Odyssey OTS Sails Backwards Down Ems River

Ever see a Cruise Ship Sail Backwards?

Watch the second Royal Caribbean Quantum Ultra class ship, Odyssey of the Seas, make her way – backward – down the Ems River and to the North Sea on her conveyance. The 20-mile (32-kilometer), 10-plus-hour journey brings the highly anticipated ship one step closer to her debut in Haifa, Israel in May 2021. 

Odyssey is set to sail a mix of 3- to 7-night cruises to Greece and Cyprus for the summer before continuing her inaugural year in Fort Lauderdale, Florida to cruise the eastern, western and southern Caribbean in November 2021.

 


Odyssey OTS Sailings (Click here)

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Anthem of the Seas Conveyance

Royal Caribbean Anthem of  the Seas         Courtesy Meyer Werft

Anthem of the Seas is almost here - she recently went through her conveyance and it was a success! Want to learn more about the conveyance process? Check out this video to learn more and let me know what you think. Pretty neat, right?


The building of the Anthem of the Seas, the sister vessel of the Quantum of the Seas, commenced with the keel laying on 19th November 2013. Work will be completed upon delivery of the ship this Spring.

Anthem of the Seas Main Characteristics  Tonnage 167,800 GT Overall Length 348 m Width 41.4 m Decks 18 Engine Output 67,200 kW Speed 22 kts Number of Passenger Cabins 2,094 Passengers 4,188

As far as entertainment, engineering and safety are concerned, the Anthem of the Seas will be of an equal standard as its sister vessel, the Quantum of the Seas. Highlights: virtual balconies into the inside cabins  an unforgettable view from the ninety-metre-high ‘North Star‘ observation capsule high-action entertainment such as bumper cars available in the SeaPlex multifunctional room simulated parachute jumping courtesy of the ‘RipCord by iFly‘ traditional attractions, such as the ‘FlowRider‘ surfing simulator

Once it has commenced service, the Anthem of the Seas will sail with its 4,100 passengers from Southampton (England) to Norway and the Mediterranean, before making its way from Fort Lauderdale (Florida) to the Caribbean in winter 2015. A third quantum-class ship has been ordered from the shipyard and is scheduled for delivery in 2016.

Norwegian Getaway Conveyance

Norwegian Getaway Conveyance   Courtesy Meyer Werft

Ems Conveyance of Norwegian GETAWAY
Papenburg - Eemshaven | November 14/15, 2013 

A schedule can be found here

On 2 November 2013 the 146,600-gt cruise ship Norwegian GETAWAY, whose construction has taken merely 12 months, floated out of MEYER WERFT's covered building dock II. Weeks prior to that the shipyard was busy conducting extensive tests and machinery trials.  Following the float-out more tests were carried out in the harbour and the ship was berthed alongside the yard's outfitting pier.   

Norwegian Getaway will sail a 10-night Transatlantic in January 2014 from Southampton, England to New York.  Starting in February, the ship will be home-ported in Miami and will be sailing 7-night Eastern Caribbean itineraries.   For more information about ship and schedules (click here). 

Norwegian Breakaway Class News

Norwegian Breakaway Begins Her Conveyance Along the Ems River (4 photos)

Norwegian Breakaway took another major step towards her highly-anticipated delivery early this morning when she departed Meyer Werft on her conveyance along the Ems River. Leaving Meyer Werft at approximately 6 a.m. Germany time, sailing backwards, Norwegian Breakaway successfully cleared the first set of locks, and then continued along the river to her final destination in Eemshaven, The Netherlands.

Norwegian Breakaway is the largest cruise ship to ever be constructed in Germany; therefore, it required very precise maneuvers in order to pass through the narrow passage of the initial locks. The ship, measuring 1063 feet long and 130 feet wide; only had 1.6 meters clearance on the starboard side when it passed through the locks. A team of two were in control of the maneuvers, one in control of the bow and one in control of the stern, to ensure that the passage took place at minimum speed and only placed minimum pressure on the bumpers that lined the inside of the locks.

It is an interesting sight to see a ship traveling backwards, but the reason for this is due to the strong propulsion in the aft section of the vessel. Therefore, traveling backwards, or stern first, helps with maneuverability which is a key component when navigating the vessel through such narrow passages.

Just Announced: Norwegian Getaway to feature The Illusionarium! (4 photos)

Just announced: Norwegian Getaway will bring the excitement and allure of the Magic City to sea with an all-new entertainment experience, The Illusionarium. A first of its kind, the Illusionarium will envelop guests in the fascinating world of magic, inviting them to experience the astonishing illusions of world-class magicians and supernatural special effects! Also announced, Norwegian Getaway, like her sister ship, Norwegian Breakaway, will feature Fireworks at Sea, a five-slide Aqua Park and Three Story Sports Complex! Norwegian Getaway sets sail from Miami in February 2014!

Summary of Getaway's features:

• Illusionarium – Only Norwegian offers meals with amazement, where guests can enjoy an intimate dinner as world-class magicians perform in our unique round top venue
• Aqua Park – Features five multi-story waterslides including the fastest at sea, two thrilling drop slides, two main pools and four hot tubs
• Sports Complex – Like her sister ship, her three-story Sports Court will feature the largest ropes course at sea, basketball, rock wall, mini golf and more
• Fireworks Show – An environmentally-friendly pyrotechnics display will dazzle guests on the second to last night at sea each week
• Spice H20 - An Ibiza-inspired, adults-only beach club by day and outdoor dance club by night with a giant LED screen that projects vibrant visuals   

Photos courtesy of Meyer Werft and Norwegian Cruise Line.  Be sure to visit often as more news about these new ships is unveiled.

Celebrity Reflection Sea Trials

Celebrity Reflection courtesy Meyer Werft Shipyard

Celebrity Reflection

Conveyance

On September 16th, the last Celebrity Solstice-class ship left the Meyer Werft Shipyard in Pagenburg, Germany. Celebrity Reflection is on her way,  down the River Ems (backward, mind you) and out to the North Sea. Her final destination for these sea trials is  Emshaven, The Netherlands. 

This marks the completion of the construction period for Celebrity Reflection.  After the completion of the sea trials, the ship will be formally turned over to the owner, Celebrity Cruises in the traditional christening ceremony.

 Inaugural Sailing:  From Amsterdam on October 12th

Celebrity Reflection Conveyance Photo Albums

Celebrity Cruises is posting pictures of the ship and the sea trials on their Facebook page.  We fell in love with the Solstice-class when we were on a pre-inaugural of Celebrity Solstice.   The final ship in the series is now almost ready to be put into service complementing her sister-ships.

Photos and Stories:

Celebrity Cruises blog                       

Celebrity Reflection Album Update II

Celebrity Reflection Conveyance Update III

Celebrity Reflection Culinary "Spots"

Celebrity Reflection Update Album IV

Celebrity Reflection Update V

Celebrity Reflection Update VI Bon Voyage

     

Disney Dream Conveyance

Disney Dream Conveyance  (Photos Courtesy Disney Cruise Line)

Disney Dream

Lights up the Sky

Fireworks filled the sky in Papenburg, Germany, as Disney Dream departed the Meyer Werft shipyard November 12th on its conveyance down the River Ems.  The ship's horns played “A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes,” thrilling the thousands that had lined the banks to witness the ship's conveyance.

The conveyance process is a unique maneuver for ships built by the Meyer Werft shipyard, the only place in the world where this process occurs. The journey involves moving the ship some 26 miles down the winding River Ems.  In some areas, railroad bridges have been dismantled with sections lifted out to allow the ship’s passage. 

“With the conveyance of the Disney Dream, we have reached yet another milestone for the third ship in our fleet,” said Karl Holz, president of Disney Cruise Line. “It won’t be long before our guests finally experience the inspired innovation and extraordinary creative content that makes this ship so magnificent and so unique. From an exhilarating ride on the AquaDuck to dazzling stage shows and exquisite French cuisine at Remy, the incredible offerings on the Disney Dream will delight everyone who steps aboard.”

“All of us at MEYER WERFT and throughout the community of Papenburg are very proud to see this ‘Dream’ ship through its historic conveyance,” said Bernard Meyer, managing partner of MEYER WERFT. “As the largest ship this yard has built, our entire community feels a tremendous sense of achievement and a deep connection to this exceptional vessel.”

What dreams do you have?  If you are dreaming of far away places, warm breezes blowing as you recline by the pool, being able to see your favorite Disney Characters up close while sailing on the oceans...  Disney Cruise Line has probably already thought of a way to fulfill your dreams.   Even this sailing from Meyer Werft's shipyard had an element of Disney flair with the fireworks and music sounding from the ship's horns.   

With the passing of this milestone, Disney Dream is one step closer to completion and delivery to Disney Cruise Line and fans across the world.   Here is a list of milestones before the delivery.

Construction Milestones

• Float Out - Completed October 30th
• Testing on the ship’s functional features - Completed last two weeks
• Conveyance - November 12
• Sea Trials (test and adjust phase) - following Conveyance
• Short Final Dry Dock in Hamburg, Germany
• Delivery Ceremony in Bremerhaven, Germany  

Disney Dream will have several new notable innovations for guests to enjoy.

• AquaDuck, a first-of-its-kind water coaster, is an exhilarating, high-speed thrill ride that combines all the ups and downs of a roller coaster with all the twists and turns of a water slide. 
• Magical Portholes offer a “virtual window” to the world for inside staterooms, with a real-time view outside the ship where high-definition cameras feed live video to each stateroom.
• Enchanted Art immerses guests in Disney storytelling and looks like other hanging art pieces around the ship, but is actually a framed LCD screen with technology that recognizes a guest is present.
• Remy, an exquisite top-deck restaurant, only for adults, with incredible ocean views and French-inspired, gourmet cuisine by two award-winning chefs.

The Disney Dream will sail three-, four- and five-night cruises to the Bahamas from Port Canaveral, Fla., while sister ship Disney Fantasy, is set to sail seven-night alternating Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries, also from Port Canaveral, beginning in 2012.

The Disney Magic will continue sailing seven-night Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises, before returning to the Mediterranean for another summer of cruising in this region in 2011.

The Disney Wonder will begin 2011 by repositioning to the West Coast of the U.S., sailing seven-night Mexican Riviera cruises from the Port of Los Angeles, while spending the summer sailing first-ever Alaskan itineraries from Vancouver.

Watch for more news about Disney Dream as it is made ready for inaugural events.