Dover Cruise Port welcomes AIDAluna

Dover Cruise Port welcomed the AIDAluna yesterday on day four of the ship's voyage from Hamburg calling at Le Havre, Antwerp and Amsterdam before returning to Germany on Saturday. This was AIDAluna's inaugural call at Dover Cruise Port. Captain Dirk Albrecht said: "We couldn't have asked for better weather on arrival for our first visit to Dover and look forward to making a further five calls between now and the end of May."

From 15th May the brand new ship AIDAMar will make seven calls and sister ship, AIDACara will call three times at Dover Cruise Port. Owned by US based Carnival, the AIDAluna sails with 634 crew. She was originally deployed in the Baltic Sea in summer 2009 and is the third ship of the Sphinx class with a gross tonnage of over 69,000.

The vessel, the first AIDA ship to boast a poolside theatre, offers passengers a wide variety of facilities including 13 passenger decks offering 1,025 staterooms, 666 of which are outside and 65% of those boast balconies. On board, there is a 4-D cinema, fitted with moving chairs and the focal point of the ship is the theatrium, a three-level complex which doubles up as a theatre. An impressive spa facility can accommodate 70 guests and the sun deck is fitted with a massive LED screen. The ship has seven restaurants, one of which is multi-cultural, and 11 bars.

Clare Newman, Manager of Business Delivery at the Port of Dover presented Captain Dirk Albrecht with an inaugural plaque and he reciprocated with a model of the AIDALuna. Clare said: "We were delighted to welcome AIDALuna to Dover on her inaugural visit which is also the first call of Dover's 2012 cruise season. With over 2,500 passengers onboard, half have opted for an organised shore-excursion, whilst the rest are either enjoying the good weather on deck or are exploring Dover and the rest of the county under their own steam. We have worked hard to develop the relationship with AIDA and are delighted with the increased number of calls that we have welcomed year on year."