Steel Cut for Norwegian’s Next Cruise Ship
A steel cutting ceremony signaled the beginning of construction for Norwegian Cruise Line’s next cruise ship. (Photo: Norwegian Cruise Line)
Left to right: Bernard Meyer, Andy Stuart and Christer Karlsson pressed the button to cut the first plate of steel for the Norwegian’s next cruise ship (Photo: Norwegian Cruise Line)
Marking the beginning of construction of the second ship in Norwegian Cruise Line’s Breakaway Plus class, a steel cutting ceremony was held Tuesday, September 15 at Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.
The new vessel, named Norwegian Bliss, is scheduled to be delivered in spring 2017. Once completed, the ship will weigh 165,600 gross tons, measure 330 meters in length and 41.4 meters in breadth, and feature capacity for up to 4,200 guests, with the capability to reach speeds up to 23 knots, according to the shipbuilder.
Andy Stuart, president of Norwegian Cruise Line, pushed the button to start the plasma torch during the steel cutting ceremony in the shipyard’s new laser center.
Norwegian Cruise Line executives, along with Meyer Werft's managing directors Bernard Meyer and Lambert Kruse and the yard's project manager Stephan Schmees, watched as a plasma torch cut the first plate of steel, which will become part of Block 46, the first to be assembled for the new vessel. The plasma torch cut a silhouette of the new ship from the steel plate in only a few minutes.
Norwegian presently has four vessels on order at Meyer Werft, due for delivery in fall 2015, spring 2017, spring 2018 and fall 2019, respectively.
