• 21 Apr 2016

Aida Cruises informed that it has signed an LNG supply deal with Shell for its two LNG-powered cruise ships, the AIDAprima and AIDAperla.

Under the contract, Shell becomes Aida Cruises’ exclusive strategic partner in all ports that provide LNG bunkering. According to the company’s statement, preparations are underway in ports of Hamburg, Southampton, Le Havre, Rotterdam and Zeebrügge where the vessels will bunker using the truck-to-ship method. Maarten Wetselaar, Integrated Gas Director, Royal Dutch Shell said during a speech in Perth last week that one cruise liner with 7,000 to 8,000 people on board can use the same amount of fuel as a small city with a population of around 30,000.

The AIDAprima cruise ship was built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and delivered in March, it is scheduled to commence its first regular cruise from Hamburg on April 30. The vessel has 18 decks, is 300 meters in overall length, and has a gross tonnage of 125,000 tons. AIDAprima’s sister ship, AIDAperla is currently under construction at the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and is expected to be delivered in 2017.