Wiesbaden, November 15, 2013 – Norwegian Getaway, Miami’s Ultimate Ship, has successfully completed her conveyance along the Ems River. Norwegian Getaway’s river conveyance marks another key milestone in the ship’s highly anticipated delivery.
Sailing backwards, Norwegian Getaway left Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany late last night, and made the narrow passage through the ship yard’s locks at approximately 1am (local time in Germany), with only 1,6 meters clearance separating the ship from the “bumpers” that were specially installed along the starboard side of the locks. This very tedious manoeuvre took approximately 1,5 hours at a maximum speed of only 0,2 knots. The precise navigation was led by a team of two located on the bridge, with one navigation officer in charge of overseeing the bow manoeuvres and the other overseeing the movement of the stern. It was extremely important that not too much force was placed on the bumpers, which can only support a light touch by the ship, which measures 324 metres long and 39,7 metres wide; therefore, minimum speed and minimum pressure on the bumpers was essential. After passing through the locks, Norwegian Getaway continued along the river, stern first. Due to the strong propulsion in the aft section of the vessel, travelling stern first helps with manoeuvrability which is a key component when navigating the vessel through such narrow passages.
Before reaching her final destination in Eemshaven, Netherlands at approximately 5:30pm (local time in Germany) today, Norwegian Getaway passed through additional narrow passages including Weener Bridge in Weener; Jann-Berghaus Bridge in Leer; and the Ems-Barrier in Gandersum.
Following inaugural events in Europe, New York and Miami, Norwegian Getaway will sail 7-night Eastern Caribbean cruises departing weekly from Miami from February 8, 2014. Additional information on Norwegian Getaway can be found atwww.getaway.ncl.eu.
