For fans of the SS France/ SS Norway...

[DFD1]

Maritime News is reporting the Norway has been towed to Port Klang, Malaysia where 14 Indian scrap merchants have been inspecting her. Fear is that she may be towed to Goa, India and broken up for scrap.

 

This is from the thread..."Whatever happened to...."

 

For those of us who have fond memories of days on board this great ship, it is sad that she apparantly cannot be saved. Too bad.

[Taters]

That is bad news... I've never sailed on the Norway, but have been in port with her on many occasions and love her sleek profile. I wanted to sail on her, but somehow never got around to it. So sad to see her go...

 

Taters

[arzz]

Sad to see any ship go -- she did have a handsome profile and a romantic history

 

We had a good cruise aboard the Norway

[cruzincurt]

We were on the last cruise of the Norway. I still have a room key to a penthouse suite on the rear top deck. I would rather see her sunk at sea than cut up. That's where she belongs, in the North Atlantic rather than melted down for a three wheel scooter.

[FamilyofFourtoAlaska]

My DH, DD (7 months old) and I joined 11 other family members on the Norway in 1992 for a post Christmas cruise. We just did our subsequent cruise in Alaska on the Statendam. Amazing changes in cruising since then!

[falcon5travels]

We sailed on her after her so called refurbishment (I think they added 2 decks and some new furniture) and while the crowd wasnt as young as we would have liked, we truly enjoyed the beauty of history. We truly understood the meaning of "classes" on the ships. If any of you remember, to get to the dining room you need to go up a few floors past midship and back down again because of the way she was separated. I found the pool amazing (of course not by today's standards) with the windows in the pool, and if you walked on the deck below, you could see everyones flegs and eet. When we went on after her refurbishment they also decorated many of the lounges in the 40's style motiff. I agree that she belongs to the sea not the junkyard.

[shipcafe]

The s.s. Norway was a true lady. She was the essence of classic cruising aboard a timeless ocean liner. While I hate to read of her looming, potential demise, it will end the continous "what next" threads. I'm not sure if her becoming an Asian casino is exactly what we all want to see. I remember my days aboard her glowingly and I wouldn't necessarily plan to fly to Hong Kong to see her as a floating casino. Even upon doing so she would resemble nothing of her original purpose.

[bcc99]

The s.s. Norway was a true lady. She was the essence of classic cruising aboard a timeless ocean liner. While I hate to read of her looming, potential demise, it will end the continous "what next" threads. I'm not sure if her becoming an Asian casino is exactly what we all want to see. I remember my days aboard her glowingly and I wouldn't necessarily plan to fly to Hong Kong to see her as a floating casino. Even upon doing so she would resemble nothing of her original purpose.

 

Norway was my first cruise in 1991, so I'm eternally grateful to her as the godmother of my cruise fixation. I had always hoped to go back...but it doesn't seem like that will be possible. If she must go, then I'd have to agree that it would be better for her to go soon and quickly, and get the suffering over with. The great ones all have to go eventually...Mauretania and Aquitania, Olympic, Ile de France, the "old" Nieuw Amsterdam. I can only hope that there aren't any pictures taken when she goes, because there's an excellent chance that they'd reduce me to tears. Hopefully SS United States will fare better in NCL's care, but I just can't imagine that they'll do right by her.

[grannynurse]

We have always loved the SS Norway, having sailed on her in the 90's after they added the 2 new decks (made her slightly top-heavy).

 

She is a truly beautiful ship, a true ocean liner with a lot of class.

 

We hate the thought of her going to scrap. We have many pictures of her which we treasure.

 

I don't like the thought of her becoming a floating casino either, so what hope do we have?

GN

[MortgageChick]

So basically they lied to us when they said she would be converted to a hotel or casino or whatever. ALthough we all knew that scrap was a possibility, NCL never would actually admit that, or perhaps I have missed something.

[Leslieswiger]

Have done round trip on the North Atlantic when she was the France. The United States and the France I felt were two of the best. Happy Sailings..Leslie Swiger:)

[KAJOKG]

For many years we said we would never, ever get on a cruise ship. Didn't think I could stand being on board a ship for 7 days, etc., etc., etc. We live in Florida and saw what seemed to be a real bargain for a 7 day sail on the Norway, in a penhouse cabin ($500pp). We agreed that we might as well try it. Well, she hooked us but good. That was in 2000 and we are about to take our 12th cruise. No other ship can quite compare to the Norway. Her aura was filled with past elegance. She was a regal, magnificent ship. Close your eyes and you could swear you saw Grace Kelly or Cecil B. DeMille, or Noel Coward roaming the decks. We love her still for opening our eyes to cruising. I'm sad to see her sold for scrap, but the memory of The Norway will remain with us always.

[gizmo]

My first cruise was also on the Norway. We sailed her many times. My favorite lounge was the International Lounge. Those statues were gorgeous.

 

The Norway was one classy ship. :)

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have also sailed on the Norway. Sad to hear about any ship being turned into scrap. I had read reports a few months ago on another site about the possibility of that happening to her.

[bepsf]

So basically they lied to us when they said she would be converted to a hotel or casino or whatever. ALthough we all knew that scrap was a possibility, NCL never would actually admit that, or perhaps I have missed something.

 

Duplicate post - Sorry

[bepsf]

So basically they lied to us when they said she would be converted to a hotel or casino or whatever. ALthough we all knew that scrap was a possibility, NCL never would actually admit that, or perhaps I have missed something.

 

 

NCL would never admit that they were planning on selling her for scrap as they would have been forced to do the asbestos abatement in Europe where the costs are incredibly high (ie: Rotterdam) - But if you didn't see this coming....

Better that she should be scrapped and done with than languishing as some half-sunk relic like Oriana - or sunk in the ocean where her materials would go to waste...

[mtbny7]

I was on her for cruise in 2000; and her 16-day 'Final Crossing' Sept 2 to 18th, 2001 (yes, I was mid-Atlantic on 9/11!).

 

The things that amazed me were the Club In'tl (the former 1st Class Smoking Room, the Windward Dining Room (former 1st Class Dining Room), and those gorgeous stairways, and various pieces of art.

 

And that stairs going down into the Windward... wow! Now that's elegance!

 

Michael

[sailorbill]

I have an amusing if not so fond memory of the SS France.

 

It was 1968 and I was the junior officer of the watch on the bridge of the aircraft carrier USS Essex (sent to the wreckers long ago). We were sailing off the south coast of England heading north into Portsmouth for a week of R & R. The SS France was sailing east bound for some port in France. With our two speeds and headings we were on a collision course. According to the International Rules of the Road for ships, the Essex was in the priviledged ship position and was required to maintain course and speed. The SS France was in the burdened ship position and was required to alter course and speed to avoid collision. Of course, being the imperious French lady that she was, her Captain was not about to give way to a mere colonial rust bucket, even though said rust bucket was equal in size and weight to the grand lady. So the two ships continued to close dangerously. When we reached "in extremis", the Essex sounded six short blasts telling the SS France it was sailing into danger, and then we backed down to avoid scratching her gleaming white paint job. The SS France just continued to sail on as if there were no one else in the whole wide ocean. As I recall, being young and in the Navy I flipped her a single digit salute. I did get a very good, close look at her profile and thought her a beautiful ship. For some reason I never had any desire to sail on the SS France.

 

Bill, at the time Lieutenant JG, O'Hara

[drdaddy]

Hi, Mike. Glad to see you are still around!

 

Yes, like many of you, Norway was our first real cruise. Fell in love with cruising and her then and still feel she is the best out there. (Well, RCCL Voyager class is pretty good, too) And, yes, we were heading towards Europe on her when those maniacs decided to change the world in 2001. Being on a ship in the middle of the Atlantic at that moment was rather surreal, especially when we picked up so many passengers in NYC just a few days earlier. Sometimes we feel that we weren't really a part of it.

 

Sad to see this but I guess business is business and if some of you have noticed, the cruising industry has changed quite a bit. It is not just for enthusiasts but for anyone who just wants a great vacation. So the days of ocean liners has long passed and now we are relagated to a diiferent style of cruisers.

 

I remember when we went on Norway some years ago and back then she was the biggest thing out there. At the TA's office, another customer said to us, what will you do after Norway? Well, there were many new and different ships to come.

 

Bigger, yes. Easier to navigate, yes. Better, ???

[Rotterdam]

I was on the FRANCE back in the early 1970's & then onboard as the NORWAY in the early 1990's.

 

As the France - she was the ultimate- all around. As the Norway - she left me saddened - as the saying goes - "there is no going back".

 

The memories of the FRANCE are still very strong - The Chambourd Restaurant & the smoking lounge with the windows looking out to the sea(now the Club International). her unique funnels.

 

The last time I saw the ship was in September 2001 as she sailed out of New York Harbor headed for Europe - it was a beautiful sunny warm day - as she headed past the Statue of Liberty & then under the Verrazano Bridge - her hull appeared darker & the addition of 2 decks seemed to just disappear. Once again she appeared, to my eyes, as she had over 30 years ago - as the stately FRANCE - doing what she was meant to do - a Transatlantic crossing.

 

The say the Edwardian Era ended with the sinking of the TITANIC - the end of the golden age of ocean liners ended after 9/11/01 & that day the Norway sailed.

[cruzincurt]

Unknown to us when we boarded that fateful week in May, we had the honor of being among her last cruise passengers. Her last visit to St. Martaan and St. Thomas. I was one of the last people to play on her craps table and swim in the pool......

[LVSue]

Loved your story, Bill. In ‘64, the SS France was my transport from NY to France (what a ship) and our 5-day crossing turned into a 6-day one when the grande dame was forced to turn around to take on a sailor with appendicitis from a Norwegian freighter. (Then there was also the consternation when I tried to board without ticket or luggage labels--stupid travel agent, naive me.)

[tallblonde]

and were lucky to - two weeks before her last sailing. Thanks to CC members, I was told about the "hidden" passageways and got to explore to my heart's content! The International Club was absolutely a one-of-a-kind experience and I am so happy we booked that cruise and have our Norway memories!