Portsmouth International Port has welcomed the German cruise line AIDA to the city for the first time today, with passengers aboard the AIDAsol disembarking for the day to enjoy all Portsmouth has to offer.

Today marks another landmark moment for Portsmouth’s cruise ambitions, as the major German cruise line AIDA makes a maiden call to the city.

Since 1996, the fleet of AIDA Cruises have discovered the world. They put a signature German twist on to cruising, with a casual, family-friendly atmosphere which attracts guests of all ages, including many first time cruisers.

The 253 metre AIDAsol, which carries a maximum of 2,100 passengers, offers its guests plenty of space for sports, wellness and culinary delights, including a 2,602 m²  spa area. The ship even has a brewery, meaning passengers can sample special AIDA beer brewed on-board. The ship is also decked in AIDA’s iconic paintwork which always raises a smile from those who see it.

Andrew Williamson, passenger operations manager at Portsmouth International Port said: “We’re delighted to welcome the AIDAsol, along with her crew and passengers, to Portsmouth today. The hard work that’s been carried out behind the scenes, along with Portsmouth’s superb offer for passengers, means that major lines such as AIDA are now attracted to the port.

“AIDA pride themselves on their family friendly atmosphere, and as Portsmouth offers a wide range of attractions suitable for all ages, they’ll be sure to find plenty to do whilst they spend their day here.

“From the unrivalled history on offer at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, to the stunning views from the Spinnaker Tower along with the opportunity to explore the shops and restaurants across the city, I’m sure the people of Portsmouth will give passengers a warm welcome.”

To ensure that AIDAsol’s passengers get a great first impression of the city, they will be welcomed to Portsmouth by a dedicated team of Portsmouth Ambassadors.

The Portsmouth Ambassadors programme, run by Shaping Portsmouth, aims to engage the local community and businesses to drive passion for the city, recruiting Ambassadors to carry the message.

Andrew Starr, Deputy Leader of the Portsmouth Ambassador programme, said “Welcoming cruise ships into Portsmouth and interacting with the visitors as they come ashore is one of the main functions of Portsmouth Ambassadors. People who are passionate about Portsmouth and wish to share their passion with people visiting us. This is a wonderful new opportunity for all ambassadors to eventually come and greet visitors to our wonderful city.”

Sarah Bell, Leader of Shaping Portsmouth’s Cruise Passenger programme, adds “We are very excited on the Cruise Passenger Programme to be leading our first Meet and Greet Event at the port and welcoming our Cruise visitors to our wonderful city.”

The visit of AIDAsol is the first of two AIDA calls to Portsmouth this year, with sister ship AIDAvita scheduled to visit on the 10 December.