Norway - Latest News

[electricron]

Hey Ann...Check out http://www.ssrotterdam.net. At least when the SS Rotterdam became obsolete and could no longer find a line to use her, a group of Dutch people were able to purchase her and are in the process of restoring her for a static attraction in Rotterdam.

Too bad this did not occur in the case of the SS France/Norway/Blue Lady.

It wasn't the fauilt of Star Cruises and NCL that didn't happen. According to Maritime Matters, at least one French group looked at doing the same for the Norway, but declined to do so after reviewing the costs for repairing the damaged caused by the boiler explosion. And that's was not including the costs for installing new engines and boilers.

[seahorse]

Hey Ann...Check out www.ssrotterdam.net. At least when the SS Rotterdam became obsolete and could no longer find a line to use her, a group of Dutch people were able to purchase her and are in the process of restoring her for a static attraction in Rotterdam.

 

Too bad this did not occur in the case of the SS France/Norway/Blue Lady.

 

Thank You.....that was a nice trip down memory lane:) I guess that the Dutch are more interested in preservation then the French. The private sector is helping also.

 

Yes, it is too bad.

[Mark]

Here is some interesting news posted on Maritime Matters that makes the Norway story sound even more "fishy" and "shady". Not only was someone in a hurry to get out of Germany and to Alang, but it seems they could not wait to get Norway on the beach. Who wants to bet they start scrapping her illegally before the Indian Supreme Court has the hearing?:confused:

 

BLUE LADY/NORWAY Beaching Re-argued

August 17: Recently beached BLUE LADY (ex FRANCE, NORWAY) remains not only in many peoples' thoughts, but also in the news. The same day she was beached it was reported that one of the Mumbai-based, 14-member delivery crew was arrested for immigration irregularities related to a bogus passport stamp.

More importantly, following her controversial beaching at Alang, the challenge to the ship's legal status will only now come before the Supreme Court. Initially, the ship was allowed to anchor in Indian waters only on humanitarian grounds by the court, as the BLUE LADY had no engine and was subject to monsoonal swells. However, the Ministry for the Environment allowed the beaching after a technical committee cleared the ship.

[nana nancy]

Our first cruise was on the American Hawaii Cruises SS Constitution. It's how we discovered cruising and a love of the islands. It was past it's prime, and rather small, but in excellent shape. Beautifully decorated, service and food was excellent. The atmosphere, the cultural influences, entertainment, were all wonderful. She was the ship in Affair to Remember, the ship that Grace Kelly sailed back and forth on to visit Monaco. She had a great history. She's now at the bottom of the sea! Sunk being towed to India to be scraped! They can't last forever. We sailed on the POA 8/04, we had been booked on the America, but she sank as you may recall. There were some issues, and the crew tried very hard for the most part. We met crew members who had worked for America Hawaii Cruises! I still feel the best way to see the islands is on a ship! It would be nice if the United States sailed again, but is it cost effective in this day and age?

[mikeythemars]

Well, it still ain't over -yet.

 

The Indian Supreme Court today refused to give permission to the shipbreakers to start tearing apart the Blue Lady a.k.a. Norway a.k.a. S.S. France, which was beached yesterday about two kilometers off the coast (video of that event - and the terrible working conditions in the Alang scrapyard -- is below). Likely because the ship was beached without its permisson, the Court instead told a technical subcommitee to write a new report on the environmental risks the ship may present, which will be considered before their final desicion.

 

Sorry, but the commentary on the video is in Norweigan (from the major Norway news network VG; the U.S. media has been pretty much AWOL on covering this story). Also, it's possible an ad may play on the video screen before the news video comes up.

 

Video of Norway beaching at Alang, India on 8/16/06

[jerhardt]

Thanks for the video link - sad isn't it. My mother sailed on her back in the

80s. Any chance of an English link to a video?

[shoreguy]

Well, it still ain't over -yet.

 

 

Yet is the key word. :( It is over we just don't know for sure where and when.

 

Thank you for the link.

[Mark]

I wonder why the Cruise Critic is not covering the ever-changing story on the Norway as part of the NEWS section? Does anyone know if NCL is a sponsor of the CC website? Might be the reason?:confused:

[shoreguy]

I wonder why the Cruise Critic is not covering the ever-changing story on the Norway as part of the NEWS section? Does anyone know if NCL is a sponsor of the CC website? Might be the reason?:confused:

 

No Cruise Critic has an exclusive contract with RCCL

[bh2359]

Thanks to Mikeythemars for that video link.

 

However, at the very end, did I see an anchor chain going to the water? If so, then she is anchored, not yet beached. If India refuses Alang to dismantle her, she just might be towed elsewhere.

 

I guess this nightmare, um, story, is not over yet!

[Mark]

I have a good idea...who has money and always needs a large fast passenger ship? The US Navy! Why doesn't the US Navy buy it, send it to Newport News and change it into a fact troop ship / floating barracks for all the times we are sending troops all over the world these days. The British experience in the Falklands and drafting of QE2 shows the benefit of having such a resource...let's see four bunks to a cabin X how many cabins...anyone here have contacts with the Navy?

[shoreguy]

Mark some of those cabins they could get 20 bunks in. The little inside cabins with 2 bunks are only big enough for two bunks even for the army.;)

[Shawnee Indian]

Well - I will now send a link of this thread to Brian Williams and NBC News...

 

Let's See If Anything Happens........

[Mark]

Outstanding! Let's hope NBC has the guts to do what the others do not!:cool:

[Shawnee Indian]

OK - I sent this link to Brian Williams and NBC News - The Link works...

 

Who is going to step up and send it to ABC World News Tonight...

 

CBS?

 

Fox?

 

PBS?

 

Etc..............

[Jana]

ooops, dupe post

[Jana]

Mark,

 

Cruise Critic IS going to cover the Norway story, with an interview of, and photo essay by, maritime historian Peter Knego, who is awaiting word as to whether or not he will be leaving for Alang on Tuesday.

 

I find it offensive, as a writer for Cruise Critic, that you would imply such bias. Cruise Critic posts news articles of general interest no matter what line, what ship, or whether or not the article is flattering to the cruise line.

 

Shoreguy,

 

ALL major cruise lines advertise on Cruise Critic (or you wouldn't be enjoying it for free). The "exclusive contract" that Cruise Critic has with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity is only for the "official" Meet and Mingle parties aboard those company's ships.

 

Jana

[mikedw]

The navy buying a foreign ship? I believe it's against federal law. The navy is testing a high speed catmaran type vessel that was built by Austral Shipbuilding in Australia, they had to get special permission from congress to do that and Austral has a shipyard now on the gulf coast so any future orders for that type of ship will be built in the US. The Norway was a beautiful ship, but it was the French National Flagship and they should have been the ones to save her. I'm sure NCL is not holding its breath over people who say they're never sailing NCL again because of what happened to the Norway, let's face it, us liner buffs are a very small minority. It was a business decision to take her out of service. After the explosion, the insurance underwriters would not insure her unless the steam power plant was replaced, also new SOLAS regulations are taking effect, so when they crunched the numbers they said forget it. Nothing last forever and unfortunately not everything can be saved, it's time to move on.

 

Michael

[seahorse]

Mark,

 

Cruise Critic IS going to cover the Norway story, with an interview of, and photo essay by, maritime historian Peter Knego, who is awaiting word as to whether or not he will be leaving for Alang on Tuesday.

 

I find it offensive, as a writer for Cruise Critic, that you would imply such bias. Cruise Critic posts news articles of general interest no matter what line, what ship, or whether or not the article is flattering to the cruise line.

 

Shoreguy,

 

ALL major cruise lines advertise on Cruise Critic (or you wouldn't be enjoying it for free). The "exclusive contract" that Cruise Critic has with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity is only for the "official" Meet and Mingle parties aboard those company's ships.

 

Jana

 

Hi Jana,

 

I came upon this gentleman and his website by accident. Fascinating, and I wanted to purchase half of his inventory:o I hope that he does get to go to Alang.

[Jana]

Ann,

 

Peter's a dear good friend of mine, a fabulous human being, an expert maritime historian, and a genuinely nice guy.

 

For anyone interested in this kind of stuff, I recommend buying his DVD, "The Road to Alang."

 

More than anything, Peter's knowledge (and patience with my lack thereof) has served to make me a near "liner buff," and to appreciate the older ships and their structures.

 

His work also appears in Maritime Matters; he's a consistent contributor, and I know you've been reading that site.

 

Jana

[electricron]

I have a good idea...who has money and always needs a large fast passenger ship? The US Navy! Why doesn't the US Navy buy it, send it to Newport News and change it into a fact troop ship / floating barracks for all the times we are sending troops all over the world these days. The British experience in the Falklands and drafting of QE2 shows the benefit of having such a resource...let's see four bunks to a cabin X how many cabins...anyone here have contacts with the Navy?

 

The US Navy hasn't wanted or needed a large passenger ship since it withdrew funding for the SS United States in 1978. The French government withdrew funding for the SS France in 1974.

[coaster]

A couple of great pics of the lady below. Just a few rust spots on her. I love the pictures now, but to see future ones of her being gradually destroyed will be tough to view.

 

http://maritimematters.com/shipnewspics.html

[Mark]

Coaster,

 

Great photos thanks...even though they are rather morbid and depressing...at least to me

[Mark]

Jana,

 

My apologies to CC and staff...however, if CC had posted a news blurb stating the Norway had been beached in Alang and CC would try to obtain furthere details and photos for future updates, I would have never posted my comments...CC should have posted exactly what you said in this thread as a news story and folks would have know you were working on it.

 

I hope that the CC news story is going to include all of the false and misleading statements and actions taken by NCL and Star in this entire process. As one member said, Germany should take Star and NCL to court for what they pulled off with Norway.

 

My concern was that with new news stories were being posted every day and there was no mention of the Norway at Alang except for threads by members...seemed strange?

[Mark]

MikeDW,

 

You have a valid point and I know you are correct with the military and a US policy to use only American equipment but there are always exceptions to any rule when needed or appropriate...you know rules are made to be broken.

 

I believe the Coast Guard training ship Eagle was launched as a German ship, Squad Automatic Weapons (SAWs) used by the Army and Marines are I believe from Belgium, Coast Guard has helicopters from Canada, Army has Styker wheeled armor vehicles from Canada, the new Marine 1 helicopter will be of a British Westland helicopter design and although it is not military but does belong to the US Government the Statue of Liberty was made in France as was the SS Norway.

 

So if the US government wanted a large passenger ship for a relatively cheap price, it could go out buy it and reflag and refit it....where it was built would not be a problem. Maybe the US government could use both the Norway and the United States to move large amounts of troops, provide living accomodations or rescue citizens? Seems there have been quite a few cruise ships leased by the US Government recently and troops are always being moved to some hot spot in the world these days...unfortunatley...