Jobs into the next decade

The situation in shipping industry and in world shipbuilding has deteriorated significantly. Nevertheless, orders for new cruise ships received by MEYER WERFT in 2016 have reached a good level. Jobs at the MEYER WERFT are safe in the long term. We have thus nearly fulfilled our Site Continuation Agreement with the State of Lower Saxony and the IG Metall trade union.

MEYER WERFT was able to assert new technological standards in the branch. In cooperation with its customers and in the context of new projects, MEYER WERFT has established LNG as the future fuel for cruise liners and also made fuel cell technology suitable for use on passenger ships. The shipyard's customer base includes nearly all major cruise shipping companies in the world.

In 2016, NEPTUN WERFT in Rostock-Warnemünde completed six river cruise ships for Viking River Cruises. In the spring, MEYER WERFT in Papenburg handed over the Ovation of the Seas to Royal Caribbean International, followed in the autumn by Genting Dream to Dream Cruises.

"We have set our course for the future with considerable investment in our sites in Papenburg and Rostock, creating new jobs and forging ahead with many innovative re-search projects", says CEO Bernard Meyer. "It is a real challenge to design and complete these huge, complex ships on time. Our commitment, paired with our new Technology and Development Centre and the excellent long-term cooperation with our partners help us to hand these ships over punctually and in perfect technical condition", Tim Meyer adds.

Photo – Norwegian Joy (in the building dock), which will be handed over in spring 2017

The construction of a cruise liner specially developed for Alaska begins

The steel cutting of the vessel with yard number S.707 at MEYER WERFT in Papenburg marks the start of the construction of a further cruise ship for Norwegian Cruise Line.

Frank J. Del Rio, president and CEO of the Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd, pressed the start button of the computer-controlled cutting machine, thereby commencing work on the first steel plate for the Norwegian Cruise Line’s new ship that has been specially designed for use on Alaska cruises. Based on the environmental regulations in that destitnation the ship is equipped with scrubbers and a new environmental friendly generations of engines. The whole engineering process was dominated by the idea of improving the energy efficiency via Heat Recovery Systems, LED Lights, better hydro dynamic as to reduce the fuel consumption and emissions.

Norwegian Bliss, the third vessel in the Breakaway Plus class, is not just a very engery efficient ship, but is equipped with features tailor-made for the destination to make cruises through Alaska a first class experience. The ship, which can accommodate 4,000 passengers, sets new standards in terms of its gross tonnage of 167,800 and also in terms of its design.

Norwegian Cruise Line contracted American artist Roger Wyland, who specialises in painting marine wildlife, to design the hull artwork of Norwegian Bliss. With a reputation for his underwater world designs, Wyland has created a wealth of sources of inspiration for the protection of our oceans.

The Norwegian Bliss is due to be completed by Spring 2018.

For more information about the ships and the cruise line, please visit: www.ncl.de

Photo from left: Bernard Meyer, Meyer Werft, Frank J.del Rio, Norwegian, Robin Lindsay, Norwegian

DIN EN ISO 9001:2015: simply more quality

Papenburg, 17 October 2016 – MEYER WERFT has successfully certified its quality management system in accordance with DIN EN ISO 9001:2015. Two auditors (S. Hajek and H. Varelmann) from the certification society DQS confirmed conformity with the standard, after gaining a detailed insight into the shipyard’s quality-relevant processes together with the respective teams in an audit lasting several days.

The quality management standard DIN EN ISO 9001 is the most widespread and important standard in quality management (QM) nationally and internationally. In its current 2015 edition, it describes important bases for the shipyard to orient its processes in a future-proof manner. Certification and the associated regular monitoring by the certifying society thus secure and promote the continual further development of the shipyard’s processes.

“This certification underlines our claim to continually improve the quality of our processes and to have them regularly assessed externally,” says Managing Director Tim Meyer.

Frank Graichen, Managing Director of the Deutsche Gesellschaft zur Zertifizierung von Managementsystemen (DQS), says: “I am pleased to be able to honour MEYER WERFT. The certificate shows the shipyard is among the best in the world.”

The certified quality management system assures MEYER WERFT’s partners a transparent and objective assessment of their services. Customers and partners of the shipyard can rely on an internationally proven and recognised process standard. The consistency and transparency of the processes, from order entry up to product documentation and quality controls, ensure a structured organisation and also improve the quality of the result. The certification of MEYER WERFT thus serves to secure the future of the Papenburg location.

Photo: from left – Thorsten Störig, Head of Department Quality Management Meyer Werft - Frank Graichen Managing Director DQS – Tim Meyer, Managing Director Meyer Werft –Lambert Kruse, Managing Director Meyer Werft

First ship for the Chinese market handed over to Dream Cruises

Papenburg/Bremerhaven, 12 October 2016 – Today in Bremerhaven, MEYER WERFT handed over the new cruise ship Genting Dream (151,300 GT) to the Asian cruise operator company Dream Cruises. Together with the new design, this luxury liner offers passengers a wide range of special features and comfort. About 75% of the cabins are outer cabins and most of these have their own balcony. Furthermore, Dream Cruises has a crew of around 1,700 to offer passengers a particularly high standard of service.

For the first time, this cruise ship also carries two small deep sea submarines that can each take four people down to a depth of up to 200 metres. Entertainment on the ship is guaranteed state of the art thanks to an interactive communication system and extensive stage equipment. Environmentally friendly marine engines, diesel-electric pod drives, and improved hydrodynamics as well as numerous energy saving measures, heat recovery or ballast water cleaning all contribute to an ecological cruise experience and considerably reduced operating costs. The ship has also been designed and built according to the latest safety regulations.

Genting Dream has 35 restaurants and bars; various entertainment facilities such as theatres, bowling and a climbing park, as well as plenty of space for other outdoor activities. Great priority is given here to relaxation and recuperation. The ship has a Genting Club with 142 suites that offers the guests special privileges like an exclusive VIP pool as well as a separate spa area. On Genting Dream the first MRT (magnet resonance tomography) onboard of a cruise ship is installed.

The new ship for Dream Cruises has capacity for about 4,500 passengers in 1,674 cabins. The Genting Dream is 335 meters long, 39.7 meters wide and can reach a speed of more than 23 knots. The new cruise ship is designed for the rapidly developing Chinese cruise market.

After being handed over to the owner in Bremerhaven, Genting Dream will set sail to some of the loveliest destinations in Pacific Asia where it will offer cruises for two, five and seven nights. Sailing from Hong Kong, it will cruise through spectacular regions in Vietnam and China.

The Genting Dream (yard number S. 711) was funded with innovation grants from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) and the state of Lower Saxony as a lead ship development that made first-time use of innovative components.

Main data Genting Dream

Cooperative further education as a metal technology specialist – qualification concept for refugees

Papenburg, 6 October 2016 - MEYER WERFT, Emsland District Council (Job Centre) and Johannesburg in Surwold are training eight young people as metal technology specialists within the framework of cooperative further education from October. An agreement to this end was signed in Papenburg today.

The aim of the 24-month further education course is to give prospects to young people who, due to various disadvantages, barely have a chance on the regular training market. In this case, this also includes young refugees. Emsland District Council (Job Centre) advertised for bids to provide this further education and it is being implemented by MEYER WERFT and Johannesburg GmbH. This model experiment, which is taking place in this region for the first time and is being supported by the Emden and Papenburg Chambers of Industry and Commerce, is intended to sustainably support the integration of young people on the training market and later on the labour market.

In the first twelve months, which the Emsland Job Center is financing, the participants are being supported and trained in their educational skills in the workshops of Johannesburg GmbH. In the second year of the further education course, the participants will change to an operational phase at MEYER WERFT. The shipyard will take over practical training and the further financing of the course. Alongside practical and theoretical training, the participants will receive social pedagogic accompaniment to strengthen their personalities and ability to take action. A specialist is available to them for individual questions and assistance over the entire period. In the second half of the course the participants will be prepared step-by-step to successfully obtain the final qualification. After successfully completing the training, MEYER WERFT is offering the young people the option of continuing their careers there.

“This cooperative path of external and internal training will ensure the apprentices’ further education goes positively and will open up a successful career path in future,” says Managing Director Lambert Kruse.

“Ideas and projects of this kind – lifelike and practically oriented – will contribute to overcoming disadvantages and enable everyone to have access to the labour market,” emphasises Leader of the Council Martin Gerenkamp too. He particularly highlighted that this project, which is unique so far, is an initiative with a model character and he thanked MEYER WERFT for its readiness to collaborate. If the project goes successfully, the intention is to expand this concept to other professions with a shortage of applicants/skilled labour and to other target groups as well from 2017, announced Gerenkamp.