AIDAcosma will leave Papenburg in the night from Friday to Saturday and will be transferred on the Ems to Eemshaven (NL). The 115th cruise ship of the MEYER Group will start the maneuver shortly after midnight with the passage of the Papenburg dock lock.

During the Ems transfer and the subsequent technical and nautical sea trials on the North Sea, around 1400 people will be on board – around 99 percent have a full Covid-19 vaccination, with the remainder recovered and/or tested. “This means we have reached a milestone in health protection and can concentrate on completing the ship despite the continuing restrictions due to the pandemic,” says Jochen Busch, project manager at MEYER WERFT.

AIDAcosma is already MEYER WERFT’s third cruise ship equipped with the low-emission LNG propulsion system. In addition to a reduction of CO2 emissions, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter are almost completely avoided – sulfur oxides are completely eliminated. Currently, all ships in MEYER WERFT’s order book are equipped with this propulsion system, while intensive work is already underway on new technologies such as fuel cells and synthetic fuels.

AIDAcosma will again be transferred to the Ems river backwards with the support of two tugs. This type of passage has proven its worth due to its better maneuverability. The following schedule applies for the Ems passage, which may be postponed at short notice according to weather and tidal conditions:

Saturday, October 23, 2021

approx. 00:00 Ship in waiting position (Papenburg)
approx. 01:00 passing the dock lock (Papenburg)
approx. 05:45 passing the Friesenbrücke (Weener)
approx. 09:00 Passage of the Jann Berghaus Bridge (Leer)
approx. 14:30 Passage of the Emssperrwerk (Gandersum)
ca. 16:30 h ship turn at height Emden

All information is subject to wind and weather conditions, water levels and therefore without guarantee. Time shifts are possible at short notice!

The team of the pilot brotherhood Emden will carry out the transfer of the ship. The number of people involved on board is significantly reduced, taking into account the Corona prevention. The transfer team always trains the maneuver on the computerized simulator in Wageningen (NL) to be even better prepared. The passage of the vessel across the river Ems will be carried out with the support of the Ems barrage. More information about the barrage can be found at http://www.nlwkn.niedersachsen.de.