Fourth Club Ship for German Market Leader AIDA Cruises
Papenburg, 4 February - Today the 71,300-gt club ship AIDAblu was delivered to the owner AIDA Cruises (Rostock) in the port of Emden.
The AIDAblu is the fourth ship out of a series of six club ships the Papenburg shipyard is building for AIDA Cruises. She is tailored to the German market, and combines plenty of comfortable and tasteful interiors with state-of-the-art technology. Next to innovative design this club ship offers the passengers a wealth of special features and comfort. Well over 65 per cent of the cabins are outside cabins, the major part having their own balconies. One of AIDAblu's highlights is the first-time-ever brewery installed onboard a passenger vessel, where beer especially created for the AIDAblu is brewed. Moreover this ship offers the presently largest spa area worldwide on a cruise ship. On 2,600 sqm there are plenty of sports, fitness and wellness facilities. The total number of 34 spa cabins and five spa suites do not only stand out for their elegant, Japanese-style design, but also for their special amenities and numerous services that are included, such as a personal wellness consultant.
Both safety and entertainment meet the latest technical standards ensured by the diesel-electric propulsion system, interactive communication systems and sophisticated stage technology.
Upon delivery to the owner, the AIDAblu will leave the Lower Saxony port of Emden on 4 February 2010 for Hamburg, where she will be christened by the designer Jette Joop on 9 February 2010. Subsequently the new ship in the AIDA fleet will set sail for her maiden voyage to Mallorca.
AIDAblu - Main Particulars
| Tonnage | 71,300 gt |
|---|
| Length overall | 252 m |
| Breadth moulded | 32.2 m |
| Number of decks | 15 |
| Draught | 7.30 m |
| Engine output | totally 36,000 kW (approx. 48,960 hp) |
| Propulsive power | 25,000 kW (approx.34,000 hp) |
| Speed | 22 knots |
| Passengers | 2,192 |
| Number of passenger cabins | 1,096 |
| Number of outside cabins | 722 |
| Number of inside cabins | 374 |
| Crew | approx.600 |
| Number of seats in Theatrium | approx.1,100 |
| Number of restaurants | 7 |
| Number of bars/lounges | 13 |
| Flag | Italy |
Classification | Germanischer Lloyd ✠100 A 5 "Passenger Ship" IWMCAUT RP3- 50% / GL |
| Total weight of applied paint | approx. 200 t |
| Total length of cables laid | 1,700 km |
| Fuel tanks | approx. 2,500 t |
| Carpet | 29,500 m² |
| Parquet floor | 2,000 m² |
| PVC floor | 3,700 m² |
| Tiles | 4,500 m² |
| Outside glass surfaces | 4,200 m² |
| Glass wall (Theatrium) | approx. 400 m² |
| Size of "AIDA eye" | 150 m² |
| Length of "AIDA mouth" | 16 m |
| Length of "AIDA trail" | 140 m |
| Lighting fittings | 36,263 pcs |
| LED lights | 186,624 pcs |
Cabins and Suites
The suites are located in the forward and aft parts of the ship on decks 6-9 and on deck 12. They have complete bathrooms with jacuzzi bathtubs and separate showers. Almost all suites have their own balconies offering an unobstructed view of the sea: comfortable suites tailored to the guests' needs. Special spa cabins having direct access to the Body & Soul Spa count among the highlights of the new wellness amenities on offer. The guests in these comfortable cabins and suites on deck 12 come to enjoy exclusive extras such as a Body & Soul package including massage, yoga class and personal consulting by a Spa Butler.
Body & Soul, Wellness Oase (Decks 11 and 12) Never has there been so much space for recreation and sports: Treat your body and soul to the best things in life on 2,600 sqm. The "Wellness-Oase" is the point of rest, a paradise where the guests find relaxation and recreation. Whether dreaming in the hammock or in lounge chairs, or taking a dip in the jacuzzi - anything is possible independent of the weather in the glass-walled pool area covered by a sliding roof. No matter what the weather is like, here the climate is perfect every day. The spa area, which offers a view of the sea, has 15 treatment rooms for shiatsu, massage, thalasso therapy and hot-stone massage. Spacious resting areas, various theme saunas having their own outside spaces, as well as a private spa area with lounger and a separate balcony complete this wellness area. Those keen on sports find the right place on deck 11, featuring the sports court, golf tee boxes, volleyball courts and jogging tracks. There is even a separate event court for sports tournaments.
Theatrium (Decks 9-10-11) The space layout of the Theatrium is excitingly new and unique - the vibrant heart of the ship. Theatre, bars and a market place are merged to a one-of-a-kind space over three decks and a surface of more than 3,000 sqm. The Theatrium is a quiet place in the morning, a central meeting point during the day, and a stage in the evening. The magnificent, light-flooded room has a very special atmosphere due to the huge glass walls, a big glass dome, freely suspended decks and an impressive column construction. The Theatrium is equipped with a large, state-of-the-art stage system. The lower machinery consists of a circular stage including a fall protection device that is automatically operated along with the stage. A lifting stage comprising three platforms forms the connection with the main stage; each platform can be operated separately. Moreover a main stage lift is installed on the main stage. The upper machinery consists of a total of eight rails, a movable LED wall as well as a lift for the artists. All drives are computer-controlled and can be operated from different positions.
Brauhaus (Deck 10) This is the first "sea-going" brewery. Beer is brewed in accordance with the German Purity Law. Up to 500 litres can be brewed per day. Four ingredients are required for brewing beer: water, malt, hopes and yeast. The sorts of beer fresh from the tap, which are produced "live" in a glass brewery, are served along with hearty food. This area meets all the requirements of the Unites States Public Health (USPH) authority, like all other service areas on board.
Propulsion System and Power Supply Four diesel generators, each having an output of 9,000 kW, ensure power generation on board. The diesel engines, type MaK 9M43C, can be operated with both diesel oil and heavy fuel oil. What is new about the engines is the reduced rate of pollution and decreased consumption. The engines are designed for fuels having a low sulphur content, hence meeting the latest exhaust gas limit values. The exhaust gas values are even more improved by the innovative MaK FLEXCAN system.
The Siemens generators produce a voltage of 11,000 v, and provide the ship and its general consumers, the AC plant, thruster plants, lighting system etc, as well as the two propulsion motors made by Siemens with an output of 12,500 kW each. Water Supply and Disposal Up to 1.5 million litres of potable water per day can be generated on board of the AIDAblu. The potable water is generated by means of two evaporators and a reverse osmosis plant. Saving as much water as possible is technically implemented, for instance, by collecting the condensate water in the AC plant and further using it as process water in the laundry. The hot water cycle is heated by steam. Potable water can also be taken on board via the shoreside bunker stations.
Waste Water System and Waste Recycling The complete black water is conducted to two vacuum plants via a vacuum pipe system, where it can be intermediately stored in tanks as required. The black and grey water produced is biologically reprocessed in a bio-reactor, and re-dispensed in process water quality.
All of the waste water (1,000 cbm/day) from the vacuum toilets (black water), the grey water from the cabins, galleys, and the laundry, as well as the residual water from leftovers and the bio-slduge reprocessing is recycled in a central waste water reprocessing plant in a state-of-the-art process (membrane process). At present the purified waste water is meeting the stiffest international environmental regulations, the so-called "Alaska regulations", as well as the German regulations on ground water. The bio-sludge produced and the leftovers are drained, dried and burned in the onboard waste incinerator, along with the residual waste. Recyclable material such as paper, tins and glass is shredded in recycling plants, pressed and disposed of in the ports as recycling material.
