Starting next year, the Meyerwerft in Papenburg, Germany will outfit new cruise ships in Eemshaven instead of Bremerhaven, local sources report. For the past years, cruise ships that were built in Papenburg only stayed in Eemshaven to prepare for sea trials, after which the ship was outfitted in Bremerhaven. The reason for the switch is unclear, although the Meyerwerft needs space for 120 shipping containers and fresh food and relaxation for about 2000 members of staff who are on board. The relaxation was mostly found in the city of Groningen, according to Peter Hackmann in an article that showed up in local newspaper Dagblad van het Noorden last Monday. Local businesses are attracted for the transportation of the workers between Groningen and Eemshaven, he says.

The Meyerwerft is expected to build 7 cruise ships over the next three years. In 2017 and 2018 it will deliver two ships and three ships in 2019 under which a smaller one. It is not yet clear whether the smaller cruise ship will be outfitted in Eemshaven.

Source: Dagblad van het Noorden, Monday October 24th 2016