The Pride of America to sail in 2005

Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) said that repairing the Pride of America cruise ship, damaged while being fitted out at the German shipyard of Lloyd Werft where it was undergoing a $340 million rebuilding contract to complete the unfinished hull, has now started. The German shipbuilder has been working on this vessel since December 2002 to where it was towed across the ?pond? from the US. Originally, the Pride was scheduled to enter into service late last month and, following negotiations with the yard for new terms for the completion of the ship, it is now due for completion in the summer of 2005.

NCL and Lloyd Werft are negotiating a settlement of the estimated $200 million repair cost with a syndicate of insurers. The ship took on water up to the third deck during an accident in stormy weather at the Bremerhaven yard in January this year. It was refloated in February and has been in dry dock since.