Despite the cruise industry being suspended around the world, we’ve still got some new ships to look forward including the new Quantum-Ultra class cruise ship from Royal Caribbean which has already commenced her river conveyance from Meyer Werft.
Odyssey of the Seas Begins River Conveyance
Odyssey of the Seas which is the second Quantum-ultra class cruise ship for Royal Caribbean has started her complex river Ems Conveyance. The ship which has been constructed by the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany started to leave the shipyard at around 4:00 AM local time.
At around 5 AM the giant new cruise ship then passed the docklock and then around 9:30 AM she passed through the Friesen Bridge in Weener. It’s a complex process when the vessel leaves Meyer Werft and the river conveyance to the Eemshaven, Netherlands takes more than one day to complete.
The ship has the help of two tug boats and goes through backwards. The conveyance is scheduled to be completed by Saturday afternoon.
The weather has a huge impact on the conveyance as the ship is just inches away from the shoreline. However, the transfer of the ship is carried out by the team of the Pilot Brotherhood Emden so they have a lot of experience. They practice and work out all the procedures before the actual day.
Situation at Meyer Werft
The popular shipyard which is in Papenburg has also been hit by the global pandemic and it’s not just a worry for the cruise lines. Ships have been delayed and of course, the yard has needed to implement health protocols to protect workers.
Jan Meyer, Managing Director of MEYER WERFT, said
“The conveyance of such a beautiful ship makes me reflect. By stretching the order book, we are securing work in the long term but at a lower level each year. For the last and also the next five years, we will have 40% less work each year.”
“We are working hard to adjust to this dramatic change in the situation. Even though some cruise ships will soon be able to sail again, this does not mean new orders by a long shot.”
Odyssey of the Seas is Coming
We’ve got a shiny new Royal Caribbean cruise ship to look forward to. She will be delivered in April 2021 so not too long to wait. Odyssey of the Seas will spend her inaugural season sailing the Mediterranean cruises out of Rome. The new mega-ship will then be based out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida from November 2021.
The ship is over 169,000 gross tons and is the sister ship to Spectrum of the Seas which is based out of China. The ship has a guest capacity of over 2,400 at double occupancy.
