Celebrity Silhouette backed out of the Meyer yard this afternoon at Papernburg for its 26-mile journey down the Ems River to the sea. It had to be timed precisely to go with the high tide to ensure maximum depth beneath the ship. In preparation for the trip power lines and railroad tracks that pass over the river were removed, and the ship moved slowly (about four miles per hour) down the river so it could maneuver carefully through all the tight passages in the dams and locks, sometimes with as little as five feet of clearance. By the time you read this the 12-hour overall journey will be completed, and the ship will be safely docked at Eemshaven.
The ship will leave from there on its sea trials, and return to Eemshaven for further outfitting. At completion, it will sail to Hamburg where it will be christened on July 21.
