After a whirlwind ship tour, it was time for the main event: the conveyance. Though Meyer Werft has done these transits during the daytime in the past, wind and tide conditions necessitated a late-night departure for Celebrity Equinox. Two tugboats connected to the ship – one aft, to pull the ship, and one forward, to keep it steady – just before midnight. By 1 a.m., we were on our way. Because it's nighttime, this picture is fuzzy, but you can see the narrow gate that the ship fit through with no more than 13 feet on either side. On the banks, try to make out the onlookers. Thousands of people from Germany and Holland lined up at various points along the river to say goodbye to the vessel that was a part of their landscape.
