Ally

What began with the signing of the building contract for the first AIDA club ship 10 years ago has developed into a success story in the tourism branch. With a turnover of 375 million Euros and 233,000 guests, AIDA cruises marks the most successful year yet in its history.

Today the fleet consists of four ships: the AIDAcara, AIDAvita, AIDAaura and AIDAblu. As a combined tour operator and shipping company, AIDA Cruises operates and markets fascinating holidays on water to destinations like the Mediterranean, Canaries, North and Baltic Sea, The Caribbean and Middle America.

With the order for three club ships belonging to a totally new generation and destined for delivery in 2007, 2008 and 2009, AIDA Cruises is further extending its leading position in the cruise market. The 945 million Euro order was granted to the Meyer shipyard in Papenburg.

With the keel-laying of the first of three new AIDA club ships – AIDAdiva - on March 3rd in 2006 the first step of the new growth of AIDA Cruises was made. The new 252 metre long vessel will have a gross tonnage of 68,500 tonnes, a beam of 32.2 metres and room for 2,050 passengers.

The new generation of AIDA ships will stay abreast of changes on the cruise market through the coming years. The expansion of our capacity poses a huge challenge for the AIDA crew, a challenge that we gladly accept“, Michael Thamm, President of AIDA Cruises points out.

In 2010 the AIDA fleet will offer a total of 9,400 beds. Thus AIDA Cruises anticipates market growth of 10% annually. The prospects are very good, for the trend is absolutely towards cruises. In this respect, the number of guests on the German cruise market has tripled from the year 1995 to about 570,000 passengers in 1994. Michael Thamm assumes that in the German-speaking countries in 2010, one million people will take a sea voyage. „We are very well prepared for the increasing demand and will enliven the market with the club ships numbers five, six and seven.“

At the headquarters of AIDA Cruises in Rostock the Operations, Administration, Finance, Marketing & Sales departments are located. SeeLive Tivoli Entertainment & Consulting GmbH in Hamburg, a joint venture founded in 2001 by AIDA Cruises and Schmidt’s Tivoli, enables entertainment, edutainment, animation and events from one hand.

AIDA Cruises currently employs a total of approx. 2,400 staff from 25 countries.

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Ally - CruisingTalk Administrator

1965 - Cunard Queen Mary
1967 - Cunard Queen Elizabeth
1970 - Cunard Queen Elizabeth 2
1971 - P&O Oriana
1972 - SS France
1975 - SS Leopard
1977 - P&O Canberra
2005 - NCL Norwegian Jewel - Shakedown Cruise - Jersey
2005/6 - NCL Norwegian Crown - Chile, Cape Horn, Falkland Islands, Uruguay & Argentina - Christmas/New Year cruise
2006 - Fred Olsen Braemar Mini Cruise - Amsterdam & Zeebrugge
2007 - Fred Olsen Braemar Transatlantic - Jamaica, Cuba, Bahamas, Bermuda & Azores
2007 - Fred Olsen Braemar Mini Cruise - Guernsey & Amsterdam
2007 - NCL Norwegian Gem - Shakedown Cruise - Amsterdam
2008 - Costa Allegra - Hong Kong, Philippines, Borneo, Brunei, Singapore, Saigon, Da-Nang & Sanya

Coming up next.....

10/10/2009 - Costa Classica - Grand Oriental Cruise - Shanghai, Nagasaki, Tokyo, Kobe, Naha, Keelung and Hong Kong - 16 Nights Cruising in: 307 day(s), 23 hour(s), 43 minute(s)