Shipbuilding - New cruise ship order for Meyer Werft
The troubled Meyer Werft has a new customer. For the first time, the Japanese Oriental Land Company (OLC) ordered a cruise ship for the Japanese market, the company announced. The ship is scheduled to be delivered in 2028. The contract was signed on Tuesday in Tokyo, according to the statement. The deal is reportedly worth significantly over a billion Euros.
"I am very happy to have signed this important contract in Tokyo today and to win another customer from Japan for Meyer Werft," said Bernard Meyer in the statement. This is an important building block for the long-term future of shipbuilding in Papenburg. Meyer Business Manager Bernd Eikens spoke of a strong signal for shipbuilding in Papenburg.
OLC operates Disney-themed amusement parks in Japan and plans to begin cruises with the new ship in early 2029, it was reported. The first ship in this series, the "Disney Wish" with 1250 passenger cabins, was handed over to Disney in 2022. Two more ships of this class are currently under construction in Papenburg and are scheduled to be delivered this and next year.
The renowned shipbuilding company, known for its cruise ships, is currently experiencing its worst crisis in its more than 200-year history. By the end of 2027, more than 2.7 billion Euros must be financed, of which 400 million Euros are for increasing the company's own capital, said Chief Restructuring Officer Ralf Schmitz in the past week. He emphasized that the remaining 2.3 billion Euros are for the financing of two new shipbuilding projects, which are necessary as guarantees for the state and the federal government. It is not about subsidies.
In Meyer Werft's order book, there are currently numerous projects scheduled up to 2028, said company spokesman Florian Feimann. In addition to the new order, this includes the research vessel "Meteor IV," which is being built jointly with the Lower Saxony shipyard Fassmer, the "Asuka III" for the Japanese NYK Line, two cruise ships for Disney Cruise Line, two ships for Carnival Cruise Line, and the steel construction for four converter platform.
- Meyer Werft GmbH, a traditional company based in Germany's Lower Saxony, has secured a significant contract from the Japanese Oriental Land Company (OLC).
- The contract involves building a cruise ship for the Japanese market, set to be delivered by Meyer Werft GmbH in 2028.
- OLC, known for operating Disney-themed amusement parks in Japan, plans to utilize the new ship for cruises, starting in early 2029.
- The deal, worth over a billion Euros, was officially signed in Tokyo on Tuesday, marking Meyer Werft GmbH's first customer from Japan.
- Meyer Business Manager Bernd Eikens hailed the agreement as a strong signal for shipbuilding in Papenburg, the company's base.
- This is considered a crucial step for the long-term future of the shipbuilding industry in Papenburg, as per the statements from both Bernard Meyer and Bernd Eikens.
- Despite the current crisis facing Meyer Werft GmbH, with a budget of over 2.7 billion Euros needed by 2027, the company still has numerous projects scheduled up to 2028.
- These projects include the "Meteor IV" research vessel, being built in collaboration with Fassmer shipyard, and two cruise ships for Disney Cruise Line, among others.
