MEYER WERFT builds four ships for German market Papenburg, 12.06.2006 - AIDA Cruises from Rostock has ordered a fourth AIDAdiva class cruise vessel from German MEYER WERFT in Papenburg. The newbuilding having the yard number S. 680 will have a tonnage of 68,500 GT and will be delivered to the Owner in the spring of 2010. The ship has a length overall of 252 m and is 32.2 m wide. 2,030 passengers are accommodated in 1,015 cabins. It features plenty of technical innovations and interior design novelties. Approx. 36,000 kW (roughly 50,000 hp) are generated by four large diesel engines and enable the new cruise liners to sail at a speed of more than 21 knots. "We really appreciate that we can continue the successful partnership with AIDA, Costa Crociere und their parent company Carnival Corporation & plc. The shipyard's order books are now full until the next decade", says Bernard Meyer, managing partner of MEYER WERFT.

New ship for Norwegian shipping company

Papenburg, 30.05.2006 - Bertram Engelsen, Technical Director from the Norwegian shipping company Solvang ASA, pushed the button of the computer-controlled plasma torch for the steel construction of the second out of a series of four gas tankers. This machine cuts the first steel plate and hallmarked the start of construction of the new ship.

The LEG/LPG tankers will have a length overall of 154.9 m, a breadth of 22.70 m and a cargo capacity of 17,000 m3. They will be able to operate at a speed of 17 knots. Fully loaded with ethylene cooled down to minus 104°C, the ships will have a draught of 8.10 m. In addition to ethylene, the tankers will also be able to carry vinyl chloride monomer, ammonia and propylene oxide, cooled down to minus 48° C.

Deliveries of these special vessels, yard numbers S. 653, S. 654, S. 681 and S. 682, are scheduled for the 3rd and 4th quarter of 2007 and the 3rd and 4th quarter of 2008. Especially regarding the outfitting of the vessel the sister company of MEYER WERFT, NEPTUN WERFT in Rostock, will be involved.

Hence these four newbuildings are a continuation of the two 12,500 m3 sized gas tankers, Clipper Harald and Clipper Viking, built for Solvang in 1998/1999 by MEYER WERFT.

A New Ship under U.S. Flag for Norwegian Cruise Line
Eemshaven/Papenburg, 19.04.2006 - In the Dutch port of Eemshaven today MEYER WERFT delivered the 93,558-gt cruise ship Pride of Hawaii to the operator NCL America (USA). The delivery was postponed, because the yard changed the bearings of the pod propulsion system as a measure of precaution in order to avoid damage to the system. The Pride of Hawaii which is designed and built for the US-market will take up its cruise service from Hawaii as planned. Two more ships for the sister company Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) are under construction at MEYER WERFT. The Norwegian Pearl and Norwegian Gem will be delivered end of 2006 and fall 2007 respectively. All told, Pride of Hawaii is already the sixth ship for NCL. As a result of NCL's concept of "freestyle cruising" the new vessel combines a wide variety of restaurants with luxurious interior outfittings meeting state-of-the-art technical demands. Along with its new design, the luxury liner offers the passengers numerous specialties and a great deal of convenience: two thirds of the cabins are outside cabins, with most of them having their own balconies. Moreover, with its 1,100 crew, NCL America offers the passengers outstanding service. Both safety and entertainment meets the latest technical standards ensured by the diesel-electric pod propulsion system, interactive communication systems and sophisticated stage technology. Upon delivery to the Owner, the Pride of Hawaii will leave the Dutch port of Eemshaven for the USA where she will take more crew onboard and will be presented to the public for the first time. The ship will enter into service for "NCL America" in summer 2006.

Pride of Hawaii - Main particulars

Final Check of Pod Propulsion System Papenburg, 12.04.2006 - The new cruise ship the Pride of Hawaii built by MEYER WERFT for Norwegian Cruise Line will arrive in Bremerhaven on Saturday, April 15 about noon. The ship will be docked at Lloyd Werft for a final check of the pod-propulsion system. The ship will stay in Bremerhaven approx. four days. After delivery to the owner she will sail without passengers to Baltimore/USA, where more crew will go onboard. The ship will take up its cruise service from Hawaii in Summer 2006 as planned.

Papenburg joins a pan-European InitiativePapenburg, 31.03.2006 - MEYER WERFT and local schools in Papenburg participate actively in the "Week of Shipbuilding." This initiative has been launched by the Community of European Shipyards' Associations (CESA) and by the European umbrella organisation of the metal workers' unions. MEYER WERFT has opened its doors to potential young professionals in order to introduce young people to the variety of careers in the shipbuilding industry. For this reason special projects were agreed in cooperation with three schools: The local grammar school ("Gymnasium Papenburg") has initiated a project week dealing with the issue "Young people & cruising." In a study students in class 11 have defined the requirements young people have on a cruise ship. Students at the local vocational school ("Berufsbildende Schulen Papenburg") have been working on their project "CAD training at a vocational school." The secondary school students ("Michaelschule") have put a ber focus on the aspect of craftmanship, and have built a model of AIDAdiva so as to express their fascination with shipbuilding. The shipyard's vocational training will be continued on a high level. At the same time the apprentices participate in special projects. This year, within the scope of the state garden show taking place in Winsen in Lower Saxony, 35 tons of metal were processed. "The trade's b innovative forces are the key to the German shipyards' latest success," explains Mr Bernard Meyer, managing partner of the yard, who presently chairs the German Shipbuilding and Ocean Industries Association (VSM). According to Erwin Siemens, chairman of MEYER WERFT's works council, "the yard needs to keep up its vocational training on a high level in order to keep the lead in technology. We need highly qualified new generations of skilled workers and engineers." The shipyard currently employs a staff of 2,200. Next to the 100 permanent jobs which are being newly created, also the number of new apprentices will be increased to 60 this year. All told, the shipyard will then train 200 apprentices. Until 2009, the order book contains eight cruise ships and four gas tankers.

River Emspassage has been shifted again

Papenburg, 08.03.2006 - The schedule has been changed again based on evaluations of the latest weather forecasts for the next days: The new, 93,500-gt cruise ship Pride of Hawaii for Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) will leave MEYER WERFT for the North Sea on Sunday, 12th March 2006. The passage down the river Ems will take place in one go and will be supported by the Ems barrier. In the following please find the latest; revised time schedule which is subject to wind and weather conditions and may vary again accordingly at short notice: Sundday, 12th March 2006 approx. 19.00 h - Passing the lock in Papenburg approx. 21.30 h - Passing the "Friesenbrücke" (Weener) approx. 24.00 h - Passing the "Jann-Berghaus-Brücke" (Leer) Monday, 13th March 2306 approx. 08.00 h - Ship in Oldersum (in front of Ems barrier) approx. 12.00 h - Passing Ems barrier This schedule is subject to wind and weather conditions as well as water levels, hence no guarantee can be given for its validity. Rescheduling may occur. The ship's departure from the pier in the Papenburg harbour and her passing of the lock in Papenburg will be broadcast live on the Internet. The web cam is located on MEYER WERFT's homepage on www.meyerwerft.de Moreover Papenburg's tourist office offers tours of the shipyard which can be booked at short notice right at the yard's premises. If you wish to make a reservation for a yard tour early on, please call the Papenburg Tourismus GmbH at +49-4961-83 9060 or send a fax to +49-4961-83969. A team of the pilots association in Emden will again be in charge of the river passage of the ship. The pilots also handled Ems passages of the MEYER WERFT ships in the previous years. The whole team was trained to perform the complete manoeuvre at the computer-controlled simulator in Wageningen (Netherlands) to ensure best possible preparation. Also the Pride of Hawaii will travel down the river Ems backwards as this procedure has proven itself. She will operate her own propulsion system, but will be supported by two tugs, the "Wal" (output 2 x 1,600kW) and the "Bremerhaven" (output 2 x 1,450 kW) so as to provide double back-up in case one tug fails. The new luxury liner will travel down the river Ems fully equipped and outfitted. After the technical and nautical sea trials on the North Sea, which will follow next, the completed ship will be delivered to the Owner in mid-April.