Tag Archives: Meyer Werft

Norwegian takes delivery of Escape

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Norwegian Cruise Line took delivery of the 4,270-passenger Norwegian Escape Thursday.

The 164,600-gross-ton ship, which was constructed by the Meyer Werft yard in Bremerhaven, Germany, will make its way to Miami via stops in Hamburg, Germany, and Southampton, England.

It is scheduled to arrive in Miami on Oct. 29 and will be christened by Miami-based musician Pitbull on Nov. 9.

The Escape is the first in the Breakaway Plus class and, as its name suggests, is a slightly larger version of the Norwegian Breakaway and Getaway now in operation.

Among its features is a larger VIP-only Haven area, expanded ropes course, a Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville, the Food Republic dining hall overseen by the Pubbelly Restaurant Group and the Bayamo restaurant by chef Jose Garces.

Per Norwegian tradition, its hull carries a distinctive, colorful design; in this case, it was designed by Guy Harvey.

Saga’s new all-balcony German-made cruise ship

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The cruise line will offer an all-balcony 1,000-passenger ship from summer 2019 as the first of two modern vessels to meet demand
An artist's impression of the Veranda area shows the slick design on the new Saga ship, which will be available from 2019
An artist’s impression of the Veranda area shows the slick design on the new Saga ship, which will be available from 2019 Photo: Saga
 

Saga Cruises has ordered an all-balcony ship that will be available to holidaymakers from 2019, to accommodate demand on the holiday company’s popular sailings.

The new vessel will carry fewer than 1,000 passengers in around 540 suites and cabins, each with a balcony. Around 15 per cent of cabins will be designed for single occupancy and leisure facilities will include outdoor and indoor swimming pools, a spa, saunas, treatment rooms and beauty salon.

Artist impression, The Veranda

Artist impression, The Veranda

Saga Cruises currently only operates two ships, the 446-passenger Saga Pearl II and the 706-passenger Saga Sapphire, both of which are set for an eventual phase out. Demand for sailings on the ships is extremely high: they carried around 25,000 passengers last year, with a 75 per cent repeat passenger rate.

The new ship is significant as sailings on the two existing vessels sell out far in advance, suggesting that demand from cruisers outstrips what Saga can currently offer.

“There is no expectation that customers will pay more.”
Robin Shaw, chief executive of Saga Cruises

The 55,900 grt vessel that will come into service in 2019 will be built by Meyer Werft in Germany. The shipyard recently put the finishing touches to Norwegian Cruise Line’s soon-to-launch Norwegian Escape and is building Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas.

A second new vessel may also enter service by 2021.

• Saga sets sail for further cruises

Robin Shaw, chief executive of the cruising division, said that, “There is no expectation that customers will pay more” as a result of the new ships.

Lance Batchelor, Saga chief executive officer, added that cruising remains, “at the heart of the Saga brand”.

Feedback from passenger forums indicated that passengers are keen to maintain the friendly, “one ship for everybody” ethos that Saga is known for. Dining can be accommodated in a single sitting and there will be no exclusive areas on board, or restaurants that charge supplements.

Research commissioned by Saga into travel buying patterns of the 50-plus age group found that spending on cruising is expected to increase by 43 per cent to £2.2 billion by 2020. This compares with £1.65 bn in 2014 of £41 bn on travel and tourism as a whole.

Nearly a third (32 per cent) of the over-50s in employment said they were planning to increase their spending on cruises post retirement.

The Saga Pearl II and the Saga Sapphire will visit 14 new ports between them in 2016, including Holy Loch, Scotland; Boulogne-sur-Mer in France; Pyramiden in the Svalbard archipelago; San Remo in Italy and Southwold in Suffolk.

Video: Norwegian Escape Heads to the Sea

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Norwegian Escape Heads to the Sea (2)

Norwegian Escape, soon to be the largest ship in the Norwegian Cruise Line’s fleet, departed Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany on Friday, September 18, for her approximately 24-hour long conveyance along the Ems River.

Measuring 1,069 feet in length and 136 feet in width, the ship is the first in the line’s Breakaway Plus class, with three additional Breakaways on order at Meyer Werft.

Sailing backwards, Norwegian Escape left Meyer Werft at approximately 2:00 pm local time, and made a narrow passage through the shipyard’s locks, with only 1.2 meters of clearance separating the ship from the “bumpers” that were specially installed along the starboard side of the locks. This maneuver took approximately 2 hours at a maximum speed of 0.2 knots.Norwegian Escape Heads to the Sea3After passing through the locks, Norwegian Escape continued along the river, stern first. Before reaching her final destination in Eemshaven, Netherlands at approximately 12:30 pm on Saturday, September 19, Norwegian Escape navigated through additional narrow passages including the Weener Bridge in Weener; Jann-Berghaus Bridge in Leer; and Ems-Barrier in Gandersum.Norwegian Escape Heads to the Sea4Following her arrival in Eemshaven, she will head to the North Sea for sea trials later this month.

Norwegian Escape will sail weekly seven-day cruises from her year-round homeport of Miami to the Eastern Caribbean beginning on November 14, 2015.

The 164,600 gross ton ship will be the largest ever to home port year-round in Miami, carrying 4,200 guests to Caribbean destinations including St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; Tortola, British Virgin Islands and Nassau, Bahamas.

Watch below the Video of the Conveyance, this was filmed by HD1080ide in fantastic HD.

Norwegian Escape

Latest Escape News

Norwegian latest Mega-ship berthed for 5 days at Eemshaven to take onboard her life boats, provisions and the final materials required to finish her fit out. Friday 25th September 2015 she steamed out of the port Eemshaven on her own power for her sea trials. Below is the the exact location and mapping of the sea trial which ended on Saturday night, after the trials she made for the port of Bremerhaven, she docked at 22:19 hours for a well earned rest.