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Saturday, May 9, 2026

Meyer Werft News

06 May 2026

Europe Funds Large-Vessel Hydrogen Project

 Photo: Wasaline / Kimmo Makkonen

A consortium led by the University of Vaasa has been awarded Horizon Europe funding for the H4PERION – Hydrogen FOR Performance Enhancement and Reliable Ice OperatioN – project which aims to demonstrate how a large vessel can operate with a hydrogen‑capable internal combustion engine.Long‑distance shipping remains one of the hardest sectors to decarbonise. Ships operating for weeks at a time need enormous amounts of energy and absolute reliability – requirements that today’s batteries…

15 Apr 2026

Cruise Shipbuilding Keeps European Yards Busy to mid-2030s

Chantiers de l'Atlantique-built Celebrity Xcel can run on methanol as well as standard fuel types.
Image courtesy Celebrity Cruises

A flourishing cruise market and European shipbuilders’ unerring contractual success in the sector has taken orderbooks into the middle of the next decade, ensuring production continuity and underpinning fresh capital expenditure and R&D commitments by the continent’s foremost players.Just how important the segment is to the industry and supply chain may be gauged from the fact that at least three-quarters of the value of European yards’ commercial orderbooks is attributable to…

09 Apr 2026

Meyer Werft's "Vision": A Battery-Electric Cruise Ship Concept

German shipbuilder Meyer Werft has introduced a concept for what it says would be the world’s first fully battery-electric cruise ship exceeding 80,000 gross tons, signaling a bold step forward in the industry’s push toward decarbonization. Image courtesy Meyer Werft

German shipbuilder Meyer Werft has introduced a concept for what it says would be the world’s first fully battery-electric cruise ship exceeding 80,000 gross tons, signaling a bold step forward in the industry’s push toward decarbonization.The concept, dubbed “Vision,” was unveiled at Seatrade Cruise Global in Miami. According to the yard, the 275-meter vessel would accommodate 1,856 passengers and deliver up to a 95% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional cruise ships.The design leans heavily on existing battery technology rather than speculative future solutions.

03 Feb 2026

Cruise Ship Makes Record Panama Canal Transit

Source: Panama Canal Authority

The Panama Canal marked a significant milestone on Monday with the inaugural transit of the Neopanamax cruise ship, Disney Adventure, the largest passenger vessel by capacity and gross tonnage ever to transit the interoceanic waterway.The passage of the ship, 208,000 gross tons and with capacity for approximately 6,700 passengers, took place as part of her positioning voyage. The cruise ship measures 342 meters in length and 46.4 meters in beam.The Disney Adventure is one of five cruise ships completing their inaugural transits during the 2025–2026 cruise season…

29 Dec 2025

German Shipbuilding: 2025 Review, 2026 Outlook

Copyright joerghartmannphoto - stock.adobe.com

If 2025 proved anything for Germany’s shipbuilding and marine equipment sector, it is that the industry retains both resilience and relevance, even amid geopolitical turbulence. According to The Association for Shipbuilding and Marine Technology (VSM), the year closed with strong order activity, renewed investor confidence and a clear signal that German yards and suppliers remain essential to Europe’s maritime industrial base.One of the year’s most tangible confidence boosters came early.

17 Apr 2025

MEYER WERFT Contracts ALMACO for NYK Cruises Newbuild Project

In September 2022, ALMACO signed an agreement with MEYER WERFT to provide the newbuild S721 of Japanese NYK Cruises with ALMACO’s Provision Cooling Plant. The scope of work includes the supply and commissioning of chiller units and air coolers. The vessel will be the second luxury cruise ship of NYK Cruises and serve the Japanese cruise market.The vessel will carry 744 passengers and 470 crew members. It will be 228.86 meters long and 29.8 meters wide with a tonnage of 51,950 GT.

10 Apr 2025

Scaling Up Hydrogen Fuel Cell Demand

Source: DLR

This past month Maritime Reporter TV has taken a close look at two hydrogen fuel cell projects: the new research vessel planned for Scripps Institution of Oceanography and e1 Marine’s methanol-to-hydrogen technology which is being adopted by STAX Engineering for its emissions capture barges.The Scripps California Coastal Research Vessel will feature a hydrogen fuel cell propulsion system that will allow it to operate with no greenhouse gas or other emissions for 75% of its missions – and for all of its time operating in state waters.

20 Feb 2025

Cruise Shipping’s Historic Rebound

Image Courtesy Carnival Cruise Line

Battered by Covid, the cruise industry was down but not out. Today it is setting records in passenger count + the size and cost of a new fleet.Post-Pandemic, the fortunes of the big cruise companies have brightened dramatically. A late December, 2024 earnings release from Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE: CCL), encompassing brands including Carnival Cruise, Holland America, Cunard, Princess Cruises and others, says it all: “This has been an incredibly strong finish to a record year,” said CCL’s CEO Josh Weinstein, in its statement.

03 Feb 2025

Meyer Werft Kicks Off Fuel Cells for Cruise Ship Retrofits Project

Source: Meyer Werft (LinkedIn)

German shipyard Meyer Werft has launched the zero4cruise project with project partners including Freudenberg e-Power Systems and the German Aerospace Center (DLR).The project aims to develop climate-friendly and low emission energy systems for cruise ships, focusing on fuel cell technology powered by green methanol.The hybrid energy system will combine PEM fuel cells with a methanol reformer and battery systems to optimize efficiency and ensure ships can operate carbon-neutral…

06 Nov 2024

Almacam Helps Cut Shipyard Waste, by Design

Image courtesy Almacam

Almacam is a leader in nesting-CAM software for shipyards. Philippe Rouzeau, Manager of the Shipyard Team, Almacam, explains how it solutions can help shipyards shave production costs and increase efficiency.Almacam is a 45-year-old, employee-owned company created by researchers that were mono-focused on developing nesting algorithms in a laboratory of Grenoble University, France, aiming to bring this nesting algorithm tech to the industry.According to Rouzeau, it is the world's only independent CAD-CAM software publisher offering CAM solutions across industries…

11 Sep 2024

German Parliament Greenlights Rescue Plan for Shipbuilder Meyer Werft

(File photo: MEYER WERFT)

Germany's lower house of parliament and the state parliament of Lower Saxony have approved the rescue of Meyer Werft, one of the world's biggest cruise ship builders, members of the budget committee told Reuters on Wednesday.Although the shipbuilder's order books are full, it has an almost 2.8 billion euro ($3.1 billion) financing gap due to the delayed effects of a demand dip during the COVID-19 pandemic.The German government and that of the state of Lower Saxony, in northwestern Germany…

28 Aug 2024

German Government to Take Stake in Meyer Werft

Chancellor Scholz visited Meyer Werft earlier in August

German federal and state governments will invest 400 million euros ($445.84 million) in Meyer Werft, one of the world's top makers of cruise ships, for an 80% stake to secure the future of the company, a local government minister said on Wednesday.The support plan also includes guarantees for 2.6 billion euros in loans for the family-owned company, said Olaf Lies, economy minister in the state of Lower Saxony.Meyer Werft's home state agreed the support plan together with the Berlin government and other stakeholders.The shipbuilder with a 229-year history boasts full order books but is facing a

22 Aug 2024

Germany's Scholz Vows to Keep Shipbuilder Meyer Werft Afloat

(Photo: Meyer Werft)

The German government is working on a deal to secure the future of Meyer Werft, a 229-year-old shipyard and one of the world's largest cruise ship builders, Chancellor Olaf Scholz assured workers during a visit to the company on Thursday."We all want to secure the continued existence of the shipyard - and with it everything that depends on it," Scholz said at a meeting of the works council, adding that his government was working with banks and the company's family owners on a…

22 Aug 2024

Sources Say Germany to Take a Big Stake in Meyer Werft

Copyright Yellow Boat/AdobeStock

The German government plans to take a temporary majority stake in Meyer Werft, one of the world's top cruise ship builders, as part of measures to support the company, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Thursday.German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is said to visit shipbuilder Meyer Werft today, raising union hopes for government support for the company which is battling to fill a 2.7 billion euro ($3 billion) hole in its finances.Meyer Werft, one of the world's biggest cruise ship builders, builds around two ships annually at a cost of at least 1.5 billion euros each.

21 Aug 2024

Shipbuilder Meyer Werft Expecting 'Good News' from German Chancellor Visit

© CSschmuck / Adobe Stock

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will visit Meyer Werft on Thursday, the luxury shipbuilder said, raising hopes that it could secure support from the government as it seeks to fill a 2.7 billion euro ($3.00 billion) hole in its finances."We expect the chancellor to bring good news with him," Thomas Gelder of the IG Metall union told Reuters."It's a very positive sign for the workforce and the region, and also a sign of appreciation that Mr Scholz is coming," he added.The state premier and the economy minister of Lower Saxony, home of the shipbuilder in Papenburg where the over 200-year-old compan

05 Aug 2024

Meyer Werft Floats Out Cruise Ship Disney Treasure

Disney Treasure is floated out at Meyer Werft in Germany. (Photo: Meyer Werft)

German shipbuilder Meyer Werft has floated out Disney Treasure, a new cruise ship being built for U.S.-based Disney Cruise Line.The 144,000 GT newbuild left the shipyard's building dock and is now berthed in the harbor, where final interior outfitting will take place ahead of scheduled delivery later this year.The second in a series of four Wish class cruise ships Meyer Werft is building for Disney, the Disney Treasure has capacity for 4,000 passengers in 1,240 cabins.Like sister ship Disney Wish delivered by Meyer Werft in 2022…

23 Jul 2024

Carnival Orders Three Mega Cruise Ships from Fincantieri

© Sergey / Adobe Stock

Carnival Corporation, the world's largest cruise company, announced on Tuesday that it has ordered a trio of ultra large cruise ships from Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri for its Carnival Cruise Line brand.At nearly 230,000 gross registered tonnes, and with capacity for nearly 8,000 passengers in 3,000 guest staterooms, the new ships will be the largest in Carnival's global fleet.The three liquefied natural gas (LNG)-fueled ships will be delivered in the summers of 2029, 2031 and 2033…

09 Jul 2024

Disney Orders New Cruise Ship to Sail from Japan

(Photo: Disney Cruise Line)

Walt Disney unveiled plans on Tuesday to launch a new cruise ship that will set sail from Tokyo starting in fiscal 2028, adding a ninth vessel to the brand's growing fleet.The new ship, to be built by Germany's Meyer Werft and modelled after the Wish that is the largest vessel in the group, is a partnership with Oriental Land Company (OLC), the operator of Tokyo Disneyland. It is part of a 10-year, $60 billion expansion of Disney's theme parks and cruise business.Disney currently has five cruise ships in operation.

03 Jul 2024

German Government Considers Lifeline for Embattled Shipbuilder Meyer Werft

© Prieshof PixEL / Adobe Stock

The German government is considering support for Meyer Werft, one of the world's biggest cruise ship builders, an economy ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday, as the cash-strapped company mapped out hundreds of planned job cuts to stem costs.The government is considering federal assistance for Meyer Werft together with the state of Lower Saxony, home of the shipyard in Papenburg where the over 200-year-old company is based.Meyer Werft needs to raise around 2.7 billion euros ($2.91 billion) in the coming years, according to restructuring chief Ralf Schmitz.

14 May 2024

Silversea Takes Delivery of New Cruise Ship Silver Ray

Silver Ray (Photo: Meyer Werft)

Royal Caribbean Group’s Silversea has taken delivery of Silver Ray, the second ship in its Nova Class, from shipbuilder Meyer Werft in Germany.The 54,700 GT Silver Ray has capacity for 728 passengers. It joins sister ship, Silver Nova, as one of the most energy efficient ultra-luxury and expedition cruise ships ever built Other notable features of Silversea’s Nova Class include an asymmetrical design and 4,000m2 of exterior glass.“Silver Ray, the second ship in our cutting-edge Nova Class…

26 Mar 2024

Carnival Orders Excel-class Cruise Ship

Carnival Jubilee (File photo: Meyer We3rft)

Fresh on the heels of its first newbuild order in five years, the world's largest cruise company has placed an order for an additional vessel.U.S.-based Carnival Corporation on Tuesday announced it has signed an agreement with German shipbuilder Meyer Werft to build an Excel-class cruise ship for its Carnival Cruise Line brand for expected delivery in 2028.The ship will be the 11th Excel-class ship for the corporation's fleet across four of its brands, and the fifth to be sailed by Carnival Cruise Line.

20 Mar 2024

Meyer Werft Lays Keel for Next Disney Cruise Line Ship

(Photo: Meyer Werft)

The construction of the next cruise ship for Disney Cruise Line has reached another milestone: assembly of the ship's hull began today with the traditional keel-laying ceremony. The ship is the sister ship of the Disney Treasure, which is also under construction, and the Disney Wish, which launched in 2022.The keel was laid in the 504-meter-long covered building dock at Meyer Werft in Germany. Philip Gennotte, portfolio project management executive, Walt Disney Imagineering Germany…

21 Feb 2024

Almaco Completes Two Projects for Carnival Jubilee

Source: Almaco

In October 2023, Almaco successfully delivered a project for the newbuild Carnival Jubilee at Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg. The catering project consisted of a full visual turnkey delivery of all the ship’s provision stores.Additionally, Almaco supported the yard with manpower for work consisting of fixed furniture installation in over 1,000 cabins. This second project was delivered in December 2023.Meyer Werft and Carnival Cruises chose Almaco to plan, design, build, supply and commission all the provision areas onboard Carnival Jubilee.