AIDAluna
AIDAluna at Tortola, February 2024
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History | |
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Italy | |
Name | AIDAluna |
Owner | AIDA Cruises[1] |
Operator | AIDA Cruises |
Port of registry | Genoa, Italy[2] |
Builder | Meyer Werft[3] |
Cost | €315 million |
Launched | 13 February 2009 |
Christened | 4 April 2009 by Franziska Knuppe |
Maiden voyage | 22 March 2009[3][4] |
In service | 2009–present |
Identification |
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Status | In service |
General characteristics | |
Class and type | Sphinx class cruise ship |
Tonnage | |
Length | 252 m (826.77 ft)[3] |
Beam | 32.2 m (105.64 ft) |
Height | 61 m (200 ft) |
Draught | 7.3 m (23.95 ft)[3] |
Decks | 13 decks[3] |
Installed power | 4 × Caterpillar MaK 9M43C at 36,000 kW(48,960 hp)[3] |
Propulsion | diesel-electric producing 25,000 kW(36,000 hp)[7] |
Speed | 22-knot (41 km/h)[3] |
Capacity | 2,100 passengers |
Crew | 607 crew |
AIDAluna is a Sphinx-class cruise ship, owned by US based Carnival Corp and operated by AIDA Cruises.[8] Built by Meyer Werft shipyards in Papenburg, Germany, she is the third ship of the class, preceded by AIDAdiva and AIDAbella, and is followed by AIDAblu, AIDAsol, and AIDAmar. The ship has a capacity of 2,100 passengers and has a gross tonnage of 69,203. AIDAluna was initially deployed in the Baltic Sea for the 2009 Summer season. In Winter 2009, she was redeployed in Canary Islands.[8] AIDAluna has an 8 × 4.5-m poolside theater, which is a first for AIDA Cruises.[9]
Concept and construction
[edit]AIDAluna is the third ship, out of a series of six ships, ordered by AIDA Cruises at Meyer Werft, with expected delivery of one ship each year from 2007 to 2012. She is a sister ship of AIDAdiva, AIDAbella, AIDAblu, AIDAsol, and AIDAmar. The first order was only for two ships, but the option extended to six ships.[10][11] She floated out of drydock on 10 February 2009.[12] AIDAluna started her sea trials with her passage on the River Ems on 21 February 2009, departing Papenburg. The voyage culminated in Emdem the next day. On 23 February, departing Emden to continue sea trials, she ventured to Blohm + Voss shipyard in Hamburg for final inspection at dock Elbe 17. During the inspection, an object was seen, being tangled on AIDAluna's propellers, which was supposedly caused by the ship's short trip. After a few days, AIDAluna was cleared and continued her sea trials in the North Sea.[13] AIDAluna was delivered to its owners on 16 March 2009.[3] She was christened on April 4, 2009, at Palma de Mallorca by the German supermodel, Franziska Knuppe.
Amenities
[edit]The ship has 1,025 passenger cabins.[3][8] AIDAluna has a 2,300-m2 (25,000-ft2) spa facility.[8] The ship has 7 restaurants and 11 bars.[8]
The focal point in the ship is the Theatrium, a three-level[3] complex, which could be transformed into a Theater.[3] An onboard 4-D Cinema[3] is fitted with moving chairs.[3]
Operational history
[edit]AIDAluna started her maiden voyage on 22 March 2009, departing Hamburg. This 14-day voyage culminated in Palma de Mallorca, with stops at Le Havre, Santander, A Coruña, Lisbon, Cadiz, Tangier, Valencia, and Barcelona.[3] In Summer 2009, she was deployed in Baltic Sea and in Winter, she was redeployed in Canary Islands.[8] AIDAluna made her first call in Kiel on 22 April and in Rostock-Warnemünde on 8 May, departing from Palma de Mallorca. She made 10 roundtrip cruises in the Baltic during the 2009 Summer season.[14] In 2011, AIDAluna was redeployed in the Caribbean and offered 14-day cruises, with additional 6 to 8-day sailings. On her way to the Caribbean, AIDAluna sailed the East Coast, calling in New York City.[15]
Incidents
[edit]At around 5 a.m. on 9 September 2018, the German pop singer Daniel Küblböck jumped overboard when the vessel was in open waters about 185 km (115 mi) north of St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador in the Labrador Sea. The Canadian Coast Guard launched a search operation,[16][17][18] assisted by AIDAluna and the Holland America cruise ship Zuiderdam.[19] The search was abandoned the following day, as the water temperature was 10 °C (50 °F) and the maximum survival time in cold water had been exceeded,[20][21] and Küblböck was later officially declared dead.[22]
References
[edit]- ^ "AIDAluna". ShipParade. Retrieved 2009-06-15.
- ^ "AIDAluna (IMO: 9334868)". vesseltracker.com. Retrieved 2009-06-15.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Third Club ship for AIDA Cruises". Meyerwerft website. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 31 July 2009.
- ^ "AIDAluna leaves for Hamburg". Meyerwerft website. 23 February 2009. Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 6 March 2010.
- ^ "Vessel details & current position". marinetraffic.com. Archived from the original on 2013-06-27. Retrieved 2009-06-15.
- ^ "AIDAluna (G111722)". Vessel Register for DNV. DNV. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
- ^ "Smooth Operator: MaK DICARE Safeguards AIDAluna Engines". ship-technology.com. 21 May 2009. Archived from the original on 16 June 2011. Retrieved 15 June 2009.
- ^ a b c d e f "AIDAluna - ein himmlisches Schiff". AIDA Cruises (in German). Archived from the original on 2009-07-14. Retrieved 2009-06-15.
- ^ Countdown to AIDAluna: still 12 weeks to the maiden voyage. Press Release. AIDA Cruises. 29 December 2008. Retrieved 22 May 2010
- ^ AIDA Cruises orders two new club ships Archived 2011-07-28 at the Wayback Machine Meyerwerft website. 19 October 2004. Retrieved 8 May 2010
- ^ AIDAluna Archived 2011-07-19 at the Wayback Machine Meyerwerft website. Retrieved 8 May 2010
- ^ Undocking of third AIDA club ship Archived 2011-09-27 at the Wayback Machine Meyerwerft website. 10 February 2009. Retrieved 8 May 2010
- ^ AIDAluna leaves for Hamburg Archived August 7, 2011, at the Wayback Machine Meyerwerft website. 23 February 2009. Retrieved 8 May 2010
- ^ Cruise Industry News accessed 27 May 2009
- ^ AIDA's eight ships calling at 160 ports in 2011/2012 Archived 2010-03-05 at the Wayback Machine Cruise Industry News. 24 February 2010. Retrieved 8 May 2010
- ^ "Daniel Küblböck auf Kreuzfahrtschiff vermisst". Spiegel.de (in German). 9 September 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
- ^ AIDAluna: Daniel Küblböck wird auf Kreuzfahrtschiff vermisst. In: abendblatt.de, 9 September 2018.
- ^ Pressestatement. AIDA Cruises Press Release, 9 September 2018
- ^ "Daniel Küblböck bei Kreuzfahrt vermisst: Sprung über Bord?". Augsburger-allgemeine.de (in German). 9 September 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
- ^ Küstenwache stellt Suche nach Küblböck ein. In: faz.net, 10 September 2018.
- ^ "News – Daniel bleibt vermisst..." Daniel-kueblboeck.de (in German). Retrieved 12 September 2018.
- ^ "Gericht erklärt Daniel Küblböck für tot". Der Spiegel (in German). 24 March 2021. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
External links
[edit]- Official website of AIDAluna (in German)
- Photos
- YouTube video clip during the launch of AIDAluna
- [1] passing the on the river ems convenyance]
- Picture
- "AIDAluna (111722)". Vessel Register for DNV. Germanischer Lloyd. Retrieved 2010-03-24.
- "AIDAluna (9334868)". Equasis. Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy. Retrieved 2010-08-31.