Norwegian Getaway departed Papenburg, Germany late last night, for her approximately 24-hour long conveyance along the Ems River. Norwegian Getaway’s river conveyance marks another key milestone in the ship’s highly anticipated delivery.

Sailing backwards, Norwegian Getaway left Meyer Werft at approximately 10 p.m. (local time in Germany), and made a narrow passage through the ship yard’s locks, with only 1.6 meters clearance separating the ship from the “bumpers” that were specially  installed along the starboard side of the locks.

This very tedious maneuver took approximately 1.5 hours at a maximum speed of only 0.2 knots. The precise navigation was led by a team of two located on the bridge, with one navigation officer in charge of overseeing the bow maneuvers and the other overseeing the movement of the stern.

It was extremely important that not too much force was placed on the bumpers, which can only support a light touch by the ship, which measures 1063 feet long and 130 feet wide; therefore, minimum speed and minimum pressure on the bumpers was essential.

After passing through the locks, Norwegian Getaway continued along the river, stern first. Due to the strong propulsion in the aft section of the vessel, traveling stern first helps with maneuverability which is a key component when navigating the vessel through such narrow passages.

Before reaching her final destination in Eemshaven, Germany at 5 p.m. (local time in Germany) today, heading toward the North Sea, Norwegian Getaway will pass through additional narrow passages including the locks in Papenburg, which allow only 1.5 meter clearance on either side; Weener Bridge in Weener; Jann-Berghaus Bridge in Leer; and Ems-Barrier in Gandersum.