Video shows a cruise ship being pulled VERY carefully along a river

Odyssey of the SQUEEZE! Amazing video shows mammoth cruise ship being pulled very carefully out to sea along a river – sometimes with just inches of clearance

• The incredible conveyance video begins in the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, where the ship was built
• It captures the ship’s challenging 20-mile journey down the River Ems, which takes more than 10 hours
• Two powerful tugboats with 9,000 horsepower are used to steer the ship through incredibly narrow gaps

Full steam ahead was never going to be on the agenda.

Amazing video footage shows the mammoth Odyssey of the Seas cruise ship being very carefully pulled out to sea from the shipyard where she was built.

The fascinating ‘conveyance’ video begins in the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, and it documents the Royal Caribbean Quantum-class cruise ship travelling along the River Ems and out to the North Sea.

Amazing video footage shows the mammoth Odyssey of the Seas cruise ship, pictured, being very carefully pulled out to sea

This 32km (20-mile) journey down the river takes more than 10 hours, with the ship passing through two bridges, over the Emstunnel, and finally through the Ems Barrier.

The river is incredibly narrow and shallow for a ship of this scale – Odyssey of the Seas measures 41m (135ft) wide and 347m (1,138ft) long and weighs 167,704 gross tonnes.

Two powerful tugboats – each with 9,000 horsepower – push and pull the ship. The video explains: ‘The faster she moves, the deeper the hull pushes into the water, so it’s important to move slowly.’

The video begins as the ship faces its first hurdle – the Papenburg Lock.

The video begins as the ship faces its first hurdle – leaving the shipyard to pass through the Papenburg Lock

The river is incredibly narrow and shallow for a ship of this scale – Odyssey of the Seas measures 41m (135ft) wide and 347m (1,138ft) long

‘There’s almost no clearance on either side of the [Papenburg Lock] so rollers (pictured) are used to gently guide the ship through,’ the narrator explains

Two powerful tugboats – each with 9,000 horsepower – are used to push and pull the ship 

‘There’s almost no clearance on either side of the lock so rollers are used to gently guide the ship through,’ the narrator explains. 

There is minimal clearance as the ship proceeds through the Weener Bridge and the Leer Bridge. She’s squeezing through the most incredibly narrow gaps – with sometimes just inches between the structures. 

Odyssey of the Seas negotiates the swing Leer Bridge at a walking pace of just two to three knots.

As the ship passes through Leer Bridge, pictured, there is minimal clearance for passage

Odyssey of the Seas negotiates the swing Leer Bridge at a walking pace of just two to three knots 

Odyssey of the Seas travelling along such a relatively small river is a surreal sight 

‘An experienced crew of local pilots help guide the way and manoeuvre the ship at all times,’ the narrator says

Above you’ll see the ship cross over the Emstunnel, which is part of an Autobahn, or motorway

The narrator notes that the ship is guided backwards – this makes for better manoeuvrability. 

‘An experienced crew of local pilots help guide the way and manoeuvre the ship at all times,’ the narrator says.

He adds: ‘The conveyance is precisely planned around the weather and the tides. It must happen around a full or new moon – that’s when the river is the highest. It requires a wind speed of 20 knots or less without gusts.’

The last challenge is for Odyssey of the Seas to pass through the Ems barrier, pictured above 

ODYSSEY OF THE SEAS BY THE NUMBERS 

Odyssey of the Seas is Royal Caribbean’s fifth Quantum-class ship. Guests can roam 16 decks – eight of which have balcony staterooms overlooking the sea. The ship can accommodate 5,498 guests and there are 1,550 international crew members onboard. 

Midway through the voyage, the ship crosses over the Emstunnel, which is part of an autobahn, or motorway.

The footage shows the enormous vessel on the horizon, with traffic continuing to flow along the autobahn in the foreground.  

Odyssey of the Seas has to pass through the Ems Barrier at the end of the journey when the sea and river water levels match.

This helps to avoid strong currents, the narrator explains. 

The ship, which can cruise at 22 knots, intended to make her maiden voyage on July 3, but it was postponed when eight crew members tested positive for coronavirus.

She finally set sail on July 31 from Port Everglades, Florida, on an eight-day cruise around the southern Caribbean, stopping off in Dutch Antilles and CocoCay in the Bahamas. 

MailOnline Travel’s Jo Kessel was on board and declared that it’s ‘impossible to be bored’. 

Odyssey of the Seas has 16 decks – eight of which have balcony staterooms overlooking the sea.

The ship can accommodate 5,498 guests and there are 1,550 international crew members onboard.

She will be sailing Caribbean voyages from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, until April 2022. From May till October 2022, Odyssey will be in the Mediterranean, sailing to Greece and Turkey from Rome. 

Visit www.royalcaribbean.com for more information. 

MailOnline Travel’s Jo Kessel declared that it’s ‘impossible to be bored’ on Odyssey of the Seas

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