Memories of the Norway...we never knew how good we had it!!!!!!!

[jb6075]

The Norway was our second cruise - first was inside cabin. Our agent called two days before we sailed and offered us a upgrade for $50 - there were three of us - (husband and 9 year old grand daughter). I remember walking into our cabin and seeing this HUGE porthole with a life boat directly in front of the widow - regardless, I thought I had died and gone to heaven as the only thing we had to compare it with was a inside cabin. Our bathroom had a huge tub in it... the tub had "legs" on it! ... I loved the teak. But I think the thing I remember most was how confusing the elevators were. One had to make sure they were on the right one to get to your cabin.... my husband explained that this was a result of the old class system, i.e., first class passengers were separated from others... I just remember I had a heck of a time with the elevators. I loved that ship!

[uromac]

Hi!

 

I actually have 2 memories..We went on the Norway for my husband's 30th birthday in 1991 our first cruise together with our son who was 2. Our stateroom was an inside cabin with a crib and when set up we literally had to climb over the beds to get to the bathroom in the cabin the first night. After we upgraded the next day to an oceanview w/a little more room!

We did have in cabin babysitting for my husband's actually birthday one evening and to soothe my son the babysitter actually took him up and down the elevators all evening - his favorite part of the cruise!

 

Actually when I was younger (1973) I was on that ship which was in its earlier incarnation known as the S.S. France. My family was on a transatlantic crossing from NY to Cannes with Salvador Dali and his ocelots (we had a dog in the kennel where his ocelots were too!) and Charles Kuralt - The menus were actually pieces of art (mom framed them) and we dressed up for each meal which was a big event when I was 11 - btw, I also won at bingo onboard which had a 'large' jackpot of $32!

 

Now we are going to sail on the Jewel in 4 weeks!

 

Melissa :]

[MamaTene]

Keep em coming folks!

[RD64]

The Norway was my first, and after 17 more cruises, still my favourite.

 

I still remember that tiny bunk bed cabin N35, where there was barely enough room for two people to stand. But the way the ship rocked you to sleep at night was amazing.

 

On that cruise...August 15, 1995 there was the most eclectic and interesting bunch of passengers ever. Among the passengers were a British lord and lady, a large group of Grand Ole Opry VIPs, and my favourite of all a French count who was travelling with his wife...Madame la Comtesse, and his statuesque mistress. They had the largest suite on the ship....quite large for that time with two or three bedrooms, a living dining area, baggage room, etc. and one night they hosted the most amazing shipboard party that lasted well into the wee hours of the morning.

 

I agree with many other posters, that there was, and never will be another better public room at sea than the Club I...nothing else needs to be said. And of course there were the original murals in the Windward dining room. Does anyone know what happened to them? And the ones in the children's playroom? On this cruise I was lucky enough to see the original library fixtures that would be ripped out a few weeks later...and the whole scene was dominated by the King and Queen of Norway.

 

In 2001 I was fortunate enough to sail again in Cabin A002...this cabin was as far forward as possible, and the sound of the anchors coming down in the morning...something else, but I would love to have that cabin again. Next door to me was an elderly woman - Audrey from Abiline, Texas who spent four months each winter on the Norway. On this trip I snagged an invitation to the Captain's private cocktail party in his quarters...even took a picture sitting at his desk. On his verandah, he had original France deck chairs.

 

Really I could go on and on.....buy I think you get the idea...a cruise on the Norway was a magical experience, sadly never to be repeated again.

 

Cheers

[G'ma]

We sailed her twice. The first time we THOUGHT we would be economical and book 1 inside cabin for 2 COUPLES! Thank GOD they upgraded each of us to our own inside room...with bunk beds of course! And we had one of those "inside..inside" cabins..I remember going down the hall and turning left into a "roundabout" where another set of inside rooms were located. Thats where we were! Our cabin was 110sq ft!

And those "go nowhere" decks that you had to cross over then go down steps, then back up to get to the other end of the deck were indeed confusing. We ended up once in the kitchen!

 

HA! This made me laugh. My first cruise on the Blue Lady was the first season she cruised under the NCL logo.... The cabin I was in was about the size of a phone booth. It was the first cabin on the starboard side in the very bow of the ship...and, it had a porthole...half way up the wall. The only way you could see out was if you climbed up and sat in the porthole shelf or sat on the top bunk. It was an upper and lower. The bathroom was so tiny and was an all-in-one. When you showered, everything got wet......it was more like a shower stall with a toilet and sink in it....HA!.. I couldn't even guess at the floor space but you could reach all the drawers and the tiny "closet" from the middle of the floor..what floor their was.

 

Then there was the incredible noise when they dropped anchor-YIKES..the whole little cabin vibrated...... Oh, and real brass everywhere!!!!! Real teak decks, lots of beautiful inlaid woods...

 

Pure class...

 

I was lucky to have sailed on her several times.

[janacin]

The International Deck with its REAL TEAK WALKWAY!

Room service DELIVERED to tables outside of the bars and casinos..you just had to call and tell them where you were and they brought food direct to you!

Tables stewards who cleaned the slightest bit of crumbs off of the tableclothes BETWEEN each course.

Beverage attendants for each table to assist the waiter assigned to your table...and they REMEMBERED from the first day EXACTLY what you liked to drink and had it sitting at your table when you arrived.

Skeet shooting off of the upper deck.

 

Those were the days!

 

Anyone else care to share memories you have of the Norway???

With the exception of skeet shooting, what you remember about the Norway is an everyday occurance on Princess,

[Giantfan13]

there are several great video's on utube on the Norway

 

here are a couple

 

 

[NormanW]

With the exception of skeet shooting, what you remember about the Norway is an everyday occurance on Princess,

 

Thanks for the laugh of the month! :D

 

Cheers,

 

Norman

[MrPete]

 

Anyone else care to share memories you have of the Norway???

 

Very fond memories as a 7 year old boy, boarding this magnificent vessel to watch grand Ma and Grand Pa off on this one of many cruises out of NY harbor. There was something DIFFERENT about this ship, starting with those stunning smokestacks. While the Bon Voyage party went on, sis and I explored every facet of this ship that allowed entry. Before long, that unmistakable horn going off, letting you know ALL ASHORE THAT GOES ASHORE, started blasting. This one seemed louder, cause I wasn’t done with this ship.

 

Watching her slip out from the pier made me yearn to board once more, sometime in the future. Dad bought a model of the ship, which I proudly displayed on my souvenir shelf for years. Daydreaming in class sometimes found me sketching a pencilled silhouette.

 

It was that one visit that ignited my passion for cruising.

 

Yet years past, not knowing what happened to this mighty vessel.

 

Until 1986.

 

21 years had passed, and I found myself driving down the Miami causeway, with the glimpse of this BIG BLUE thing out of the corner of my eye. Could it be? I pulled over, and sure enough, the SS France was right there floating across the channel, with big letters now calling her N O R W A Y.

 

When I did eventually start cruising in 1988, I always had my sights on once again boarding this vessel, but this time as a passenger.

 

Regrettably, it never happened. I kept putting it on the back burner way too long until it was too late.

 

I wrenched at every published shot that was published of her dismantling. It’s sad to think she is no more.

[coka]

These stories/memories are wonderful to read!

 

I remember reading on cruisecritic in the early 2000's that people either loved her or disliked her. OceanDreams and I wanted to sail her and my TA cautioned she was an old vessel and the staterooms were not like the newer ships. All the more reason we wanted to go.

 

How cool was it to step inside the cabin and find three or four floor to ceiling windows, a couch in a separate living area, and a unique bathroom? Thinking back, we must have been in a suite. If we were, then that was my first one. Ocean will know if she reads this...she remembers everything.

 

I loved the teak decks and the promenade was memorable to walk.

 

I remember a room in the middle of the ship. It was beautiful. I think it was a bar area and it had elegant couches. We were wearing gowns and I sipped cosmopolitans for the first time ever. The glasses were huge. The Executive Chef saw our group and sat with us. He ordered us some shrimp which was well received.

 

The nightclub was forward inside with no windows (I think). We danced there just about every night. I left thinking the grand dame had a wild side that came out late night!

 

On one of the back decks were two couches underneath an overhang. I remember sitting out there one night by myself looking at the stars thinking it would be cool to sleep out there.

 

We returned agreeing the Norway was indeed a special ship. I still think about the crew who died during the explosion only weeks after our sailing and say a prayer for their families.

 

coka

[hat776]

there are several great video's on utube on the Norway

 

here are a couple

 

 

 

 

I watched the video and there was the song "The Love Boat".

 

Does anyone know what was the real name of that ship ?

[MrPete]

I watched the video and there was the song "The Love Boat".

 

Does anyone know what was the real name of that ship ?

 

The Pacific Princess.

[MamaTene]

Resurrecting this thread for more input from everyone. Was going thru my cruise photo albums yesterday and reliving the good old days of this fine lady!

[bagpiper51]

my ex and i sailed on the norway in november 87 and what i remember was meeting one of the singers. his name i believe was bob or robert francis. for some reason we exchanged names and addresses. we lived in juneau alaska and bob did the alaska cruise ship route in the summer. we actually picked him up 2 or 3 times the following summer and had him to our home for cookouts while the ship was in port in juneau. it was really very special to us at the time. he as i recall had a couple of cameo appearances in a few disney movies back then. that cruise was also my first and i still remember how elegant everything seemed back then. i really loved the crystal statues outside one of the lounges of neptune.

[The Cellar Dweller]

As can see from my signature I traveled on her many times.

 

Does anyone remember hitting golf balls off the aft of the ship. You climbed up to the platform and they put a belt around your waist that was attached to the ship, just incase you slipped off the platform. They did end up stopping this, one would assume for safety reason.

[MamaTene]

You bet I remember shooting the golf balls off of the aft. In fact, I have pics of my husband doing so. Remember the skeet shooting?

[GMCOLT]

I sailed on her three times. I have made quite a few models of her as well. The Norway has ben my favorite vessel to build models of.

Here are some views of the Norway leaving New York just before 911.

Enjoy

[deal-me-in]

The Norway was my first cruise. I had an inside cabin with bunk beds. I went with a small group and what was great about it was we spent time together. Strange isn't it? This ship couldn't offer what the newer ships can, but there was enough to do on board to keep us occupied. The cruise director, Denny Anderson, yes I remember his name, really had to earn his pay. The sad thing is I do compare my other cruises to this one and I can't remember those cruise directors names, or having as much fun...

[cruitenn]

Our first cruise in August, 1986 was on the Skyward. We loved it so much we decided to try the Norway, going on a guaranteed fare with my DH's sister and brother-in-law. Wouldn't you know it SIL & BIL got one of the renovated Norway deck cabins on the starboard side that was at least double the size of our N096 on the port side. That cabin was so small, the double bed was against the wall and my DH had to jump over me to get out of bed or hit the TV, located at the bottom of the bed. The bathroom, with this huge bathtub was almost half the size of cabin. I complained about claustrophobia so we stayed out all day and night and crashed when we were tired.

 

That being said, the next year we gave her another try and cruised with our kids. We were a little bit more educated and each year the cabin choices got better after discovering that choosing the cabins to book on the Norway was part of the fun. Kids loved it, they grew up cruising on the Norway during vacations and holidays and we ended up going on her thirteen times. We still see and miss some of the friends we made while sailing on the Norway.

 

We went on a number of Theme cruises, a Country Music cruise, Football cruise right after the Super Bowl (Wade Phillips, coach of the Dallas cowboys and Tim Brown of the Oakland Raiders, were two of the celebrities), a Ski cruise and a Sports Illustrated cruise, where there were two celebrities from each sport. We met and have some authographed memorabilia from James Worthy, Clyde Frazier, Steve Carlton, Ozzie Smith, Matt Biando, hockey, track & field and a number of sports stars.

 

Our last cruise on her was on one of her Farewell cruises in August, 2001, prior to going to Europe, then coming back after 9/11. Love all the new ships, i.e. Dawn, Spirit and the Gem but we still miss the Norway. We have a lot of wonderful memories of our sailings on the Norway that we have memorialized in photographs and video recordings.

[dr.d]

Thank you all for the pleasurable walk down memory lane. She truly was the most elegant ship ever built. We loved being aboard the Norway, enjoying family vacations on the sea.

[MamaTene]

Yep....this grand dame was without a doubt our favorite. Have been on 20+ cruises and have to say we ALWAYS are comparing experiences to Norway and none can compare! Those were the days and unfortunately for us...they are gone. Our memories however will last a lifetime!

[cruise junky joan]

The Norway was our first cruise too, January '99. Our cabin was the same as our friends, ocean view. Their cabin was , I guess, on deck 6 with at least two picture windows. Our cabin was just above the water line with a port hole the size of a dinner plate. We did have a double bed but it was pushed up against the wall and you had to climb over it to get to the bathroom which was so small you could sit on the toilet and soak your feet in the shower at the same time. We loved that ship, it was so elegant and graceful. The only ship we have sailed since that has even come close has been the QM2 and even she pales in comparison.

[breezer]

My first cruise was on the Norway and I sailed on her 7 times. Definitely holds a special place in my heart. I met my husband in Dazzles in 1983. Also met some very special friends that we still see frequently and cruise with almost every year.

[oklaviking]

In the past on Cruise Critic and other web sites. I have wrote many memories from the S.S. Norway my family and I have shared. The Norway was suppose to be my first cruise. I checked with a trave agency and started to make arrangements. I found out the time I was interested in going was during a theme cruise. I did not have the extra money to go on that one. So my wife and I decided to sail on the NCL Sky. The next cruise I wanted to take was with my family. I checked on NCL ships and placed a deposit on the NCL Sea. It was a 5 night cruise out of Miami. After checking further I found out I could sail the S.S. Norway for 7 nights out of Miami for the same price and include air fare. So I jumped ships and changed over to the S.S. Norway. My oldest daughter was graduating High School so that was her graduation gift a cruise on the S.S. Norway. My other two children sailed with us, daughter number 2, 13 years old and my son who was 8 at the time. I also took my mother because my dad had passed away. The feeling on board the ship was one of history. The crew really went out of their way to please my family. I researched all about the ship so I knew all about her special places. It was so much fun showing the port holes under the top side pool to my children. They really got a big kick out of seeing people swim from that vantage point. There are so many other stories from that week I could tell. All of them very special in my families life. I agree with the person who made a video in a previous post. NCL gave the S.S. Norway life for 20 more years. Also gave half a million or so passengers a chance to sail her. For that I am grateful to be a small part of such a great Ocean Liners passenger list.

[MikeyB]

New Years Eve 1980-81 was my first cruise and it was the Norway. It was me (male) and 6 or 7 woman. One of those women, is now my wife. We had bunk beds and it was a tight fit.....no it was just my wife and I in the cabin. The entertainment was Bobby Goldsboro.

Does anyone remember him?