Carnival Corporation's AIDA Cruises welcomed AIDA Cruises' new AIDAnova into its fleet today at a celebration in Bremerhaven, Germany, as the world's first cruise vessel to be powered at sea and in port by liquefied natural gas (LNG), the world's cleanest burning fossil fuel. AIDAnova becomes Carnival Corporation's fourth new ship of 2018.

"AIDAnova is a milestone for our company and the entire cruise industry," said Michael Thamm, group CEO of Carnival Corporation's Costa Group – which includes AIDA Cruises and Costa Cruises – and Carnival Asia. "With Carnival Corporation pioneering LNG technology, we start a new era of environmentally friendly cruising. It's important now that the respective infrastructure will be further developed as more and more cruise lines are following our example."

The largest cruise ship ever built at a German shipyard, AIDAnova also marks an exciting new generation of ships for AIDA Cruises, Germany's leading cruise line. The new vessel combines innovative design, state-of-the-art technology and inspiring on-board features to enhance the vacation experience – including a domed adventure deck, theater with a 360-degree stage, TV studio, more than 20 different stateroom types and 40 different restaurants and bars, giving guests plenty of options for playing, relaxing and enjoying world-class dining.

AIDAnova set sail today for the Canary Islands to welcome its inaugural guests at Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain, embarking on December 19 for a seven-day holiday cruise around the Canary Islands and Madeira.

"I am so pleased about this extraordinary ship, which is another milestone on our steady path to providing sustainable cruises," said Felix Eichhorn, president of AIDA Cruises, at today's handover event. "AIDAnova will offer guests entirely new experiences onboard through the further development of the innovative ship designs of AIDAprima and AIDAperla, and many other successful products in the AIDA fleet. With an extraordinary variety of individual vacation options, exciting entertainment and new wellness, fitness and culinary offerings, we are providing new and exciting reasons for people to enjoy a cruise vacation, one of the vacation industry's fastest-growing sectors."

The 40 onboard restaurants and bars include the new Time Machine restaurant, a new seafood restaurant named Ocean's, the Teppanyaki Asia Grill, the Rock Box Bar and more. The Beach Club and Four Elements adventure deck boasts three water slides and a climbing garden under the dome of a retractable glass roof. The Mystery Room brings the thrilling escape room experience to the high seas.

In the new Studio X, AIDA Cruises' first television studio at sea that produces and broadcasts live every day, passengers are invited to watch live cooking shows and game shows. AIDAnova's Theatrium puts showtime on a 360-degree stage, featuring technical marvels that include 11 LED walls and seven different laser shows.

Reflecting an evolving travel market, AIDAnova also offers 20 different stateroom types, ranging from a two-deck penthouse suite to spacious family and patio cabins to comfortable single options with a balcony.

For many years, AIDA Cruises has been a pioneer in the development of alternative modes of energy production on board its ships.

The cruise line began investing in LNG as a propulsion technology more than 10 years ago. With LNG, emissions of particulate matter and sulfur oxides are almost completely eliminated.

In 2021 and 2023, two additional ships from the new AIDA Cruises generation of vessels will join the AIDA fleet, in addition to new LNG-powered ships on order for Costa Cruises, P&O Cruises in the UK, and Carnival Cruise Line and Princess Cruises in the U.S.

In total, following today's launch of AIDAnova, Carnival Corporation has an additional 10 next-generation "green" cruise ships on order that will be powered by LNG in port and at sea, with expected delivery dates between 2019 and 2025, leading the cruise industry's use of LNG to power cruise ships.

By making history as the first cruise ship to be powered in port and at sea by LNG, AIDAnova underscores Carnival Corporation's longtime role as an industry leader in developing innovative solutions for sustainability, including the environmental technology breakthrough of making its Advanced Air Quality Systems (AAQS) highly functional in the small confines of a cruise ship. Its pioneering Advanced Air Quality Systems, generically known as exhaust gas cleaning systems, are installed on 71 of the company's more than 100 ships.