AIDAnova cruise ship unveiled: Carnival's largest ship built at a cost of $1.1 billion

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AIDAnova cruise ship unveiled: Carnival's largest ship built at a cost of $1.1 billion

By Craig Platt
Updated
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No, it's not Boaty McBoatface's larger sister. Meet AIDAnova, the newest giant cruise ship ready to take to the seas.

AIDA Cruises has launched its largest ship in Papenburg, Germany, in front of 25,000 spectators on Friday, with star DJ David Guetta on hand to entertain the crowd.

The giant ship is the fifth-biggest in the world, able to accommodate a whopping 6600 passengers and 1500 crew.

AIDAnova leaves dry dock at the Meqer-Werft shipyards in Papenburg, northern Germany.

AIDAnova leaves dry dock at the Meqer-Werft shipyards in Papenburg, northern Germany.Credit: AP

AIDAnova cost a reported $1.1 billion to build and is more than 330 metres long, weighing 184,000 tonnes, with 20 decks, 17 restaurants and 23 bars.

On board, passengers can enjoy a treatment at the giant on-board spa, covering 3500 square metres, or take in a show at the "Theatrium" 360-degree theatre. The theatre's launch shows include Show me! YELLO!, an audio-visual performance based around the Swiss pop duo Yello's (most famous for Oh Yeah, featured heavily in Ferris Bueller's Day Off) work.

German-based AIDA, a brand owned by Carnival, has 12 ships in its fleet, all of which feature a face painted on the bow. The cruise line has three more ships under construction, to be delivered by 2023.

The AIDAnova is also the world's first cruise ship to be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG), cutting down on its emissions.

The ship will make its first trip at the end of September, sailing to Eemshaven in the Netherlands for final fit-out and sea trials. Its first passenger cruises will depart in mid-December, sailing the Canary Islands and Madeira off the coast of Africa on seven-day itineraries.

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The world's biggest cruise ships (by gross tonnage)

  1. Symphony of the Seas 228,081 tonnes, 6680 passengers
  2. Harmony of the Seas 226,963 tonnes, 6687 passengers
  3. Allure of the Seas 225,282 tonnes, 6780 passengers
  4. Oasis of The Seas 225,282 tonnes, 6780 passengers
  5. AIDAnova 184,000 tonnes, 6600 passengers

See also: Cruise ship insider secrets revealed: 25 things you never knew about

See also: Virgin reveals the name of its first, adults-only ship

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