Neptun Werft Lays Keel for AIDAcosma

The first building-block for AIDA Cruises’ second LNG-fueled cruise ship was put in place at the Neptun Werft shipyard in Rostock, Germany.

The two trainees, Charleen Hoffmann (AIDA Cruises) and Kenny Schaft (Meyer Werft shipyard) placed the traditional lucky coin beneath the first of a total of 90 blocks.

On the occasion of the keel-laying, the name of the new ship and its first routing were announced: the ship will be named AIDAcosma, and will be cruising from Kiel to the Norwegian fjords and the Baltic Sea from summer 2021.

Together with the Managing Director of the Meyer Werft shipyard Tim Meyer and the head of the Neptun Werft shipyard in Rostock Manfred Ossevorth, AIDA President Felix Eichhorn welcomed numerous guests from the worlds of politics and business including Birgit Hesse, President of the Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania state parliament, Rostock’s Mayor Claus Ruhe Madsen, and the President of Rostock’s municipal assembly Regine Lück.

Harry Glawe, the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Minister for Economics, Construction and Tourism emphasized the importance of this maritime location on the Warnow, and praised AIDA Cruises for its great commitment.

AIDA President Felix Eichhorn: “With AIDAcosma we are consistently continuing our sustainable growth. The keel-laying of our second LNG-powered cruise ship here in Rostock is also an expression of our company’s economic and innovative power in Rostock and throughout northern Germany.”

In 2018 AIDA Cruises alone contributed over 1.6 billion Euros to northern Germany’s economic growth. The company’s economic performance in Rostock alone (exclusive of ship-building) amounted to around 160 million Euros according to a study carried out by Deloitte & Touche in conjunction with the Universities of Hamburg and Genoa.

“AIDA stands for some 8,200 direct and indirect jobs with our suppliers here in the north. With our investments in the development and use of sustainable technologies, we are providing key momentum for research and science clusters throughout Germany,” Felix Eichhorn added.

With gross tonnage of 183,900 and a length of 337 meters, AIDAcosma will have 20 decks, and space for 2,600 staterooms. A new feature on this ship is the Fun Park at the stern of the ship with a children’s pool, a twin water chute and the Water Slide.
 
AIDAcosma will begin her maiden season in summer 2021: From May to October she will be sailing from Kiel on two beautiful northern routes. On alternating weeks, the ship will travel to the Norwegian fjords and to some of the most beautiful cities on the Baltic Sea.

Depending on the travel date, AIDAcosma will stay overnight in St. Petersburg, Tallinn or Helsinki. Those who wish to secure their places immediately can pre-book a cruise now. Booking officially opens on November 21, 2019.