The float out procedure for LNG-powered cruise ship AIDAnova has been held at Meyer Werft Shipyard on August 21st.
The shipbuilding group says once the AIDAnova has left the building dock, the vessel will berth at the shipyard’s outfitting pier, where its mast and funnel cladding will be fitted.
Until its passage along the river Ems to the North Sea, which is scheduled for the end of September, the ship will remain berthed in the shipyard harbour. While it is there, it will undergo further outfitting and work on its interior fittings, and further testing with LNG will be performed on the ship's engines; acceptance procedures by the ship owners will also take place. At the same time, the approximately 1,400 members of the ship’s crew will shortly commencing their on-board training; the cruise ship will be welcoming its first guests on board in mid-November 2018, immediately after delivery.
To enable the AIDAnova to berth at the outfitting pier, the floating part of the Spectrum of the Seas that is currently moored there will be moved to another berth at the shipyard harbour. Once the AIDAnova has undocked, the floating part of the Spectrum of the Seas currently being fitted at the pier will be manoeuvred back to the vacated building dock II, where work will continue.
The AIDAnova will have over 2,600 passenger cabins, with a gross tonnage of over 180.000, a length of 337 metres and a width of 42 metres.