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| AIDAblu was christened last night in Hamburg
by its godmother, German designer Jette Joop. The evening ceremony was
capped by a spectacular fireworks display. At the conclusion,
AIDAblu set off on its maiden cruise. |
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| AIDA's christenings are different from most,
in that they are open to the public allowing thousands to partake in the
celebration. AIDA estimates that approximately 20,0000 people attended
last night's event. For the "Fire & Ice" evening, AIDA had
constructed a Winter Village at the Fish Market with almost like a
street-fair atmosphere that included bands on several stages, and this
one had ice-carving and fire-walking demonstrations at several stations
(hence the the evening's theme, Fire & Ice). As part of the
spectacle, they used the ship as a giant canvas for a light show, as
seen above. Throughout the dock area, large LED screens are set up so
everyone will have an excellent view of the ceremony. Once the bottle
was broken, and the ship was christened, the evening concluded with a
huge fireworks show in the skies over the city for the entire community
to enjoy. |
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| AIDAblu is the fourth ship in the class built
by Meyer Werft. This one, however, has a new feature, a complete working
microbrewery operated by German brewers Hovels. |
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| Up to 130 gallons of beer will be brewed
daily aboard AIDAblu, all conforming to strict German brewing laws.
Several type of light and dark beer will be brewed, including seasonal
beers and a brand unique to AIDAblu. Like everything else onboard, the
brewery adheres to all US public health guidelines. |
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| The brauhaus is set up in two sections, one
like a beer hall and the other "outside" area along the
promenade like a beer garden. In addition to beer, the menu includes
typical brauhaus fare such as hearty stews and specially made bratwurst. |
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