AIDAblu

This article describes the cruise ship that entered service in 2010. For the ship that bore this name from 2004 to 2007, see Karnika .

AIDAblu

The AIDAblu , 2011 in Funchal

Ship data flag  Italy Ship type Cruise ship class Sphinx class (modified) Callsign IBWX home port Genoa Owner Costa Crociere Shipping company AIDA Cruises Shipyard Meyer shipyard , Papenburg Build number P.680 building-costs approx. EUR 350 million Order June 12, 2007 Keel laying July 25, 2007 baptism February 9, 2010 Launch July 11, 2009 (undocked January 5, 2010) takeover February 4, 2010

Ship dimensions and crew length 253.33 m ( Lüa ) width 32.2 m Draft Max. 7.3 m measurement 71,304 GT   crew 607

Machine system machine Diesel-electric drive 2 × electr. Propeller Motors ( Siemens ) Machine performance 25,000 kW (33,991 hp) Top speed 21.8 kn (40 km / h) Energy supply 4 × diesel engine ( Caterpillar - MaK 9M43C) Generator power 36,000 kW (48,946 hp) propeller 2 (5-blade fixed propeller, balance rudder)

Transport capacities Permitted number of passengers 2,500 on 12 passenger decks

Others Classifications DNV GL Registration numbers IMO 9398888

The AIDAblu is a cruise ship from Carnival Corporation & plc . It is used for trips under the AIDA Cruises group brand , which is specially geared towards the German market . It is operated under the Italian flag by Costa Crociere in Genoa .

The ship was built as the fourth of seven almost identical Sphinx-class ships at Meyer Werft . Compared to the three previously built ships, the AIDAdiva , AIDAbella and AIDAluna , the construction plan for the AIDAblu and the following ships of this class was extended by half a deck, so that it was measured at 71,304  GT and according to the information provided by the classification society DNV GL is also 1.44 m longer than the type ship AIDAdiva .

history

Rear view of the AIDAblu

Construction, transfer and commissioning

On July 22, 2008, the shipping company AIDA Cruises announced the name of the SPHINX IV project . and while the sister ship AIDAluna was still in the construction dock, the AIDAblu with hull number S.680 was laid down on October 20, 2008 in Dock I of Meyer Werft in the presence of representatives from the shipping company and shipyard. The first building block weighed around 450 tons. On July 7th, 2009, the last of the 55 building blocks was put on with the chimney top. On the morning of January 5, 2010, the AIDAblu left the dockyard of the shipyard and, after tests on lifeboats and stabilizers, moored at the equipment quay.

With a width of 21 meters, the AIDAblu has the largest "kissable mouth" in the fleet. The final brushstrokes for completion were carried out by seven winners who had applied for it.

The transfer of the AIDAblu over the Ems began on January 15, 2010. In order to ensure the best possible maneuverability, the transfer was carried out with tug assistance and the stern ahead. After 16 hours, the ship reached the Emskai in Emden on the morning of January 16, 2010 . In the period up to the planned delivery to the shipping company on February 4, 2010, final work and various test drives were carried out on the North Sea .

The AIDAblu was christened on February 9, 2010 in front of the fish auction hall in the port of Hamburg . The ship's godmother is Jette Joop . The guests of the maiden voyage witnessed the christening on board the ship.

Ship technology

In technical terms, the AIDAblu largely corresponds to its sister ships in the Sphinx class. It has a diesel-electric machine system in which four generators powered by diesel engines supply the ship with electricity and process heat . The two propellers are driven by electric motors .

Due to the higher weight, service and top speed are slightly lower than on the three predecessor ships.

Cabins and on-board facilities

In addition to the ship technology, the deck layout and equipment of the AIDAblu are largely based on the standards of the Sphinx class. Compared to the sister ships AIDAdiva , AIDAbella and AIDAluna , however, the wellness and spa area has been expanded by 300 square meters to a total of 2,600 square meters. This makes it one of the largest of its kind on cruise ships. 34 spa cabins with balconies and five spa suites have direct access. The ship has a total of 1,096 cabins, including 471 balcony cabins (including 18 suites ) and 172 conventional outside cabins. The AIDAblu is the first cruise ship from AIDA Cruises to have its own beer brewery on board, in which beer from the Hövels brand is brewed.

Modernizations

During a scheduled stay at the shipyard in Marseille in November 2017, the flower shop, Bluebell Sea , was replaced by an ice bar. In addition, the 4D cinema was removed and 4 new guest cabins installed in the same place. AIDAblu also received an exhaust gas aftertreatment system as part of this .

Routes

In the winter of 2016/2017, the ship made ten or eleven-day trips around the Canary Islands and the Iberian Peninsula, and in the summer from Venice to destinations in the Adriatic. In winter 2018/2019 the ship will sail the Indian Ocean from Mauritius or the Seychelles.

Incidents

In 2010 the Costa Atlantica , which also belongs to the operating group Carnival Corporation & plc, caused damage to the AIDAblu lying on the pier in Warnemünde . The AIDAblu was apparently set in motion by traveling too fast when entering the port. In the incident, however, the AIDAblu's provisions ramp was only slightly damaged . The shipping company Costa Crociere, which owned both cruise ships, immediately denied contact with the ship and complained about an inappropriate presentation, as such superficial damage would "happen" in everyday life. Captain Francesco Schettino , who later became the captain of the Costa Concordia , is said to have been reprimanded in writing by the shipping company for his lack of attention.

From December 9 to December 11, 2013, the AIDAblu was moored at the pier in Funchal on Madeira . The ship arrived there much earlier because there was a storm warning. During the storm, the AIDAblu was pressed against the pier, so that the port side was badly damaged. At the same time, the cables tore several times , so that they often had to be re-laid.

See also

• List of cruise lines

Web links

Commons : AIDAblu  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• AIDAblu on the AIDA Cruises website
• Report on the AIDA Cruises homepage about the new building plan
• Tour plan until 2019 (PDF file; 2.4 MB)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c d e f g h i} Register entry, DNV GL, accessed on June 14, 2017.
2. ^ "Aida Blu" is sailing on the Ems towards the North Sea , Spiegel-Online, January 15, 2010, accessed on January 17, 2010.
3. ↑ MEYER WERFT press releases ( Memento of the original from October 18, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed January 17, 2010 
4. ↑ AIDAblu successfully undocked. Press release. AIDA Cruises, January 5, 2010, accessed April 1, 2010 . 
5. ↑ Hobby painters complete the kissable mouth of AIDAblu. Press release. AIDA Cruises, July 6, 2009, accessed on March 28, 2018 . 
6. ↑ AIDA Cruises takes over new shipbuilding - seventh club ship on the way to Hamburg. Press release. AIDA Cruises, February 4, 2010, accessed on March 28, 2018 . 
7. ↑ Dirk Berger: Hövels equips AIDA ships with breweries. Westfälische Rundschau, March 29, 2010, accessed on March 28, 2018 . 
8. ↑ AIDAblu opens first Langnese Happiness Station on the high seas AIDA press release, November 13, 2017, accessed on March 28, 2018.
9. ↑ Schettino rammed “Aida Blu” in 2010. ntv.de, March 2, 2012, accessed on March 11, 2018 . 
10. ↑ Information on media reports about AIDAblu and Costa Atlantica. AIDA Cruises, March 2, 2012, accessed on March 11, 2018 . 
11. ↑ AIDAblu was severely injured in the storm in Funchal. Ships and Cruises, December 19, 2013, accessed December 21, 2013 .