MEYER WERFT to build 117,000 GT Cruise Ship

Papenburg, 12.07.2005 - The American cruise operator Celebrity Cruises, a subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Cruise Ltd., has signed a letter of intent with MEYER WERFT in Papenburg/Germany for one new cruise vessel to be delivered in fall 2008. Furthermore an option for a second ship is agreed.

By building the ships having a dimension of 117,000 gt, the Papenburg shipbuilders as well as the operator will step over the "magic threshold" of 100,000 gt for the first time.

The new ship for the premium operator Celebrity Cruises will have a length overall of 315 m and will be 36,8 m wide. The ships will be able to accommodate 2,850 passengers in 1,425 cabins, and will be equipped with diesel engines and podded propulsion systems. The overall engine output will be 67,000 kW (91,400 hp).

It is the first time ever for the Papenburg specialist for passenger vessels to build ships of the so-called PanMax class. These ships cannot pass the locks of the Panama Canal any longer because they are too long and too wide.

"We appreciate the opportunity to continue our excellent cooperation with Celebrity Cruises," says Bernard Meyer, Managing Partner of the shipyard. In the early and mid-90s, MEYER WERFT already built five cruise ships for Celebrity Cruises; Horizon, Zenith, Century, Galaxy and Mercury.