Norwegian Bliss Begins Conveyance Of Ems River

​Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest and largest cruise ship yet Norwegian Bliss, has left the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany as its slowly made its way to Eemshaven, Netherlands along the Ems River.

Norwegian Bliss left the shipyard stern first on the night of 13 March 2018. The 1698,028 gross tonne ship was very carefully manoeuvred along the Ems River towards the North Sea. The team on board responsible for the navigation of Norwegian Bliss included a experienced Ems River pilots, navigation offers, the yard captain and local waterway authorities.

The ship had to pass through the narrow sea lock as it left the Meyer Werft shipyard. Clearance on either side of the vessel was just a few feet! The manoeuvre took around two hours, with an average speed of just 0.2 knots.
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Andy Stuart, President and Chief Executive Officer of Norwegian Cruise Line, said: “Today marks another historical moment for Norwegian Bliss, the most highly anticipated ship of the Norwegian Breakaway Plus class, the most successful class of our company’s history. When she arrives into Seattle in June, guests will be excited to experience many new first-at-sea activities, including the largest two-level race track at sea, new dining experiences, such as Q Texas Smokehouse and Coco’s a chocolate and treat shop, the Tony Award-Winning Broadway Show Jersey Boys and much more for guests to explore.”

Norwegian Bliss will take on additional provisions and further crew at Eemshaven, before heading for the North Sea for technical and nautical sea trails. The new ship will be delivered to Norwegian Cruise Line in Bremerhaven, Germany on 19 April 2018.

Norwegian Bliss will then sail to Southampton, where it will arrive on 21 April 2018 to embark its first paying passengers, who will spend 13-night on board cruising to New York, via the Azores and Halifax.

Image: Norwegian Cruise Line / Heiner Lohmann