Emerald Belle Damaged in Shipyard Fire
Emerald Waterways reports that a late night fire broke out the Den Breejen Shipyard in the Netherlands where the company’s newest ship, the Emerald Belle, was under construction. Sister line, Scenic, also had a ship under construction nearby but it was quickly moved away so damage was contained to just some exterior paint.
“At 12:30 am (UTC+1:00) Sunday morning, the owner of the Den Breejen Shipyard was alerted to a fire on the Emerald Belle,” states Glen Moroney, chairman of the Scenic Group, and owners of the Emerald Waterways line. “Despite the efforts of firefighters, who were quickly at the scene, the damage is significant. We are grateful and relieved that nobody was onboard at the time and most importantly, there were no injuries to any shipyard worker or firefighters.”
Although the Emerald Belle’s construction was well along (as it was due to launch in April) the firefighting system onboard was not yet operational. At this point there is no confirmed cause of the fire but a full investigation by the yard and firefighting authorities is being carried out.
Current feedback from the shipyard and the authorities is the damage to the Belle is significant and may well delay any launch. In that regard, the Emerald Waterways operations and reservations teams are reviewing all bookings to see how best to accommodate guests on similar departures on other Emerald ships or possibly on her sister company, Scenic. Agents with bookings will be notified in the next few days to discuss options. Consumers without agents will also be notified. They can also call the Emerald Waterways’ reservations line at (US) 855-222-3214 or (Canadian) 855-444-0161. A dedicated webpage (evergreentours.com.au/emeraldbelle) will provide ongoing updates on the affected sailings.
US & Canadian media can forward any requests for information to Elliot Gillies at elliot@gilliesandzaiser.com or 212.724.7783 ext.1.
Emerald Waterways
Launched in 2014, Emerald Waterways caters to the four-star-plus market by using five-star ships and service and a near all-inclusive pricing plan. It’s fleet sails throughout Europe and has won awards for its design and service. www.emeraldwaterways.com
