Emerald Belle Cruise Ship Damaged in Fire
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. "We are grateful and relieved that nobody was onboard at the time and, most importantly, there were no injuries to any shipyard worker or firefighters."
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. At this point there is no confirmed cause of the fire but a full investigation by the yard and firefighting authorities is being carried out.”
Meanwhile, Emerald Waterways is reviewing Belle bookings and determining how to best reaccommodate guests. The cruise line said it would offer departures on other Emerald or Scenic ships.
