AIDAperla, the newest member of the AIDA Cruises fleet, returned to the port of Palma de Mallorca after its christening and maiden voyage. The island, a favorite among German tourists, is, along with Barcelona, one of the departure and destination ports for AIDAperla's seven-day cruises in the western Mediterranean during its inaugural season.
During the ship's stopover, Captain Boris Becker received a delegation from Mallorca comprised of port and tourism representatives, as well as professors from the University of the Balearic Islands. The primary focus of the visit was to discuss the innovative environmental measures implemented on board the AIDAperla to reduce emissions and improve energy efficiency.
The AIDAperla, after its identical sister ship AIDAprima (commissioned in May 2016), is the second cruise ship in the world with a dual-fuel engine, allowing it to use low-emission liquefied natural gas (LNG) while in port. AIDA Cruises works with authorities and other partners to supply the AIDAperla with LNG during its port calls. Compared to using conventional fuels, emissions are significantly reduced when generating energy with LNG. For this to be possible, the relevant port must have LNG available, something AIDA Cruises is working to secure with ports in the Mediterranean.
“It has been a very interesting and informative visit aboard the AIDAperla. We hope that the efforts to make cruise ships a sustainable means of vacation will serve as an example for other cruise companies. We are very pleased to be a home port for such an environmentally friendly ship as the AIDAperla,” explains Pilar Carbonell, Director General of Tourism for the Balearic Islands government.
With the introduction of its twelfth ship from Palma de Mallorca, AIDA Cruises continues to expand its commitment to the Balearic Islands, even outside of peak season. With 88 port calls from five AIDA ships, the company remains one of the most important partners in 2017. In addition to the AIDAperla, which makes 34 calls, Palma de Mallorca is also the destination and transfer port for passengers of the AIDAstella, AIDAblu, AIDAbella, and AIDAaura.
AIDA Cruises is one of Germany's fastest-growing and most financially successful tourism companies. Approximately 9,000 employees from 40 countries work both on land and aboard AIDA ships. With its current fleet of twelve cruise ships, AIDA boasts one of the most modern fleets in the world. Two more new ships will be built at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, by 2021. AIDA Cruises will be the first cruise line in the world to operate its new generation of ships entirely on LNG (liquefied natural gas) starting in 2018.
