Glen Moroney News

River cruise ship Emerald Belle, due to be launched in April, has been seriously damaged in a shipyard fire in the Netherlands. The Emerald Waterways ship was under construction at the Den Breejen Shipyard in the Netherlands. "Despite the efforts of firefighters, who were quickly at the scene, the damage is significant," said Glen Moroney, chairman of the Scenic Group, parent of the Emerald Waterways (known in its native Australia as Evergreen Tours) line. Sister line, Scenic, also had a ship under construction nearby but it was quickly moved away so damage was contained to some exterior paint. The cruise line issued the following statement: “Although the Emerald Belle's construction was well along (as it was due to launch in April) the firefighting system onboard was not yet operational.