I don’t think it’s any surprise we are HUGE Disney Cruise Line fans at Storybook Destinations! I wanted to share a little bit about my and Tammy’s journey (and oh, it was a journey) to do a “Premium Tour” at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Northern Germany where the Disney Treasure is currently being built.
A note on the “journey”. The plan was to leave at 5 am from Amsterdam, take the ICE (fast German train) and, make one connection, then on to Papenburg. The same was planned for the journey back to Amsterdam, one connection, and back into the city around 10 pm. It would be a LONG day but riding on the trains can be so fun and relaxing. The DB (Germany train company) announced a strike before our trip, and it ended several days before our scheduled date of Tuesday, 3/12. Fast forward to receiving an email at dinner on 3/11 saying we could change our tickets. Unfortunately, there was another DB strike ON OUR TRAVEL DAY OF 3/12, and it became a “Planes, Trains, and Automobiles” adventure!
I repurchased tickets, got up super early, and had a plan. However, we missed the second train, which would have impacted the rest of the journey. Luckily our waiter at dinner shared a few tips the night before, and we remembered one of them. We then made our way to Northern Holland and took an Uber for the drive over to Papenburg, which was about an hour away. It wasn’t cheap, but it got us there with a little time to spare, so it worked out. Going back to Amsterdam, we were tired and cold (it was so windy!), but we made it back, albeit fully exhausted. Spoiler alert – it was worth it in the end!
Tammy and I had talked about doing this a couple of years ago when the Disney Wish was being built. However, the world looked a little different back then, so we patiently waited. Fast forward to March of this year, and we made it happen with a little bit of planning.
Tammy and I both have lived in Germany, and luckily after 11 years there, I remembered most of the language. This was a big help when purchasing the tickets online. The Premium Tour at Meyer Werft is only in German, and the same is true on the website. They have a Visitors Center at Meyer Werft and offer a few tours. The Premium Tour is 26 Euros per person and the bus picks up guests in the town of Papenburg, Germany, and then drives to the shipyard. It was about a 5-10 minute drive, so not too far away, but walking there could be a challenge. The Premium Tour lasts 2.5 hours, and again, it’s all in German. The guide spends a lot of time talking about the history, explaining what they do, talking about the different ships they have built over the years and upcoming projects, etc.
Naturally, we were COMPLETELY geeked out every time we saw something Disney Cruise Line-related! It clearly wasn’t our first time seeing some of the things offered, but still fun to know it all started there. Meyer Werft seems to be very proud of their relationship with Disney as little touches were in different areas. In one area, they show different staterooms and one showcase is the Disney Wish. It’s a real replica of a stateroom and definitely true to size, as it looked exactly like it!
I’m not sure what I was expecting, but after a decent amount of time, we rounded the corner and…THERE SHE WAS!! The Disney Treasure was in the hull in full view, being worked on at that moment. We seriously had to compose ourselves and Tammy and I were so thrilled! After we composed ourselves (and dried our eyes), we took a bunch of pictures and lingered after the rest of the group moved on. We didn’t want to leave, but alas, we had to. We were able to get 100 more pictures (ha!) of the aft as we rounded another corner for a view, and we were so happy.
On the way out, there was a ship in another area that looked to be in the “beginning” phase. Ship blocks are confusing and mind-blowing at the same time, so we couldn’t tell what ship it might be. Tammy asked our guide and he wouldn’t tell her, but she tried. Could it have been the recently announced Disney Destiny? Hmm…I will say we did get to see blocks of the Disney Destiny outside as the bus drove around very slowly! That was not expected, but so cool and indeed a “squeal moment”!
While the journey was long, with a few speed bumps along the way, it was well worth it. I’m so glad Tammy and I were able to check off a major bucket list item. If your plans allow while overseas, we highly recommend you do the tour and visit.
- Heather Jarrett
