The first arrival of AIDAstella in Warnemünde today signals the opening of the new cruise season, with the ship passing by the pier heads at the entrance to the port at 7.45 a.m. this morning. A parade of boats with tugs, buoy tenders and passenger vessels with hundreds of spectators on board accompanied the beautiful new ship as far as the Warnemünde Cruise Center. AIDAstella then docked at Pier 7 at 8.45 a.m. in brilliant sunshine.

The 253-meter long, 32.2-meter beam cruise ship will be christened at a special ceremony in the Baltic Sea coastal resort this evening. From 12 noon, there will be plenty on offer for the residents of Rostock, holidaymakers and AIDA fans. Visitors at Karls Pier 7 can get in the mood for the exciting event with a competition, music, presentations, a shanty choir and delicious culinary delights.

All the visitors will be able to follow the emotional moment of the christening live on two huge LED screens from 7.30 to 7.50 p.m. One screen will be located between the railway station tunnel and the ferry dock, the other between the ferry dock and the terminal. From 7.50 to 8 p.m., AIDAstella will then sparkle in the starlight of a fireworks display, which will also be shown on the LED screens.

AIDA and the Baltic Sea port will remain closely associated in 2013. The first arrival of AIDAstella in Warnemünde signals the start of this year’s cruise season, with AIDAbella and AIDAmar cruises departing from here from April to the end of September. The program includes various cruises to the pearls of the Baltic Sea, such as Tallinn, St. Petersburg, Helsinki, Stockholm, Dansk and Copenhagen, as well as short cruises with stops in Copenhagen and Oslo. In total, AIDA Cruises will call at Rostock-Warnemünde 43 times during 2013.

At 8 p.m. on March 17, AIDAstella will cast off for her 14-day maiden voyage, visiting the ports of Oslo, Southampton, Paris and Amsterdam, among others.

Comprehensive information about the cruises on AIDAstella can be found on the Internet at www.aida.de/aidastella. Bookings can be made with your local travel agent, online at www.aida.de or by calling the AIDA Customer Center at +49-(0)381/202 707 07.

Rostock, March 16, 2013