Biocide-Free Coating Chosen for AIDAdiva

The cruise ship AIDAdiva operated by AIDA Cruises has been coated with Nippon Paint Marine’s AQUATERRAS hull coating. The application represents the 16th vessel in the Carnival group to fully be applied with Nippon’s biocide-free coating.  

In 2022, based on previous experience, Carnival applied AQUATERRAS to AIDAdiva. At that time, AIDAdiva was the third Carnival cruise vessel to be fully coated with AQUATERRAS.

Although the ship operated in challenging itineraries in both the Caribbean and in Europe, it was seen on arrival in dock at Marseille in 2025 that AIDAdiva’s vertical bottom was completely free of any fouling, despite it not having any underwater cleaning during the ship’s three-year service period.

According to Carnival Maritime, the maritime service unit for AIDA Cruises, the coating had reduced the vessel’s environmental impact by both lowering emissions and reducing propulsive power demands. Additionally, AQUATERRAS’s biocide-free composition lowered the ship’s impact on the marine environment.  

During the global pandemic and the worldwide suspension of cruise operations, Carnival found that the hulls of the two vessels that had been previously fully applied with AQUATERRAS remained much cleaner than other vessels in their fleet, even over the 18-20 month period before regular operation or cruising resumed.

A spokesperson for Carnival Corporation, said: “We were extremely pleased with the results of AQUATERRAS. Its outstanding performance eliminated the need to carry out any in-service cleaning, and as a biocide-free product, the coating supports our ambition to become as environmentally friendly as we possibly can. Furthermore, due to the hull’s excellent condition, we have been able to reduce fuel emissions in our operations without compromising on vessel performance.”