classic picture the SS France(Norway) on its Maiden voyage

Nice. Ive been wondering what that ship looked like. Ive seen people on here talking about it and it made me wonder. Thanks! :)

I have read on CC about this Ship and it is great to finally see her. she must have been one of the best to have so many Cruisers talking about her so many years later. Thank you for sharing this. A real blast from the past!

On our cruise on the Norway (ahem . . . a few years back) we ate at the Captain's table with a lady that had sailed on that maiden voyage! Awesome! Thanks for the pix and for jogging my memory!

We honeymooned on the Norway 10 years ago.... She was a Grand Lady! May she rest in peace.

What happened to her? Was the ship retired or sold to another company? Sold for scrap?

What happened to her? Was the ship retired or sold to another company? Sold for scrap?

Boiler #23 exploded when she was in port in Miami in 2003, killing 8 crew members (no passengers were hurt). She was hauled away for fixing.... but the cost was prohibitive. So, she was sold for scrap.... very sad...

This is how the Norway looked when she was first converted in 1980.

Here is how she looked after her 90's conversion which added two decks of suites on the top decks.

And unfortunatley here she is at Alang being scrapped in 2008

So sad... we were in one of those added suites for our honeymoon. She sure was a beautiful ship.

The Norway was a fun ship to explore (late at night) with old SS FRANCE deck plans to see the changes. It was always great seeing her in port on past cruises. I miss her.

We were in one of those added suites too!

Wow. The next-to-last photo above... *sigh*

The second Cruise my wife and I took was on that grand old lady back in 1989. Even in an inside cabin, we felt like royalty.

Wow. The next-to-last photo above... *sigh*

If I recall correctly, that picture was taken a few days before 9/11, the Norway was mid way across the Atlantic on 9/11

I sailed on the Norway during it's final farewell run (2001).

It was a trip I will never forget! 11 years later I now find the story of our rough waters funny, but back then, not so much...the Atlantic had just been through a massive storm & the ship's stabilizers were poor. Literally things were flying off the tables at dinner time (as in we had to hold on to all of the silverware, plates, glasses, etc. Or if not they were headed towards te floor!)

I'll never forget the Norway, not because of that, but because it was my first cruise with NCL and some of my fondest cruising memories came from the Norway (my first Jean Ann Ryan production show [i will never foret that opening number!], my first visit to Great Stirrup Cay, first ever spa experience at the gorgeous Roman Spa, and the first taste of what exceptional service is like! While the Norway is long gone, the memories live on, and, I have quite a few funny stories about my time on the ship as well :)

.....I'll never forget the Norway, not because of that, but because it was my first cruise with NCL and some of my fondest cruising memories came from the Norway (my first Jean Ann Ryan production show [i will never foret that opening number!], my first visit to Great Stirrup Cay, first ever spa experience at the gorgeous Roman Spa, and the first taste of what exceptional service is like! While the Norway is long gone, the memories live on, and, I have quite a few funny stories about my time on the ship as well :)

DS was on the Norway then - Sound Engineer in the Saga so I'm sure you know him.

I sailed the Norway twice and just loved that ship. Her public areas were elegant and you never knew what your room would look like since I don't believe many were alike!

I also have an SS France deck plan. It's was so interesting to see the changes.

Some one correct me if I am wrong, but wasn't she one of the last, if not the last ship to carry the "SS" designation (steam ship)?

We were on her for our first cruise in '94 and her charm had us captivated forever. The next year we sailed on her and met the ships chief electrical engineer. He took me on a tour where no passengers would normally go. Down deep into the bowels to the boiler room where the explosion occurred years later. We had to duck under the rotating propeller shaft to get from one area to another. What a special trip that was. There were open bottles of Aquavit in all the crew areas. That is a liquor made in Scandinavia that is 80% proof. Made me a little nervous. :)

The new ships are nice, but the old world charm is gone.

We were booked in Suite Sheherezade on the Norway. We have pics of that cabin, we sailed just prior to Christmas and it was a 2 room suite with a wall that lit up as a head board for the bed and a huge livingroom, complete with a full size christmas tree. It was a lot of fun exploring that ship, a lot of dead end hallways. Most of your past cruises blend together, everything about the Norway cruise is memorable even after all these years

Many fabulous (and one or two depressing) pictures of a beautiful old ship!

Thanks for sharing the pictures and the memories.

I never had a chance to sail on the Norway, but everyone I've ever spoken to that has, always loved her!

She is gone but not forgotten.

Alas, only two ships from the golden age of liners remain... The Queen Mary in Long Beach, and the SS United States in Philadelphia.

I don't think either will ever sail again, but they certainly remain grand icons of their time!

My 1st cruise was on the Norway in 1987; I sailed on her again in 1989. On our 1989 cruise, we were shocked to walk into ourinside cabin and see a window and a back door! They led to what was originally a courtyard on the France, but was removed to make way for the forward pool when it was converted to the Norway. You could see right into the pool a deck above-- it was really a neat thing! The door led to a walkway for viewing the pool.

Hello.

My wife and I sailed the Norway for our honeymoon in July of 1981. She was or first cruise and she treated us great. We sailed to St.Thomas and Great Stirrup Cay. She was so large she never could fit in any dock in those days, so tendering was always the way in to the port. NCL still uses the Norway's tenders at GSC. The funny story was that the first day we were on the ship we were early sitting and a bell would ring and an announcement would follow directing you to the time you should be at the dining room. I couldn't believe the bell rang so often as I was still full from the previous meal. That was the first day which was breakfast bell, lunch bell, dinner bell, and midnight buffet bell. By day number three I remember sitting by the pool and asking my wife " when is that **** bell going to ring I'm hungry! " Three days was all it took to fall into cruise living. We are jumping on the Epic next week for our 11th cruise. Thank God for Freestyle, because no bells have to be rang for us to enjoy anything anytime.

Dan

NCL Norway 07/81

Carnival Tropical 09/83

RCCL Grandeur 12/03

RCCL Jewel 01/06

NCL Pride of America 11/06

NCL Sun 01/08

NCL Star 02/09

NCL Jewel 01/10

NCL Gem 01/11

NCL Epic 01/12

NCL Epic 03/12 next week!

I love reading about the SS Norway. She was the 1st ship that myself & my now ex-husband sailed on.

August 1999. We had a tiny, tiny inside cabin with bunk beds! But, the entire cruise was fantastic. Southampton to Dublin, to the Scilly Isles for the total eclipse of the sun and then across to New York. The Only Way to Cross - brilliant!

John Maxtone-Graham was a guest speaker on board & we went to all his "talks" - even one entitled "John Maxtone-Graham reads from the Telephone Directory" - it was packed solid. Particularly moving was a tribute at the site of the sinking of the Titanic. A wreath was placed on the sea, a hymn sung and the ship's bell struck.

Without a shadow of a doubt the best part of the cruise was sailing into New York - alarm clock set for about 5am so we didn't miss a thing.

Thanks for reminding me of my memories :)

I have pics from the upper deck of the towers that day. That was a cruise I'll never forget, especially how French passengers reacted to 9-11. Very sad. The memorials we saw in other countries then where unbelievable.

http://life.time.com/culture/love-letter-to-nyc-life-photos/?iid=lf|moreon#27

here's A CLASIC VIDEO

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