsorship portfolio was expanded to include sport in the Hanseatic city. For the first time, AIDA sponsored the Volleyball World Beach Pro Tour. This underlines the company's efforts to promote and support not only maritime events, but also other cultural areas in the city. AIDA was previously a sponsor of the Online Marketing Rockstars (OMR) this year. The company is also passionate about its work with associations under the umbrella of Hamburg Cruise Net, as well as supporting the German Seamen's Mission and the charitable organization "Der Hafen hilft" in Hamburg. Another highlight this year will be AIDA's involvement in the nationally renowned "Movie meets Media" event in Hamburg early December 2023.
Yesterday, November 11, 2023, AIDAnova had several premieres to celebrate for its first season start in Hamburg: It is the largest class of ship that AIDA has ever operated in a winter season from/to Hamburg. From now until February 24, 2024, guests can experience the new AIDA Special "Sea of Lights", a large selection of special event cruises. The first voyage kicked off with a live performance by audience favorite Wincent Weiss onboard, while the ambience on board exudes a pre-Christmas atmosphere. Breathtaking illuminated decorations and laser shows transform the ship into a sparkling spectacle of light. Unique in the world: The authentic ski cable car gondolas, rounded off by cozy decorated cabanas, winter huts with mulled wine, punch, and curling. As part of the AIDA Special "Sea of Lights", further event voyages with AIDAnova will also be organized for the winter months of December 2023 to February 2024. In December 2023, the focus will be on "Festive days full of sparkle". Here, everything will revolve around a sparkling Advent season with the whole family and Christmas specials. January 2024 is all about "Let it glow": Detox and relaxation are the magic words for a sparkling start to the new year. February 2024 will be romantic, just in time for Valentine's Day: Whether it's a winter vacation with the kids or a romantic getaway for two, guests onboard AIDAnova will enjoy a sea of lights and a variety of experiences. More at aida.de/lichtermeer. From Hamburg, AIDAnova will alternate between cruises to the major cities along the west coast and to Norway and Denmark until 4 May 2024. Whether Christmas shopping in London, Paris and Amsterdam or a visit to the Advent markets in Copenhagen or Oslo - a festive atmosphere is guaranteed both on shore and onboard. The festive cruises are a very special highlight: Guests onboard AIDAnova experience New Year's Eve and New Year's Day in Copenhagen.
More premieres: Yesterday, AIDAnova was supplied with liquefied natural gas (LNG) for the first time in the port of Hamburg. The use of LNG is an important viable step along the transition pathway for AIDA Cruises on the way to the decarbonization of its fleet, as LNG technology offers the potential to use bio-LNG and renewable fuels in the future as soon as they become available. Thanks to the use of fossil LNG, direct CO2 emissions are up to 20 percent lower than those of conventional fuels such as marine gas oil. The use of LNG also eliminates almost all local emissions of sulphury oxides and reduces emissions of nitrogen oxides by 85 percent and particulate matter by 95 to 100 percent.
During the next visit to Hamburg on November 18, 2023, ship- and shoreside integration tests will take place with AIDAnova at the new Onshore Power Supply (OPS) installation at Cruise Center Steinwerder. Prior to this, the first live tests with a cruise ship were carried out with AIDAprima on Wednesday, November 8, 2023. The Rostock-based company has been an important pilot partner for the commissioning of OPS in Germany and Europe for many years. AIDA Cruises carried out tests on Europe's first OPS in Hamburg Altona with AIDAsol back in 2016 and has been using it in regular operation since 2017. In the summer of this year, Denmark's first shore power system was opened with AIDAmar in Aarhus.
AIDA voyages from Hamburg in winter 2023/2024
In addition to AIDAnova, other ships of the AIDA fleet are guests in Hamburg and offer attractive and varied destinations far and near during the wintertime. For those who cannot do without sun and warmth in winter, the "Great Winter Break" cruises with AIDAmar from/to Hamburg is the right choice: From November 12 to December 3, 2023, the 21-day cruise from/to Hamburg via Spain and Madeira/Portugal to the Canary Islands takes place in complete comfort without a flight. On the way back, destinations such as Lisbon and Le Havre are on the itinerary. For even more guaranteed good weather, the subsequent three 43-day voyages from/to Hamburg to the Caribbean and back are ideal. Guests on the first voyage from December 3, 2023 to January 15, 2024 can look forward to Christmas and New Year on a white Caribbean beach under palm trees. Further voyages will take place from January 15 to February 27, 2023, and from February 27 to April 10, 2024. From Hamburg to the big wide world with AIDAsol: On October 27, 2023, it was "cast off" for a truly dreamlike voyage. AIDAsol departed from Hamburg on its first round-the-world voyage. In 117 days, guests will enjoy 42 ports in 20 countries on four continents, cross the equator twice and discover dream destinations such as Cape Verde and Tierra del Fuego, Tahiti and Fiji, Mauritius, and southern Africa. After the world tour, AIDAsol offers "Great Winter Voyages" to the far north from/to Hamburg: The 17-day voyage from February 21, 2024, and the 14-day voyage from March 9 and 23, 2024, respectively, will take passengers to Norwegian destinations such as Honningsvåg, Alta, Tromsø and Trondheim. A snowy winter landscape with moose awaits guests.
