Construction of NYK Cruises new cruise ship has begun at MEYER WERFT with the symbolic steel cutting ceremony.
She will be named ‘Asuka III’ and is scheduled for delivery in 2025.
“The order from NYK Cruises in 2021 in the middle of the pandemic was a strong signal for shipbuilding in Papenburg. Therefore, we are also very pleased today to have won NYK Cruises as a customer and to be able start in the construction of this modern cruise ship,” said MEYER WERFT Managing Director, Thomas Weigend.
“The teams of MEYER and NYK Cruises are working extraordinary close together to create the ‘Asuka III’. For the MEYER team, learning about Japanese culture and optimising a cruise ship for this market is a very appealing task,” he added.
Representatives of the Japanese company were guests at the shipyard for the traditional ceremony and wished the project good luck with painting Daruma in the Japanese tradition.
“In the ship’s designing, we are all grateful to the co-operation rendered by Meyer so far. We wish to continue this excellent relationship with them to the successful delivery of ‘Asuka III’ and beyond,”said Hiroyuki Endo, President NYK Cruises.
MEYER WERFT will use several customised solutions for the new cruise ship, including hydrodynamics optimised according to the planned routes, contactless controls, as well as on board facilities adapted to the needs of Japanese passengers.
Powered by LNG, the 52,200 gt ship’s delivery is scheduled for 2025. With a length of 230 m and a width of 29.8 m, she will offer accommodation for 744 passengers.
