LLOYD'S CRUISE INTERNATIONAL|December 1999/January 2000
Orderbooks show tide has turned
(excerpt)
Two problems that have dogged
German shipyards this year have now been solved, opening the door to what promises to be one
of the busiest periods in cruiseship newbuilding in Germany in recent years. Lloyd Werft's (LW) Werner
Lüken told LCI that after months of fruitless enquiries at home an abroad,
Aker MTW in Wismar had agreed to build
the hull of the 80,000 gt, 2,000-passenger cruiseship ordered in Bremerhaven by Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) for completion
mid-2001. LW won the work, worth $351m, after completing the 77,100 gt,$300m Norwegian Sky for NCL in the
summer.
Diethelm Tabel told LCI that Aker MTW could handle the work because of its
increased 6,000 cgt quota, the result of redistribution among east German yards of quotas
from the now defunct Elbewerft Boizenburg.
Even so, Mr Tabel explained, Aker-MTW could still only build six decks on the hull and
would not be able to take on interior building. Upper decks were being built elsewhere for
mounting in Wismar and the completed hull would be delivered to LW next September. Mr
Lüken added that contracts for the other main components had already been signed.
There was no word on who might build the hull for a $334m optional sister ship for delivery
by April 2002, but Aker MTW would clearly also like that, if it can fit it in.
...