Astoria Grande
Astoria Grande is a cruise ship which entered service as Aida in 1996 in the fleet of German cruise company, AIDA Cruises. She was their first cruise ship and in 2001 became AIDAcara. In 2021 the ship was sold to a Russian company and renamed Astoria Grande.[2]
 Astoria Grande departing from Helsinki as AIDAcara . | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name |
|
| Owner |
|
| Operator |
|
| Port of registry | |
| Builder | Kvaerner Masa-Yards Turku New Shipyard (Finland) |
| Cost | DM 300 million |
| Yard number | 1337 |
| Laid down | 11 September 1995 |
| Launched | 16 February 1996 |
| Completed | 4 June 1996 |
| Maiden voyage | 1996 |
| In service | June 1996 |
| Refit | 2005 |
| Identification |
|
| Status | In service |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | 38,557 GT |
| Length | 634.2 ft (193.30 m) |
| Beam | 90.5 ft (27.58 m) |
| Draft | 20.3 ft (6.19 m)[1] |
| Decks | 11 total, 9 passenger |
| Installed power | 2 diesel-electric motors (21,720 kW)[1] |
| Speed | 20 knots (37 km/h; 23 mph) |
| Capacity | 1,186 passengers |
| Crew | 360 crew |
History
The ship was built, at a cost of DM 300 million, by Kvaerner Masa-Yards at their Turku New Shipyard in (Finland), for Deutsche Seetouristik/Arkona Reisen, Rostock, as a "Clubschiff" (Club Ship),[3][1] She was launched in 1996 and entered service in June that year with the name Aida. When P&O Cruises purchased a controlling stake in Arkona Reisen in 1999, they transferred the ship, and it became part of the new Aida Cruises fleet. She was renamed Aidacara (styled AIDAcara) in 2001, after two sister ships entered operation as AIDAvita and AIDAaura.[1] In 2005, the vessel underwent a refit, which increased the number of cabins.
In 2021 the ship was sold to a Russian company and renamed Astoria Grande.[2]
2023 Port of Batumi Incident
In the summer of 2023, the ship began sailing from the Russian port of Sochi. On Monday, July 31, 2023, Russian passengers disembarking the ship in the Georgian port city of Batumi were met by protesters who threw eggs at the ship, waved Georgian, Ukrainian and EU flags and chanted anti-Putin slogans. The ship left the port on the evening of August 1, ahead of its scheduled departure. Although the ship had been scheduled to dock at Batumi every two weeks, following the incident the ship's webpage had dropped Batumi from its itinerary.[4][5]
References
- Ward, Douglas (2005). Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships. Singapore: Berlitz. ISBN 978-9812467393.
- Морской круизный лайнер Astoria Grande
- "AIDAcara". Simplon Postcards. Retrieved 2008-07-16.
- "Russian cruise ship leaves Batumi after Georgian protests". BBC News. 2023-08-01. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
- Caucasus, RFE/RL's Echo of the. "Russian Cruise Ship, Met With Fresh Protests In Batumi, To Remove Georgian Port From Itinerary". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 2023-08-01.
External links
- "AIDAcara, AHOI!" (in German). Aida Cruises. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Official AIDAcara website
- "Astoria Grande (G90705)". DNV Vessel Register. Germanischer Lloyd. Retrieved 2010-03-24.
- Deck Plans of AIDAcara Archived 2011-07-16 at the Wayback Machine
- "Astoria Grande (9112789)". Equasis. French Ministry for Transport. Retrieved 13 May 2022.