---

The symbolic first steel cutting for the world's first cruise ship that can be run completely on liquefied natural gas (LNG) was performed by AIDA Cruises president Felix Eichhorn and Meyer Werft director Bernard Meyer at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, on 21st February.

Carnival Corporation, the owner of AIDA Cruises, announced the order of four LNG-powered vessels from Meyer Werft in the summer of 2015. Two of the vessels, each with a gross tonnage (grt) in excess of 180,000 tonnes, are scheduled to join the AIDA fleet in the autumn of 2018 and the spring of 2021, respectively. Delivery of the other two ships - to Italian brand Costa Cruises - is expected in 2019 and 2020.

A deal to build another three vessels - two for Carnival Cruise Line (scheduled for delivery in 2020 and 2022) and one for P&O Cruises UK (due to be delivered in 2020) - was announced in September 2016 and brings Carnival's total number of orders for vessels fully powered by LNG to seven.

AIDA Cruises is set to be the first cruise shipping company in the world with the capability to operate its new generation of ships using only LNG.

Speaking at the steel cutting ceremony, Felix Eichhorn said: "With the start of construction of the first LNG cruise ship in the world, we are not only setting standards for the future in terms of eco-friendliness. Thanks to the further development of the innovative ship design and a large number of successful product innovations of the existing AIDA fleet, we will be opening up totally new worlds of experience to our guests on board our ships in the future."

Bernard Meyer remarked: "We are very proud to be driving forward this quantum leap in the area of environmental protection together with AIDA Cruises. The successful development of this new and sophisticated ship class for AIDA Cruises shows what a good team spirit, the consistent pursuit of a common goal and committed people can bring about."

In October, Bunker Index reported that Shell had signed a framework agreement with Carnival to supply LNG to two new LNG-powered ships operated by AIDA Cruises and Costa Cruises with itineraries visiting ports in northwest Europe and the Mediterranean in 2019.

The agreement builds on the partnership established between Carnival's AIDA Cruises brand and Shell in April 2016 to supply its AIDAprima ship with LNG to power the vessel while docked. The AIDAprima is the first cruise ship in the world to use LNG while in port.

Another AIDA Cruises vessel, the AIDAsol, became the first cruise ship in the world to be supplied with power by an LNG hybrid barge in 2015.