The future of LNG cruise ships to a large extent is already here, and AIDA Cruises and MSC Cruises are two names that are continuing to push it forward. In fact, a portion of the "Making LNG Happen: Combining Forces for Sustainable Shipping” international trade conference was hosted aboard the LNG-powered AIDAprima in Rotterdam recently, and MSC Cruises just announced a partnership with ARTA for an LNG bunkering system.

Exploring the practical operation of LNG power aboard cruise ships were 80 business, politics and science representatives on the latest AIDA ship, which first successfully tested the power source in Hamburg on May 7, 2016. Since then, the AIDAprima has been able to acquire LNG fuel at every port along its itinerary: Hamburg, Rotterdam, Le Havre, Southampton and Zeebrugge.

Thus, it is able to eliminate all sulfur oxides and soot particles and reduce its nitrogen oxide emission by up to 80 percent and its CO2 emissions by up to 20 percent when it is docked, about 40 percent of the time, and beyond.

READ MORE: Analyzing AIDA Cruises’ New AIDAprima Bow Design

"We believe in LNG as the fuel with the lowest emissions that is currently available and have been performing pioneering work in this area for many years,” said Dr. Monika Griefahn, Chief Sustainable Officer AIDA Cruises in a press release. “In the summer of 2015, we announced that we will be the first cruise company worldwide to operate the ships of the next AIDA generation - which are being built at the Meyer shipyard in Papenburg and commissioned as of 2019 - 100 percent with LNG.

“We are pleased that other cruise lines are now also following our example and have ordered new constructions with LNG fuel as well. However, we also need the support of the ports and LNG producers to invest in the necessary infrastructure.”

AIDA’s commitment to clean energy began back in 2013 when it collaborated with Becker Marine Systems on the LNG hybrid barge, and since May 30, 2015, the AIDAsol has been powered by LNG when at the Hafencity Cruise Terminal.

READ MORE: MSC Cruises Orders Up to Four New World-Class Ships

Additionally, MSC Cruises is pursuing LNG power for its future World-class cruise ships. To that end, Seatrade Cruise News is reporting that the line has partnered with gas and liquid transfer solution manufacturer ARTA to craft a cruise-specific LNG bunkering system for the upcoming series of ships, the first pair of which is set to launch in 2022 and 2024.

Yves Bui, MSC Cruises’ LNG project director was quoted as saying, “With up to four LNG-powered cruise ships scheduled to join our fleet, we are highly committed to developing the best possible technologies and systems to support the introduction of LNG to cruising.”

Special to the newly developed standard will be a specific coupling and decoupling mechanism and a double-walled hose for use during regular shipboard operations.

Andreas von Keitz, ARTA’s Managing Director, was additionally quoted as saying, “Thanks to our partnership with MSC Cruises we have been able to fully understand cruise ship bunkering needs and have put over 40 years of our bunkering engineering experience to good use. The result is a technologically advanced solution that will help ensure that the double wall principle is maintained across the entire LNG bunkering supply chain.”

Follow @LeppertPulse

Follow @PopularCruising