Ship History

The legendary S/S France is the last of the great Ships of State and the last ocean liner designed purely for the transatlantic service from Channel Ports to the USA. After being abruptly withdrawn from service in 1974 and laid up for several years she was dramatically reborn as the Norway as a cruise ship for Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL). Today she still lives on as an enduring memory of the final days of the transatlantic liner.

Design and Construction (1960 – 1962):

As the 1950s progressed, the Ile de France and the Liberte began to show their age and the need for replacements was beginning to get urgent. Also the beautiful prewar Normandie had not been replaced. Thus CGT French Line placed the order for the France with Chantiers de l’Atlantique, St Navaire, France (the same builders that had constructed the great Normandie). In truth, this ship was the replacement for the great Normandie that was lost during the Second World War, but while CGT French Line had conceived a magnificent ship she was always compared unfavourably with the legendary Normandie whose luxury has never been equalled and probably never will be. While slightly longer overall, at 1,035 ft, but with a smaller tonnage, at 66,348 tons, the France showed through the graceful lines of her hull and upperworks some of the design features of the Normandie. Dominating the superstructure of the France were two streamlined funnels with fins extending outward to help disperse exhaust gases. The France was launched on the 11^th May 1960 by Madame Charles de Gaulle (wife of the French President).

The France was one of the last large liners to be designed and constructed specifically for the North Atlantic scheduled passenger service, unfortunately only arriving on the scene after that trade had peaked and was already in decline due to competition from air travel. As a result the France depended on subsidies from the French Government, without which she would never have paid her way. Indeed when these were withdrawn, her brief career as a transatlantic liner was brought to an abrupt and premature end.

Inevitably comparisons were made between the France and her illustrious predecessor, the Normandie. However they were different ships built for different eras. At the time of her introduction the France was criticised as being vulgar and tasteless, lacking that quintessential finesse and refinement routinely expected of CGT French Line – the most fashionable operator on the North Atlantic. However the France was and is one of the most beautiful and graceful vessels ever built. She was also the longest transatlantic liner being 1,035 ft. The France was the last of a long line of elegant and distinguished grand French liners of CGT French Line and the last Ship of State.

On the 19^th November 1961 she commenced her sea trials and undertook a shakedown cruise to the Canary Islands on the 19^th January 1962.

The CGT French Line Era (1962 – 1974):

Then on the 3^rd February 1962 she departed Le Havre on her maiden voyage bound for New York and joined the other big transatlantic liners of the time such as the RMS Queen Mary, RMS Queen Elizabeth and the United States. The France was designed to make 46 transatlantic crossings per year and a series of winter cruises. Despite the climate, the France consistently sailed with a high capacity of passengers (unlike the struggling Cunard Queens, which were likened to creaking ghost ships). The France was a two class vessel, eschewing the middle category, Cabin Class, in favour of a larger and more spacious First and Tourist (later dubbed "Left Bank") accommodation.

Toward the mid 1960s, the France was teamed up with the United States on Atlantic crossings, as both CGT French Line and United States Lines consolidated efforts to keep their ships employed.

As the 1960s drew to a close competition with air travel was getting difficult and the liners were finding it hard to compete. In the late 1960s the Cunard Queens were retired from service and in 1969 the United States was abruptly withdrawn from service while undergoing her annual overhaul. After the United States was withdrawn, the France alternated with her arch-rival, the QE2, in the "struggling" seventies. Kept afloat not so much by her following, but by French government subsidies, the France was often sent cruising in the winter season, undertaking two much-publicized world circumnavigations in 1973 and 1974.

On the 9^th January 1974, SS France departed New York on a world voyage. As she was too long for the Panama Canal, she sailed via South America to Papeete Tahiti, Auckland, and Wellington New Zealand. Having her visit to Hobart cancelled at the last minute due to her size, she arrived in Sydney Australia on the 16^th February. She returned via Africa to New York.

However CGT French Line held out a few more years until the French Government announced in July 1974, that it was not prepared to provide any more subsidies. As a result CGT French Line announced that they would retire the France from service on the 25^th October 1974. However upon returning from New York in September, the French maritime trade union took things into their own hands, and took control of the ship anchoring her in the fairway. This was a protest against the threatened loss of their jobs. Passengers were taken ashore by tender and the ship was withdrawn prematurely. After the striker’s enthusiasm had dwindled in October, the France was finally docked on the 9^th October and was then immediately laid up at Le Havre where she remained for five years until 1979.

The Wilderness Years (1974 – 1979):

After her sudden withdrawal from service, hastened by the strike action, the France was laid up south of Le Havre, next to a power station. Sealed up and fading with the elements, she was the subject of many rumours, ranging from her use as a hospital ship, floating casino, or hotel, to the most feared option of a premature dispatch to the shipbreakers. In October 1977, she was bought by Akkram Ojjeh, an Arab billionaire, but remained laid up.

Rebirth as the S/S Norway (1979 – 1990):

Then in June 1979 a dramatic development took place when the laid up France was purchased by the Klosters organisation for conversion into a cruise ship for Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL). She was towed to Bremerhaven in August 1979 and re-emerged as the Norway and became the world’s largest cruise ship. Two huge tenders, the "little NORWAY I and II", were hoisted on her bow and special cranes were built to offload them at ports where NORWAY's deep draft prevented her from docking. Her capacity was increased from 2044 to 2181 and her crew complement was decreased from 1100 to 800. Her once chic French interiors were largely restyled and/or replaced with more comfortable and "tropical" fittings. More economic diesels replaced her Turbo generators and in the summer of 1980 she sailed for the US to begin her new role - cruising.

During her refit, two propellers and four boilers were removed, reducing Norway’s top speed from a maximum of 35 knots down to around 25 knots. Many changes were made to the interior, as she would now serve as a one-class ship. A series of major overhauls dramatically changed her appearance and size. She operated a variety of cruises from Miami, including those to the owner’s private islands in the Cayman Islands.

With her famous background and size, she became one of the most popular cruise ships afloat and dispelled all competition and silenced the doubters. Indeed from 1974 after the destruction of the RMS Queen Elizabeth in Hong Kong by fire, the France had become the world’s longest operational passenger liner. She retained this status until 2004 when Cunard’s new RMS Queen Mary 2 entered service. With the Norway, the ship became a resort destination in itself, and her success inspired the competition into a building frenzy that resulted in a fleet of mega passenger ships many thought had ended with the QE2 in 1968.

In 1984, she was sent to Hamburg, where all steam powered auxiliary machinery was replaced with diesel installations.

The NCL Years (1990 – 2003):

Between September and October 1990 a further change was made to the Norway when two additional decks were added, comprising 135 luxury cabins and suites. This increased her capacity to 2,565 passengers and her Gross Registered Tonnage to 76,049 tons. Sadly this somewhat compromised her graceful lines, but she always remained a grand and imposing sight to behold.

She received additional refits in 1993 and 1996 to comply with the SOLAS (Safety of Life At Sea) regulations allowing her to continue cruising into the future. By now her funnel had taken on the new NCL dark colour and logo.

Having has two propellers removed reducing her speed and being a steam turbine powered ship, she became expensive to operate, yet Norwegian Cruises Lines (NCL), now owned by the Malaysian Star Cruises, continued to operate her successfully due to her massive popularity. On the 28^th May 1999, Norway experienced a turbo-charger fire when entering Barcelona, which put her out of action for three weeks as she was repaired. She eventually returned to service on the 12^th June 1999.

In October 2000 Star Cruises, the parent company for Norwegian Cruise Line, announced that the Norway would be retired from her present role. They announced that she would undertake a series of farewell cruises including a transatlantic crossing from Miami to Southampton, after which she would be relocated to the Asian market and her departure date was set for the 2^nd September 2001.

However NCL surprised the passengers onboard the "farewell transatlantic crossing" by announcing that the ship would in fact be returning to resume its Eastern Caribbean itinerary after all. They announced that following a refit in Germany the liner would begin sailing from her home port of Miami on 23^rd December 2001.

Then on the 14^th February 2002 amid speculation that the Norway would sail on its last Caribbean cruise for NCL on the 29^th December 2002, Star Cruises announced that she would continue her Caribbean cruises through to April 2003. In December 2002 Star Cruises revealed that they had prepared a study on the viability of extending the life of the Norway beyond the post-2010 SOLAS limit. It was reported that Star Cruises believed that this was not only technically possible, but was commercially viable as well.

The Boiler Explosion and Her Final Years (2003 – Present):

On 25^th May 2003, having docked at 5.00 am in Miami, tragedy struck when the Norway was severely damaged by a boiler explosion at 6.30 am, which sadly saw seven lives lost and seventeen injured. None of the passengers were affected. On the 27^th June 2003, the crippled Norway left Miami under tow, although at the time the destination was not made public. She headed for Europe and eventually arrived in Bremerhaven on the 23^rd September 2003, after which it was announced that as no boiler parts were available and that a new boiler would have to be built. NCL state that the ship is expected to begin cruising again on the 5^th October 2003.

But then on the 21^st July 2003 NCL announced that the Norway was to be laid up at Lloyd Werft in Bremerhaven, Germany, until the process of evaluating bids from shipyards had been completed. The delivery timeframe for the new replacement boiler was now estimated to be between seven and twelve months (significantly longer than first indicated to NCL). Marine boilers are manufactured by specialized companies and then delivered to a shipyard for installation. The detailed specification and bidding process had revealed that no boiler maker was able to meet the ambitious repair deadline initially indicated to NCL by the shipyards. NCL now estimated that the earliest the ship could return to service was in the spring of 2004.

On the 25^th September 2003 the Norway still remained laid up at Bremerhaven and NCL had not indicated any further schedule for a return to service. On the 9^th January 2004 NCL announce that the Norway was to remain in Bremerhaven for the foreseeable future and will be used as an accommodation ship for workers building the new Pride of America and refitting the Norwegian Sky (soon to be renamed the Pride of Aloha).

Then on the 17^th March 2004, NCL regretfully announce that the Norway would not return to the North American cruise market. They say that the company continues to evaluate appropriate options for the vessel. It was decided not to re-engine the ship due to the expense. It was reported that plans for her use as a static hotel ship were being examined but that she will not be docked in the USA.

However rumours circulate of possible preservation bids for the Norway from the Netherlands, Germany, France and the USA. Rumours also circulate that she may have been sold for scrap.

On the 8^th May 2005 rumours circulate that the Norway is thought to be leaving Bremerhaven in the next week or so under tow bound for Singapore. It is thought that the plan is to convert to a casino and hotel ship at an amusement resort island near the Singapore cruise terminal. If the work goes ahead, it will be done at the Sembawang Shipyard in Singapore. Alternatively the ship may be used at low speed on casino cruises from Singapore using her two undamaged boilers.

On the 11^th May2005 reports come through that the SMITWIJS division of the SMIT Towage Company has been contracted to tow the Norway from Bremerhaven around South Africa. The Norway has an NCL crew of 40 on board and her destination is named as Singapore. However environmentalists in Germany have demanded the removal of asbestos before the ship leaves, as some shipping sources have already named Indian breakers as the current owners of the vessel. The tug towing the ship will be the Chinese tug DE DA.

On the 25^th May 2005 the Norway left Bremerhaven under tow of the DE DA bound for Port Klang, Malaysia via the Cape of Good Hope. On her way out, there was a meeting of the old and new, much like when the brand new France passed the soon-to-be scrapped Liberte in 1961. This time, the role of dowager was given to the former France, looking very elegant without her two cumbersome bow tenders Little Norway I and II. The role of newcomer has been assumed by NCL's somewhat ungainly Pride of America, whose external design is certainly based more on economics than aesthetics.

On the 28^th June 2005 the Norway arrived in Cape Town on her long tow to Malaysia from her lay up at Bremerhaven in Germany.