AIDAprima in Rotterdam
History
Italy
Name	AIDAprima
Owner	AIDA Cruises
Operator	AIDA Cruises
Port of registry	Genoa,  Italy
Route	North Europe
Builder	Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
Launched	May 3, 2014
Acquired	March 14, 2016
Maiden voyage	May 7, 2016
In service	2016–present
Identification	IMO number: 9636955 MMSI number: 247353800 DNV ID: g117060
Status	In service
General characteristics
Type	Hyperion-class Cruise ship
Tonnage	125,572 GT[1] 9,700 DWT
Length	299.95 m (984.1 ft)[1]
Beam	37.65 m (123.5 ft) (max)[1] 37.60 m (123.4 ft) (waterline)[1]
Draught	8.25 m (27.1 ft)[1]
Decks	18
Installed power	3 × Cat 12VM43C (3 × 9,450 kW)[1] dual-fuel Cat 12VM46DF (5,400–8,685 kW)[1] Cat 3516B (2,250 kW)[1]
Propulsion	Diesel-electric 2 × ABB Azipod X thrusters[1] 3 × Brunvoll FU-115-LTC-3000 maneuvering thrusters[1]
Speed	22.0 knots (41 km/h) (cruising)
Capacity	3,300 passengers
Crew	900

AIDAprima is the flagship of AIDA Cruises, built by Mitsubishi Shipbuilding at their shipyard in Nagasaki, Japan. The cruise ship entered service on April 25, 2016, after suffering several construction delays.^[2] She is the first AIDA vessel not to be built in Meyer Werft since the completion of AIDAaura in 2003. She is also the first Carnival Corporation & plc vessel to be built in Mitsubishi since the completion of the Sapphire Princess in 2004.

History

Originally, the vessel was planned for delivery in the first half of 2015, with an inaugural trip to 22 countries, but the shipbuilder was unable to complete the vessel on time and the delivery was postponed to December 2015 after several minor accidents during construction.^[3] The ship was christened on 7 May 2016 in Hamburg, Germany as part of the 827th Hamburg Port Anniversary (Hafengeburtstag).^[4] The ship's godmother is German child actor Emma Schweiger.^[5][6]

In September 2017, AIDAprima was one of the guests at the Hamburg Cruise Days and a part the Blue Port light show.^[7]

Design

AIDAprima has an overall length of 300.00 m (984.25 ft), moulded beam of 37.60 m (123.4 ft), and maximum draft of 8.00 m (26.25 ft). The vessel has a capacity of 3,300 passengers and 900 crew members. AIDAprima has 18 passenger decks, 15 dining options, indoor and outdoor pools, as well as shops, cafes, and bars. The AIDA Beach Club pool area, which is covered by a transparent UV-permeable membrane dome, allows passengers to relax in a beach setting with natural light despite inclement weather. The Four Elements features the longest indoor water slide on a cruise ship, a rock climbing wall, and a lazy river.^[8] At night, the Beach Club serves as a discotheque, with stars or laser shows projected onto the dome.^[9]

Engineering

AIDAprima is driven by three MaK 12VM43C diesel engines and one MaK 12VM46DF dual-fuel (LNG/oil) engine, which give 53,150 hp to the propulsion system.^[10][11] The engine has computer-controlled fuel injection to increase fuel economy. The ship is propelled by ABB Azipod XO units, which allows a service speed of 22 kts.^[12]

The AIDAprima uses Mitsubishi Heavy Industries's proprietary Mitsubishi Air Lubrication System (MALS), which releases small air bubbles to cover the bottom of the vessel, reducing the friction between the hull and the surrounding water. This is predicted to reduce CO₂ emissions and fuel consumption by more than 7%.^[10]

In 2020, the vessel underwent an upgrade, incorporating a 9,944 kWh Orca ESS battery system from Corvus Energy. This system serves the purpose of peak shaving, effectively minimizing peak electrical demand on the vessel. This not only helps reduce maintenance costs for the engines but also contributes to a decrease in CO2 emissions ^[13]