Neptun Werft lays keel for second AIDA LNG-fueled cruise ship
Written by Nick BlenkeyThe first building-block for AIDA Cruises’ second LNG-fueled cruise ship was put in place in a ceremony held October 15 at the Neptun Werft shipyard in Rostock, Germany.
Two trainees, Charleen Hoffmann (AIDA Cruises) and Kenny Schaft (Meyer Werft ) placed the traditional lucky coin beneath the first of a total of 90 blocks.
Carnival’s German market brand also used the keel laying as the occasion to announce that the new ship will be named AIDAcosma and that it will be cruising from Kiel to the Norwegian fjords and the Baltic Sea from summer 2021.
“With AIDAcosma we are consistently continuing our sustainable growth,” said AIDA President Felix Eichhorn. “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.”
“The keel laying of AIDAcosma again is a proof for the quality of our shipbuilders and our importance within the Meyer Group,” said Manfred Ossevorth, Managing Director of Neptun Werft, which constructs the floating engine room modules for cruise ships built at Meyer Werft and Meyer Turku.
The engine room unit for AIDAcosma will be equipped with the ship’s LNG fuel tanks and Caterpillar main engines before it is towed to Meyer Werft.
With a 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. For the first time, the outdoor Sport Deck will have a rock climbing wall. The pool deck in the stern extends across the entire width of the ship.