While Germany's market leader is slightly stepping up its presence in the Hanseatic port to 86 calls throughout 2017, October next year sees AIDAprima ceasing her groundbreaking weekly European cities itinerary which started in April this year.
The repositioning of AIDA's latest ship to new base ports Las Palmas (Gran Canaria) and Santa Cruz de Tenerife brings the idea of year-round cruising on a repeating itinerary from Hamburg to a close, at least for the time being.
AIDA's announcement comes only a few weeks after Norwegian Cruise Line announced it is reducing the number of calls of Norwegian Jade to Hamburg from an initially planned 19 to just six in 2017.
AIDA Cruises says the repositioning of AIDAprima is a response to 'the wishes of many guests to also be able to experience the youngest member of the fleet at other popular AIDA destinations'.
Industry sources told Seatrade Cruise News AIDA's European city cruises have been well received by the market yet demand for cruising the Western Mediterranean, as well as the Canary Islands, promises a more profitable deployment of the ship in Southern Europe.
In recent weeks there has been speculation that newbuild AIDAperla, arriving next year, might take over AIDAprima's European cities itinerary. This, however, will not be the case, as AIDA's latest fleet addition is to be based in Palma de Majorca and Barcelona, serving the booming Western Med market as well.
Although AIDA Cruises has not disclosed details of its deployment beyond 2018, a year-round return to Hamburg seems probable once the new generation of newbuilts – the AIDA Helios Class – enters operation in 2019.
Fuelled by LNG, these ships will require ports able to supply this alternative fuel, ideally with a LNG terminal nearby, making the ports visited along the North European continental coastline suitable and suggesting AIDA's withdrawal from year-round cruising from Hamburg in autumn 2017 may only be temporary.
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