Celebrity Silhouette squeezes through some tight sections during 26-mile river conveyance.

After a complex inland construction period, ships built by Meyer Weft in Papenburg, Germany are subjected to a rather stressful birthing procedure. Over approximately 12 hours, the ships are navigated, with assistance from tugboats, down the River Ems, often with less than two metres of room to maneuver on each side.

And we’re pleased to report that Celebrity Silhouette, Celebrity Cruises’ new Solstice Class vessel, successfully completed this journey on July 1. The achievement is even more impressive when one learns that, due to the size of the ship and the location of the shipyard, Captain Dimitrios Kafetzis was required to navigate in reverse!

Power lines and railway tracks that normally pass over the river were removed for the ship, enabling her to pass through various locks and narrow passages and even on an aqueduct over an autobahn.

After some finishing touches are completed in the Netherlands city of Emshaven, Celebrity Silhouette will continue on to Hamburg for her official christening celebrations on July 21, 2011.

Do you think you could deal with the stress of being Captain Kafetzis?