Meyer Werft
Encyclopedia
The Meyer Werft is one of the remaining large German
shipyard
s, headquartered in Papenburg
. Since 1997, it has been part of the Meyer Neptun Group together with Neptun Werft
in Rostock
.
en ships, Josef Lambert Meyer started the construction of iron
ships in 1874. Until 1920 there were more than 20 dockyards in the Papenburg area. Today, Meyer Werft is the only remaining shipyard in Papenburg. For more than six generations, it has been a privately held and family-owned company.
ferries, passenger ferries, gasoline tankers, container ships, livestock ferries and most recently luxury cruise ship
s.
Meyer is one of the largest and most modern shipyards in the world with 2300 employees, and home to the by far largest roofed dry dock
s in the world. The first covered dock was inaugurated in 1987 and was 370 meters long, 101,5 meters wide and 60 meters high. In 1990/91 the dock was extended by an additional 100 meters. In 2000, a second covered dock was built, which is announced to be extended to a full length of 504 meters, a width of 125 meters and height of 75 meters in order to compete with Asian shipyards. Meyer Werft will as a result of this be able to build 3 cruise ship
s a year.
Current cruise liner projects include the last ship from the Solstice Class: Celebrity Reflection
. Meyer Werft will also build the Norwegian Breakaway and the Norwegian Getaway for Norwegian Cruise Line
and the two ships of Project Sunshine for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.
Due to its upstream location on the river Ems, the giant ships to be delivered have to make a 36 km voyage to the Dollart
bay and which each time attracts thousands of spectators. Up until the completion of the Ems river barrier ("Emssperrwerk") in 2002, the journey was only possible at high tide
s.In February 2011, Meyer Werft signed a contract with Royal Caribbean International
to build a new class of ship, code named "Project Sunshine".The first ship is expected to enter service in 2014, with an option of a second ship to be delivered in 2015.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
shipyard
Shipyard
Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...
s, headquartered in Papenburg
Papenburg
Papenburg is a city in the district of Emsland in Lower Saxony, Germany, situated at the river Ems. It is known for its large shipyard, the Meyer-Werft, which specializes in building cruise liners.-Districts:...
. Since 1997, it has been part of the Meyer Neptun Group together with Neptun Werft
Neptun Werft
Neptun Werft is a German shipbuilding company, headquartered in Rostock. Since 1997 it has been part of the Meyer Neptun Group together with Meyer Werft in Papenburg.-History:...
in Rostock
Rostock
Rostock -Early history:In the 11th century Polabian Slavs founded a settlement at the Warnow river called Roztoc ; the name Rostock is derived from that designation. The Danish king Valdemar I set the town aflame in 1161.Afterwards the place was settled by German traders...
.
History
Founded in 1795 as a wharf for the construction of woodWood
Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...
en ships, Josef Lambert Meyer started the construction of iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
ships in 1874. Until 1920 there were more than 20 dockyards in the Papenburg area. Today, Meyer Werft is the only remaining shipyard in Papenburg. For more than six generations, it has been a privately held and family-owned company.
Company
It gained international recognition through the construction of roll on/roll offRORO
Roll-on/roll-off ships are vessels designed to carry wheeled cargo such as automobiles, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, trailers or railroad cars that are driven on and off the ship on their own wheels...
ferries, passenger ferries, gasoline tankers, container ships, livestock ferries and most recently luxury cruise ship
Cruise ship
A cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way...
s.
Meyer is one of the largest and most modern shipyards in the world with 2300 employees, and home to the by far largest roofed dry dock
Dry dock
A drydock is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform...
s in the world. The first covered dock was inaugurated in 1987 and was 370 meters long, 101,5 meters wide and 60 meters high. In 1990/91 the dock was extended by an additional 100 meters. In 2000, a second covered dock was built, which is announced to be extended to a full length of 504 meters, a width of 125 meters and height of 75 meters in order to compete with Asian shipyards. Meyer Werft will as a result of this be able to build 3 cruise ship
Cruise ship
A cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way...
s a year.
Current cruise liner projects include the last ship from the Solstice Class: Celebrity Reflection
Celebrity Reflection
Celebrity Reflection is the fifth and final planned . After delivery in November 2012 it will be owned and operated by Celebrity Cruises. It will have one more deck than other Solstice class and will have the first Aqua Class Suites. She will be able to accommodate over 3,000 passengers 150 more...
. Meyer Werft will also build the Norwegian Breakaway and the Norwegian Getaway for Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Cruise Line is a company operating cruise ships, headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida. It began operations in 1966 under the name Norwegian Caribbean Line. The company is best known for its Freestyle Cruising concept, which means that there are no set times or...
and the two ships of Project Sunshine for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines.
Due to its upstream location on the river Ems, the giant ships to be delivered have to make a 36 km voyage to the Dollart
Dollart
The Dollart is a bay between northern Netherlands and Germany, on the west side of the estuary of the Ems river. Most of it dries at low tide. Many water birds feed there.- Gaining from and losing to the sea :...
bay and which each time attracts thousands of spectators. Up until the completion of the Ems river barrier ("Emssperrwerk") in 2002, the journey was only possible at high tide
Tide
Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the moon and the sun and the rotation of the Earth....
s.In February 2011, Meyer Werft signed a contract with Royal Caribbean International
Royal Caribbean International
Royal Caribbean International is a Norwegian and American cruise line brand based in Miami, Florida and owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.. With 42 ships in service under 5 different brands and one more under construction, it controls a 25.6% share of the world cruise market...
to build a new class of ship, code named "Project Sunshine".The first ship is expected to enter service in 2014, with an option of a second ship to be delivered in 2015.
Passenger ships built at Meyer Werft GmbH (selection)
- 2015 Project Sunshine 2 (158,000 GT, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines)
- 2014 Project Sunshine 1 (158,000 GT, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines)
- 2014 Norwegian Getaway (144,000 GT, Norwegian Cruise LineNorwegian Cruise LineNorwegian Cruise Line is a company operating cruise ships, headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida. It began operations in 1966 under the name Norwegian Caribbean Line. The company is best known for its Freestyle Cruising concept, which means that there are no set times or...
) - 2013 Norwegian Breakaway (144,000 GT, Norwegian Cruise LineNorwegian Cruise LineNorwegian Cruise Line is a company operating cruise ships, headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida. It began operations in 1966 under the name Norwegian Caribbean Line. The company is best known for its Freestyle Cruising concept, which means that there are no set times or...
) - 2013 Celebrity ReflectionCelebrity ReflectionCelebrity Reflection is the fifth and final planned . After delivery in November 2012 it will be owned and operated by Celebrity Cruises. It will have one more deck than other Solstice class and will have the first Aqua Class Suites. She will be able to accommodate over 3,000 passengers 150 more...
(126,000 GT, Celebrity CruisesCelebrity CruisesCelebrity Cruises is a cruise line founded in 1988 by the Greek Chandris Group. In 1997, Celebrity Cruises Ltd. merged with Royal Caribbean International to become Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., which operates Celebrity, Royal Caribbean International, Azamara Club Cruises, Pullmantur Cruises and CDF...
) - 2012 Disney FantasyDisney FantasyThe Disney Fantasy is an upcoming cruise ship for the Disney Cruise Line, part of The Walt Disney Company. The Disney Fantasy will be the fourth ship in the cruise line when it enters service in 2012.-History:...
(128,000 GT, Disney Cruise LineDisney Cruise LineDisney Cruise Line is an American cruise line company owned and operated by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, a division of The Walt Disney Company and is headquartered in Celebration, Florida. The business is run by President Karl Holz. Disney Cruise Line operates the Disney Cruise Line Terminal,...
) - 2012 AIDAmar (71,300 GT, AIDA CruisesAIDA CruisesAIDA Cruises is a British-American owned German cruise line based in Rostock, Germany.Originally founded as Deutsche Seereederei with a ship called Völkerfreundschaft , the company entered the cruise industry in the 1960s and was later acquired by P&O Princess Cruises PLC in 2000...
) - 2011 Disney DreamDisney DreamDisney Dream is the third cruise ship operated by Disney Cruise Line, part of The Walt Disney Company, which entered service in 2011. The Disney Dream currently sails 3-, 4-, and 5-day itineraries to The Bahamas. The Captain of Disney Dream is Tom Forberg...
(128,000 GT, Disney Cruise LineDisney Cruise LineDisney Cruise Line is an American cruise line company owned and operated by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, a division of The Walt Disney Company and is headquartered in Celebration, Florida. The business is run by President Karl Holz. Disney Cruise Line operates the Disney Cruise Line Terminal,...
) - 2011 AIDAsolAIDAsolAIDAsol is a Sphinx class cruise ship, built at Meyer Werft for AIDA Cruises. She is the fifth Sphinx series ship, preceded by sisters AIDAdiva, AIDAbella, AIDAluna and AIDAblu. AIDAsol is scheduled for delivery in Spring 2011...
(71,300 GT, AIDA CruisesAIDA CruisesAIDA Cruises is a British-American owned German cruise line based in Rostock, Germany.Originally founded as Deutsche Seereederei with a ship called Völkerfreundschaft , the company entered the cruise industry in the 1960s and was later acquired by P&O Princess Cruises PLC in 2000...
) - 2010 Celebrity EclipseCelebrity EclipseCelebrity Eclipse is a , operated by Celebrity Cruises. She is the sister ship of Celebrity Solstice and Celebrity Equinox, which entered service in November 2008 and July 2009, respectively. A fourth ship in the class, Celebrity Silhouette, she entered service in Fall 2011. She is the third...
(122,000 GT, Celebrity CruisesCelebrity CruisesCelebrity Cruises is a cruise line founded in 1988 by the Greek Chandris Group. In 1997, Celebrity Cruises Ltd. merged with Royal Caribbean International to become Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., which operates Celebrity, Royal Caribbean International, Azamara Club Cruises, Pullmantur Cruises and CDF...
) - 2010 AIDAbluAIDAbluPacific Jewel is a cruise ship currently operated by P&O Cruises Australia, and operating from Sydney, Australia. Built by Fincantieri and launched in 1989 for Sitmar Cruises, ownership of the vessel was transferred to P&O Princess Cruises PLC after P&O acquired Sitmar...
(71,300 GT, AIDA CruisesAIDA CruisesAIDA Cruises is a British-American owned German cruise line based in Rostock, Germany.Originally founded as Deutsche Seereederei with a ship called Völkerfreundschaft , the company entered the cruise industry in the 1960s and was later acquired by P&O Princess Cruises PLC in 2000...
) - 2009 Celebrity EquinoxCelebrity EquinoxCelebrity Equinox is a Solstice-class cruise ship built by Meyer Werft in Germany. Celebrity Equinox is the second of the five Solstice-class vessels, owned and operated by Celebrity Cruises. She is a sister ship of Celebrity Solstice, Celebrity Eclipse, Celebrity Silhouette and the forthcoming...
(122,000 GT, Celebrity CruisesCelebrity CruisesCelebrity Cruises is a cruise line founded in 1988 by the Greek Chandris Group. In 1997, Celebrity Cruises Ltd. merged with Royal Caribbean International to become Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., which operates Celebrity, Royal Caribbean International, Azamara Club Cruises, Pullmantur Cruises and CDF...
) - 2009 AIDAluna (69,200 GT, AIDA CruisesAIDA CruisesAIDA Cruises is a British-American owned German cruise line based in Rostock, Germany.Originally founded as Deutsche Seereederei with a ship called Völkerfreundschaft , the company entered the cruise industry in the 1960s and was later acquired by P&O Princess Cruises PLC in 2000...
) - 2008 Celebrity SolsticeCelebrity SolsticeCelebrity Solstice is a owned and operated by Celebrity Cruises. At the time she was launched, she held the record for the largest cruise ship ever built in Germany; however, her record was surpassed when the Disney Dream was launched in 2010....
(122,000 GT, Celebrity CruisesCelebrity CruisesCelebrity Cruises is a cruise line founded in 1988 by the Greek Chandris Group. In 1997, Celebrity Cruises Ltd. merged with Royal Caribbean International to become Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., which operates Celebrity, Royal Caribbean International, Azamara Club Cruises, Pullmantur Cruises and CDF...
) - 2008 AIDAbellaAIDAbellaAIDAbella is a cruise ship operated by AIDA Cruises. Built at Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, she is a sister ship to AIDAdiva and AIDAluna. The ship has a passenger capacity of over 2,050. The name AIDAbella was chosen after a competition to name the new ship...
(68,500 GT, AIDA CruisesAIDA CruisesAIDA Cruises is a British-American owned German cruise line based in Rostock, Germany.Originally founded as Deutsche Seereederei with a ship called Völkerfreundschaft , the company entered the cruise industry in the 1960s and was later acquired by P&O Princess Cruises PLC in 2000...
) - 2007 Norwegian GemNorwegian GemNorwegian Gem is a Jewel class cruise ship of Norwegian Cruise Line. She is the last vessel of the Jewel class and was built by the German shipyard, Meyer Werft.-History:...
(93,500 GT, Norwegian Cruise LineNorwegian Cruise LineNorwegian Cruise Line is a company operating cruise ships, headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida. It began operations in 1966 under the name Norwegian Caribbean Line. The company is best known for its Freestyle Cruising concept, which means that there are no set times or...
) - 2007 AIDAdivaAIDAdivaAIDAdiva is a cruise ship operated by the German cruise line AIDA Cruises. The ship was built at Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany.-External links:*...
(68,500 GT, AIDA Cruises) - 2006 Norwegian PearlNorwegian PearlNorwegian Pearl is a Jewel class cruise ship of Norwegian Cruise Line, launched in 2006, sailing itineraries primarily around Alaska and the Caribbean.-History:...
(93,500 GT, Norwegian Cruise Line) - 2006 Pride of HawaiiPride of HawaiiNorwegian Jade is a cruise ship for Norwegian Cruise Line, originally built as the Pride of Hawaii for their NCL America division. She was christened in a ceremony at the San Pedro Pier in Los Angeles, California on May 22, 2006...
(93,500 GT, Norwegian Cruise Line), renamed Norwegian Jade - 2005 Norwegian JewelNorwegian JewelNorwegian Jewel is a cruise ship operated by Norwegian Cruise Line. She is the lead vessel of NCL's Jewel class cruise ships and entered service in 2005.-History:...
(92,000 GT, Norwegian Cruise Line) - 2004 Jewel of the SeasJewel of the SeasThe MS Jewel of the Seas is a cruise ship belonging to Royal Caribbean's Radiance class. The ship was completed in the spring of 2004 with her maiden voyage in May of that year. She is one of Royal Caribbean International's newest cruise ships and has the highest percent of outside cabins in the...
(90,090 GT, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines) - 2004 (40,700 GT, Brittany FerriesBrittany FerriesBrittany Ferries is a French ferry company that runs ships between France, the UK, Ireland and Spain.-1970s and 1980s:Following the provision of the deep-water port at Roscoff, the company commenced in January 1973 at the instigation of Alexis Gourvennec, when existing ferry companies showed...
) - 2003 Serenade of the SeasSerenade of the SeasMS Serenade of the Seas is a Radiance class cruise ship in the Royal Caribbean International fleet. Completed in 2003, Serenade of the Seas sails the Southern Caribbean, departing weekly from San Juan, Puerto Rico.-History:...
(90,090 GT, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines) - 2002 Brilliance of the SeasBrilliance of the SeasMS Brilliance of the Seas is a cruise ship belonging to the Royal Caribbean's Radiance class. It cruises the Mediterranean from April to January, and is based in Dubai - sailing to ports around the Middle East and India - from November to April, doing two repositioning cruises each year which take...
(90,090 GT, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines) - 2002 Norwegian DawnNorwegian DawnNorwegian Dawn is a cruise ship that entered service in 2002 and is in operation with Norwegian Cruise Line.-History:The ship entered service at the end of 2002. She was intended to operate with Star Cruises under the name SuperStar Scorpio, but it was decided that she would be delivered to Star's...
(91,740 GT, Norwegian Cruise Line) - 2001 Radiance of the SeasRadiance of the SeasMS Radiance of the Seas is a cruise ship that is owned and operated by Royal Caribbean International. She is registered in Nassau, Bahamas, and is a gas-turbine vessel, the first built for Royal Caribbean. This system produces higher efficient speeds than other cruise ships, and emissions to the...
(90,090 GT, Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines) - 2001 Norwegian StarNorwegian StarNorwegian Star is a Libra-class cruise ship operated by Norwegian Cruise Line. She was built in 2001 by Meyer Werft, Papenburg, Germany.-History:The Norwegian Star entered service at the end of 2001...
(91,740 GT, Norwegian Cruise Line) - 2000 Aurora (76,000 GT, P&O Cruises)
- 1999 SuperStar VirgoSuperStar VirgoSuperStar Virgo is a Leo class cruise ship owned and operated by Star Cruises. She was built in 1999 by the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.-Concept and construction:...
(76,800 GT, Star Cruises) - 1998 SuperStar Leo, renamed Norwegian SpiritNorwegian SpiritNorwegian Spirit is a cruise ship currently operated by Norwegian Cruise Line.-History:...
(76,800 GT, Norwegian Cruise Line) - 1997 Celebrity Mercury (77,713 GT, Celebrity CruisesCelebrity CruisesCelebrity Cruises is a cruise line founded in 1988 by the Greek Chandris Group. In 1997, Celebrity Cruises Ltd. merged with Royal Caribbean International to become Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., which operates Celebrity, Royal Caribbean International, Azamara Club Cruises, Pullmantur Cruises and CDF...
) - 1996 Celebrity Galaxy (77,713 GT, Celebrity CruisesCelebrity CruisesCelebrity Cruises is a cruise line founded in 1988 by the Greek Chandris Group. In 1997, Celebrity Cruises Ltd. merged with Royal Caribbean International to become Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., which operates Celebrity, Royal Caribbean International, Azamara Club Cruises, Pullmantur Cruises and CDF...
) - 1995 Celebrity Century (70,606 GT, Celebrity CruisesCelebrity CruisesCelebrity Cruises is a cruise line founded in 1988 by the Greek Chandris Group. In 1997, Celebrity Cruises Ltd. merged with Royal Caribbean International to become Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., which operates Celebrity, Royal Caribbean International, Azamara Club Cruises, Pullmantur Cruises and CDF...
) - 1993 Silja Europa (59,914 GT, Silja LineSilja LineSilja Line is a Finnish cruiseferry brand operated by the Estonian ferry company AS Tallink Grupp, for car and passenger traffic between Finland and Sweden. The former company Silja Oy – today Tallink Silja Oy – is a subsidiary of Tallink Grupp, handling marketing and sales for Tallink and Silja...
) - 1995 (69,153 GT, P&O CruisesP&O CruisesP&O Cruises is a British-American owned cruise line based at Carnival House in Southampton, England, and operated by Carnival UK. Originally a constituent of the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company, P&O Cruises is the oldest cruise line in the world, having operated the world's first...
) - 1992 Zenith (47,255 GT, Celebrity CruisesCelebrity CruisesCelebrity Cruises is a cruise line founded in 1988 by the Greek Chandris Group. In 1997, Celebrity Cruises Ltd. merged with Royal Caribbean International to become Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., which operates Celebrity, Royal Caribbean International, Azamara Club Cruises, Pullmantur Cruises and CDF...
) - 1990 Horizon (46,811 GT, Celebrity CruisesCelebrity CruisesCelebrity Cruises is a cruise line founded in 1988 by the Greek Chandris Group. In 1997, Celebrity Cruises Ltd. merged with Royal Caribbean International to become Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., which operates Celebrity, Royal Caribbean International, Azamara Club Cruises, Pullmantur Cruises and CDF...
) - 1988 Crown Odyssey (34,242 GT, Royal Cruise Lines) later Orient Lines, renamed Norwegian Crown (Norwegian Cruise Line)
- 1985 Homeric (42,092 BRT, Home Line) remodeled and renamed to Westerdam (53.872 GT, Holland America Line) in 1990, then renamed Costa EuropaCosta EuropaMS Thomson Dream is a cruise ship currently owned by Costa Cruises and operated under charter by Thomson Cruises. She was built in 1986 at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, West Germany as MS Homeric for Home Lines. In 1988 she was sold to Holland America Line and renamed MS Westerdam. In 1990...
(Costa Crociere) - 1979-80 ex Viking Sally - sunk in 1994
- 1913 Graf Goetzen, today , still running. Most probably the second oldest passenger ship still in service (oldest probably Gisela, a paddle steamerPaddle steamerA paddle steamer is a steamship or riverboat, powered by a steam engine, using paddle wheels to propel it through the water. In antiquity, Paddle wheelers followed the development of poles, oars and sails, where the first uses were wheelers driven by animals or humans...
on TraunseeTraunseeTraunsee is a lake in the Salzkammergut, Austria, located at . Its surface is approximately 24.5 km² and its maximum depth is 191 metres. It is a popular tourist destination, and its attractions include Schloss Ort, a medieval castle....
, Austria.