By
Rebecca Gibson |
Neptun Werft laid the first block of keel for AIDA Cruises’ second LNG-powered cruise ship, which will be named AIDAcosma, at its yard in Rostock, Germany on 15 October.
The shipyard held a traditional keel-laying ceremony with two trainees – Charleen Hoffmann from AIDA Cruises and Kenny Schaft from the Meyer Werft shipyard – placing commemorative coins beneath the first keel block to bring good luck to the vessel during the construction project and her operational life.
“With AIDAcosma we are consistently continuing our sustainable growth,” said 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.”
Spanning 20 decks, the 183,900gt AIDAcosma will be 337 metres long and have 2,600 staterooms, 23 bars, 17 restaurants, the Theatrium, shops, a disco, a gym area, the Body & Soul Organic Spa, and dedicated areas for young children and teenagers.
AIDAcosma will also offer several AIDA firsts, including a boulder wall on the outdoor Sport Deck; an infinity pool on the stern Pool Deck, which extends across the entire width of the ship; and the Fun Park at the stern of the ship with a children’s pool, a twin water chute and a water slide. There will also be more unshaded spaces on the three-tiered Sun Decks, a speciality Italian restaurant named Mamma Mia, and the line’s first Beach House Restaurant, which will serve “summery and light” dishes and have an interior decorated in soft creams and sandy shades to reflect a “pure vacation feel”.
Set to debut in May 2021, AIDAcosma will spend her inaugural season homeporting in Kiel, Germany. Between May and October 2021, the ship will sail two alternating routes from Kiel – one to the Norwegian fjords and the other to destinations on the Baltic Sea. Depending on the travel date, AIDAcosma will stay overnight in St. Petersburg, Russia; Tallinn, Estonia; or Helsinki, Finland.