A plaque exchange took place to celebrate the arrival of the first cruise ship to use LNG at sea and in port
By
Elly Yates-Roberts |
AIDA Cruises’ AIDAnova called into the Port of Barcelona, Spain for the first time on 26 April. A plaque exchange took place to celebrate the arrival of the ship, which is the first to operate on LNG at sea and in port.
AIDAnova will regularly visit the Port of Barcelona to refuel with LNG, as the city’s port is the largest to offer the fuel. Until November 2019, AIDAnova will offer seven-day itineraries to some of Europe’s most popular destinations, including Civitavecchia and La Spezia, Italy; Marseille, France; and Barcelona, Spain.
The vessel’s milestone visit took place six months before the Costa Group (AIDA’s parent company) launches its second LNG-powered ship, which will sail as Costa Cruises’ Costa Smeralda.
Costa Smeralda will call at Barcelona on her first cruise on 30 October 2019 and will celebrate her christening in Savona, Italy on 3 November 2019. The six-day inaugural cruise will depart from Savona on 4 November. She will then sail the Western Mediterranean until April 2021, offering one-week cruises to destinations such as the Italian cities of Civitavecchia, La Spezia, Rome and Savona; Marseille, France; and Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca in Spain.
“We are delighted to receive AIDAnova in Barcelona,” said Francesco Muglia, general manager of Spain and Portugal at Costa Cruises. “This ship, together with the arrival of Costa Smeralda in October, proves Costa Group’s firm commitment to sustainability and technology while contributing to… making sustainable tourism a fundamental part of our industry leadership.”
In addition to the use of LNG for cruise ships, Costa Group and Carnival Corporation’s global cruise brands use Advanced Air Quality System (AAQS) on over 70% of their ships. The use of LNG and AAQS both play an important role in further improving the impact of Costa Group’s marine operations.
“On AIDAnova, we have assembled a wide variety of products with exceptional enthusiasm and creativity,” said Felix Eichhorn, president of AIDA Cruises. “We are very proud to operate the most environmentally friendly cruise ship and will continue along this path.”