First piece of steel cut for new 'Norwegian Getaway' at Meyer-Werft
The first piece of steel was cut at Meyer Werft in
Papenburg, Germany on May 10th 2012, for the construction of Norwegian Getaway, the second of two new Freestyle Cruising ships for Norwegian Cruise Line, set for delivery in spring 2014. Norwegian Cruise Line and Meyer Werft executives watched as the first plate of steel was cut by a plasma torch in the yard's state of the art facility.
The steel cutting followed hard on the heels of a keel laying ceremony at the shipyard for the first ship of the new class, Norwegian Breakaway, During the official ceremony, the first of 73 blocks that will comprise the 144,000 gross ton, 4,000 passenger, vessel was lifted into the covered building dock, marking the start of the block assembly. In the dock, Kevin Sheehan, Norwegian Cruise Line's chief executive officer, laid the traditional "lucky coin," before the 350-ton first block was placed by the 800-ton crane. A special commemorative coin was created
to celebrate the day's activities.