Meyer Werft Keel Laying for 'Norwegian Escape'

Norwegian Cruise Line executives and officials from the German shipbuilder MEYER WERFT took part in the keel-laying ceremony of the new cruise ship 'Norwegian Escape' in a traditional ceremony at the shipyard.

During the official ceremony, block number 35/41, one of 86 blocks that will comprise the 164,600 gross ton vessel, was lifted into the covered building dock as the start of the block assembly for the new ship.

In the dock, Kevin Sheehan, Norwegian Cruise Line’s president and chief executive officer, laid the traditional "lucky coin," before the 400 ton block was placed by the 800 ton crane.

“We are pleased to start construction of Norwegian Escape", says Sheehan. “The start of the block assembly is a significant milestone and we eagerly anticipate the delivery of Norwegian Escape in the autumn of 2015.”

The Norwegian Escape is the first of four ships with a length of 324.6 meters and a width of 41.4 meters that MEYER WERFT will be building for Norwegian Cruise Line until 2019.

“Today we placed one of 86 blocks”, says Bernard Meyer, MEYER WERFT's managing director. “We are proud to begin the construction of the new series and continue our partnership with one of the most innovative cruise lines in the world.”

The cruise line adds that starting from October 2015, Norwegian Escape will begin seven-day cruises from Miami to the Eastern Caribbean, taking 4,200 passengers to the tropical destinations of Tortola, British Virgin Islands; St. Thomas, American Virgin Islands and Nassau, Bahamas.