Order placed with Rostock yard

Rostock, January 18, 2005 - AIDA Cruises has placed an order with Neptun Stahlbau GmbH in Rostock for the modernization of m/v AIDAcara. On 18th April, 2005, the club vessel is going to end her last winter voyage from Palma de Mallorca in Warnemünde and will then move into the shipyard for two weeks. Along with the specified repair work the planning also includes some modernization work amounting to EUR 2.5 mill.

Thus 44 cabins on deck no. 7 shall be provided with balconies at short notice. " By this AIDA Cruises meets an international trend as well as passengers' demands for more cabins with balconies" says Burkhard Müller, Vice President Fleet Services of AIDA Cruises. The cabin splitting will also be optimised: Families, in particular, will gain from the child-oriented "4-bed cabin" category which for the first time can be booked on AIDAcara on decks 4 and 5. The restaurant areas will be enlarged, too. 76 additional seats will be arranged inside the Caribbean Restaurant on deck 9, and (which is particularly interesting for fresh-air fans) another 49 seats in the sun outside. Furthermore, the wellness area will be equipped with new massage cabins.

An unusual technical feature is the 1.80 m long retractable platform to be arranged on the captain's bridge wing to ensure safe berthing manoeuvres. The aesthetic improvement of the club vessel will be completed by a new paint coat requiring 5 to 6 thousand litres of paint.

On the 1st of May the freshly overhauled AIDAcara will officially open the new Warnemünde Cruise Center and start on a 4-days "tasting" trip in the Baltic Sea. Another 12 trips from Warnemünde will follow, each lasting 10 days and leading to the most beautiful cities along the Baltic.

In the meantime the AIDA fleet consists of four club vessels. AIDAcara as the first vessel of the AIDA fleet has been ceremonially named in Rostock on July 7, 1996. Since her commissioning she has sailed 669,679 nautical miles and welcomed appr. 355,000 guests on board.

Manfred Müller-Fahrenholz, managing director of Neptun Stahlbau GmbH, is obviously pleased with this highly ambitious order: "The modernization of the AIDAcara is an important step to ensure a full-capacity use of the facilities of the yard and other companies in the area." All essential suppliers for this contract are regional companies. Neptun Stahlbau is an associated company of the MEYER WERFT at Papenburg which already received the contracts for the two newbuilding ships of the AIDA fleet amounting to EUR 630 mill.

(Press Release AIDA Cruises)

Rostock-Warnemünde, 16th December 2004 – Today, the first ship of a series of new buildings for the Rhone river cruise ship, has left the assembly halls of NEPTUN Stahlbau GmbH.

The newest A-ROSA vessel named A-ROSA LUNA is 126 metres long and will be put into the water within the next days. Its sister ship, the A-ROSA STELLA will leave the hall in early January 2005.

The handover of the vessels to the shipping company A-ROSA Flussschiff GmbH is plannend for the beginning of March or early April 2005.

Rostock-Warnemünde, 3rd March 2003 – The successful series of river cruise ship construction continues with the NEPTUN Reparaturwerftt GmbH delivering the third river vessel in a series of currently four to the shipping company Seetours, the German Branch of Princess Cruises International Ltd.

The newest river cruise ship is named A-ROSA MIA. It is a sister ship to the A-ROSA BELLA and A-ROSA DONNA, both delivered in April 2002.

The A-ROSA MIA will cruise on the Danube. A further fourth ship of this series is already under construction and there is an option for a fifth. "This order has secured in many jobs at both NEPTUN and also at the region of Rostock," said Manfred Müller-Fahrenholz, managing director of NEPTUN Reparaturwerft GmbH.

The construction of this new river vessel in Rostock-Warnemünde has been supported with the know-how of the parent company MEYER WERFT in Papenburg, which is known worldwide as a high profile shipyard for cruise liners. The A-ROSA MIA was prefabricated in large block sections on land and then mounted in the floating dock of NEPTUN Reparaturwerft GmbH in Rostock-Warnemünde.

After the completed equipment was transported to a dock in the Black Sea to the Danube estuary, the ship sailed with its own power to Passau, where the baptism ceremony took place on 16 April. The maiden voyage began at 17 April.

Building concept

The vessel is designed for experience-oriented passenger who wants to enjoy the Donau cruise but also be able to exercise and without compromising on a refined ambience. Spacious cabins, a variety of entertainment, spa and fitness offerings as well as the excellent cuisine and a well-stocked bar will ensure a very special experience on board.

The lowest passenger deck (Deck 1) is mounted directly on the tank ceiling. The front area contains some technical rooms including rear area holding cabins for the crew and the engine room. The windows are relatively small because of the proximity to the water-line. The deck above (Deck 2) has a similar division concept: technical rooms lay to the front while passenger and crew cabins are in the back. The kitchen section can also be found here.

The windows in the passenger area extend over the full height, and there are small French balconies. The public areas are located at deck 3: the front parlor, rear spa wing, lobby, shops, bar and the "AIDA / A'ROSA" typical club ship - restaurant with open seating on the deck.

Access to the four deck levels is mainly allowed through the round shaped foyer of curved stairs. There are also front and back internal staircases in different locations. At the Cafe-Bar (Deck 3) as well as in the lounge the passenger can enjoy a quiet gliding over the river, which - within a beautiful landscape - always gives new impressions and experiences. Sun shade, sun lounges and variable wind systems always provide a pleasant stay on the top deck.

Safety

The A-ROSA MIA meets all safety regulations for inland waterway to be followed during the accompanying trip, specifically on the Danube. This includes most importantly the inland waterway regulatory investigations (BinSchUO) and the Rhine Vessel Inspection Regulation-(RheinSchUO).The vessel is certified by the Central Authority of the ship Investigation Commission (ZSUK).

The immediate safety of passengers is supported by an innovative TV system with a network of cameras. This can among other things monitor all significant or vulnerable exterior areas of the ship. In addition, large plasma flat screens will entertain the passengers in the lobby, the lounge and coffee bar.

Engine and Technology

The A-ROSA Mia is powered by two MTU diesel engines with an output of 800kW. The propulsion system utilizes two Schottel twin propellers type STP 550, which can rotate 360 degrees. These propellar drives provide the vessel an outstanding maneuverability, particularly designed for use on rivers. The rudder propellers consist of two screws, which allow for the small drafts for better weight distribution. Due to the rotation of the rudder propellers to 360 degrees, the thrust of the screws can be steered in any desired direction without requiring the rudder.

For the board power supply three MAN diesel engines with an output of 380 kW are installed. Furthermore, an emergency generator with an output of 37 kW is installed to ensure the board power supply in a blackout to run the basic functions.

Main Characteristics