Homeric

Homeric is very special – in many ways. As the very first cruise ship built by MEYER WERFT, it marks our grand arrival in the world of cutting-edge shipbuilding. The ship was constructed in the open – the covered docks in Papenburg were only built later on. Homeric was also the first and last vessel of its size to be launched sideways. There was a carnival atmosphere around the shipyard as the ship’s hull slipped sideways into the water, unleashing a gigantic wave. The ship was delivered to Home Lines in 1986 after two years of construction.

Homeric was renamed “Westerdam” in 1988 and returned to MEYER WERFT to be upgraded in 1989. The ship was to be extended by 40 metres to create more space for cabins, restaurants and sports facilities. Our shipyard specialists achieved this by splitting the vessel in two and adding more blocks in the middle. Never before had such extensive redevelopment work been carried out on a cruise ship of that size, which presented MEYER WERFT with a huge challenge.

Following the redevelopment work, Westerdam left the shipyard in Papenburg with a length of 244 metres and a visibly stretched design. The extended Westerdam now featured a two-storey show lounge with seating for over 700 guests. A sliding glass roof was installed in the pool area, where passengers could relax outdoors in good weather.