Norwegian Getaway Floats Out From Building Dock

While I was away at sea last week on The Malt Shop Memories Cruise (and there will be more about that coming up this week) other events took place in the cruise industry, such as the float out of Norwegian Getaway at MEYER WERFT’s covered building dock II on Saturday, Nov 2nd in Papenburg, Germany. The 146,600-ton ship has been under construction since November 2012 when the ship’s keel was laid. Beginning at approximately 3:30 pm local time, the massive 4,000 passenger ship with her signature hull artwork designed by Miami artist David “LEBO” Le Batard, which features a whimsical mermaid holding the sun above the waves, departed building dock II bow first. Norwegian Getaway, sister ship to Norwegian Breakaway, has an overall length of 324 meters, and is 39.70 meters wide. The ship’s float out represents a major milestone in the vessel’s construction as it denotes that the ship has now moved into the final phase of construction with delivery taking place on Jan 10, 2014.

“Hats off once again to the team at MEYER WERFT for building an absolutely spectacular vessel in record time,” said Kevin Sheehan, Norwegian Cruise Line’s chief executive officer. “We are now in the home stretch and looking forward to the launch of Miami’s ultimate ship.”

“This new vessel, built in merely 12 months, is one of the largest and most technologically advanced ships in the world,” said Bernard Meyer, Managing Partner of MEYER WERFT. “We are thrilled to see her leaving the building dock and getting ready for her sea trials.”

Following the float out, which is chronicled in the video below courtesy of shipbuilder MEYER WERFT, tests were carried out in the harbor and the ship was berthed alongside the yard's outfitting pier. Last week, the first crew members moved into their staterooms on board, and began to familiarize themselves with the ship, readying her for guests. Norwegian Getaway's conveyance down the river Ems towards the North Sea, where she will prove her seaworthiness, is scheduled for mid-November (weather permitting).

Following inaugural events in Europe, New York, and Miami, Norwegian Getaway will sail 7-day Eastern Caribbean cruises departing every Saturday from Miami beginning on Feb 8, 2014. Additional information on Norwegian Getaway can be found at Getaway.NCL.com.

Image Courtesy of Norwegian Cruise Line