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Author

Topic: S/S Norway!

Captain Rhone
First Class Passenger
Member # 3498

posted 10-04-2003 03:57 PM

Doesn't this ship look pretty new?Well,she will look newer when she renters service in Mid 2004.Right now,I have heard many things of the Norway and these are true facts.NCL is currently awaiting a boiler maker and the things being said about selling the ship and becoming a hotel,NO WAY! those are not true facts at all.She will return to service in the middle of 2004.While they are waiting for a boiler maker,next to the Norway is a sign that says Project Norway and now workers are painting and cleaning the Norway.She will return!Following pic from this site here

[ 10-04-2003: Message edited by: Captain Rhone ]

Posts: 686 | From: New York,USA | Registered: Nov 2002 | IP: Logged

DAMBROSI
First Class Passenger
Member # 100

posted 10-04-2003 04:19 PM

YIPPPPPEEEE!!!!! That's the best news. I want her back!!!! I want her back!!!! I want her back!!!!! I'm going to book us on her as soon as the word is given that she's back into service. I want that Stateroom I lost. YIPPPEEEEEE YAHOOOOOOOIE Thank you Capt. Rhone!!!!!
((((((((HUGS))))))))))

Posts: 2554 | From: Florida, USA, Where the Legend SS NORWAY sailed from. Moving back to FL next yr. | Registered: May 99 | IP: Logged

sslewis
First Class Passenger
Member # 3649

posted 10-04-2003 04:39 PM

Yahoooo!
Hope my mum will leave the Voyager of the Seas alone!
I refuse to spend money on anything but steamers!
And what a Paquebot too!
Just back from Le Havre and met a secretive former crewmember who told me about Norway expected return!
Very interesting chat.
He actually touched her bottom in Forme 7 drydock, as his father was involved with propeller schafts.
He revealed to me that the vessel was a bit of a French ssUnited States, with vast power margins.
The French government never released true full power and top speed.
Think. She still does 24 knots with a quarter of 160,000 bhp.
Wish NCL would restaure her former power as a test bed for ssUs and send them racing with QM2!
ssLewis, not really dreaming..

Posts: 2513 | From: Shipspotting Solent shores when weather allows.... | Registered: Feb 2003 | IP: Logged

Captain Rhone
First Class Passenger
Member # 3498

posted 10-04-2003 04:44 PM

So now we shouldn't hear anything saying she won't come back unless we hear an actual announcement from NCL changing their mind which so far I hear they will not and have not.One of the things posted on the first post about cleaning and painting was from someone who visited the yard recently.So I know shes coming back in 04 like they said!Another thing from post 1 was said by NCL on the phone when someone talked to them the rumors about being sold/hotel ship was NO WAY!They are returning her to service.SO SHE'S COMING BACK!

Posts: 686 | From: New York,USA | Registered: Nov 2002 | IP: Logged

eroller
First Class Passenger
Member # 1649

posted 10-04-2003 04:50 PM

NORWAY still looks magnificent! She is a true classic even with the extra decks. I always enjoyed her appearance far more then QE2, and I still do (inside and out).

It's great news to hear she *might* be returned to service, and I hope it's true. Forgive me if I am not so quick to believe it. I will once I see the official press release from NCL. If it is true, NCL will make it public as there is no reason to hide it. Also, they will be quick to put her back on the books and collect those cruise deposits. So far neither has been done. Hopefully soon.

Ernie

Posts: 7046 | From: Miami, Florida USA | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

BermudaBoy
First Class Passenger
Member # 3961

posted 10-04-2003 04:59 PM

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!

Posts: 91 | From: Delaware... The Reason Why Vacations Were Made! | Registered: Jun 2003 | IP: Logged

sslewis
First Class Passenger
Member # 3649

posted 10-04-2003 05:20 PM

Not sure if she will return in the same competitve market as she was before.
perhaps she should be rebranded in a Heritage cruise sort of way?
My friend in Le Havre told me how he hated the extra top deck suites, forgetting they guaranted ssnorway survival to this day.
The other thing was the removal of the letter France from her stern in Germany 2 years ago.
Was it the end of an agreement?
In my opinion, she would look better if her top decks were painted grey, yet leaving the white profile of the former profile!
ssLewis, stiil steaming!

Posts: 2513 | From: Shipspotting Solent shores when weather allows.... | Registered: Feb 2003 | IP: Logged

Waynaro
First Class Passenger
Member # 3484

posted 10-04-2003 05:43 PM

I am with Ernie. I will believe it when NCL makes the official announcement. Excuse me if I say this: "Project Norway" could be for something else...

Posts: 6108 | From: Vallejo,CA : California Maritime Academy!!! | Registered: Nov 2002 | IP: Logged

Captain Rhone
First Class Passenger
Member # 3498

posted 10-04-2003 06:01 PM

Well I don't think its something else because Raoul Fiebig was the one who went down there and specified that the already were working on her(cleaning and painting) and the sign"Project Norway" is specifically for her.

Posts: 686 | From: New York,USA | Registered: Nov 2002 | IP: Logged

eroller
First Class Passenger
Member # 1649

posted 10-04-2003 06:09 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Captain Rhone:
Well I don't think its something else because Raoul Fiebig was the one who went down there and specified that the already were working on her(cleaning and painting) and the sign"Project Norway" is specifically for her.

Hopefully not, and Raoul is a very reputable source. None the less, if NCL were sure she is coming back to service at a certain time, I would think they would start selling and marketing her. Those cruise deposits would be money in the bank for NCL to collect interest on. At least it would help offset the cost to refurbish her.

Also, why would they be cleaning her now if she won't come back to service until Spring 2004? She will only get dirty again with all the workers onboard. If she is coming back, I would hope NCL would completely revamp some of her public rooms, rather then just give them a cleaning. Again, the "cleaning" part just doesn't make sense to me???

Ernie - who would love to see NORWAY returned to her former glory days, but is skeptical of NCL.

Posts: 7046 | From: Miami, Florida USA | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

Waynaro
First Class Passenger
Member # 3484

posted 10-04-2003 06:11 PM

Yes I know that the "Project Norway" sign is still for the NORWAY, but could the people be cleaning and painting her for other sort of service? Why clean now?

Posts: 6108 | From: Vallejo,CA : California Maritime Academy!!! | Registered: Nov 2002 | IP: Logged

Captain Rhone
First Class Passenger
Member # 3498

posted 10-04-2003 06:23 PM

Maybe because if they return it back to the normal service and put the boiler in later the could paint and clean it now and only have to remove upper parts and put the boiler in and place the parts back later so everything else would be done?

Posts: 686 | From: New York,USA | Registered: Nov 2002 | IP: Logged

moodus2
First Class Passenger
Member # 2414

posted 10-04-2003 09:38 PM

replacing that damaged boiler
will be a mamoth job!
the rear stack will have to be
removed along with the boilers
uptakes. i am looking at a cut
away picture of the ss france
and it shows the boilers deep
within the ship.
thanks capt. rhone for the good
news. i am surprised that they
did not convert over to gas turbines. would have been a easeier installation.

Posts: 473 | From: moodus,ct. | Registered: Sep 2001 | IP: Logged

ScottQE2
First Class Passenger
Member # 4180

posted 10-06-2003 07:17 AM

This good news is perhaps a good indication that NCL will still be going forward to put SS United States back into service.

Posts: 165 | From: USA | Registered: Sep 2003 | IP: Logged

Tim in Fort Lauderdale
First Class Passenger
Member # 953

posted 10-06-2003 08:21 AM

Latest talk is that she will indeed return to service, but there is a great likelihood that the return will be under Star Cruises for 2-5 day sailings out of India.

Star has been keen to open up this market for some time and Norway would be ideal for this typ of short cruise/gambling market.

Tim

Posts: 1468 | From: Fort Lauderdale, FL | Registered: Dec 1999 | IP: Logged

desirod7
First Class Passenger
Member # 1626

posted 10-06-2003 09:08 AM

In the Carribean she has to tender at every port. It becomes a problem for the mobility challenged, especially in rougher waters. When I sailed her in St Thomas was a fiasco

Posts: 5727 | From: Philadelphia, Pa [home of the SS United States] | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

moodus2
First Class Passenger
Member # 2414

posted 10-06-2003 09:19 AM

i doubt that norway will be going to asia. she had a refit
just before returning to the u.s.
her steam turbines are not meant
for short trips. that is why she
sailed 2 days for the eastern
carribean route.
she sailed from miami with a full capacity and loyal customers.
i believe that the reason you
dont see booking dates is that
they dont know how long it is
going to take to replace the
boiler or convert to diesel.

Posts: 473 | From: moodus,ct. | Registered: Sep 2001 | IP: Logged

DAMBROSI
First Class Passenger
Member # 100

posted 10-06-2003 01:25 PM

I am very hopeful indeed. I want her to come back here. I fell in love with her when she came to Miami
in 1980. Sure...this lovely gal has had her problems. But if I could...I'd go there just to be part of the team to put her together. It'll be a dirty job...but somebody has do it. I don't mind rolling up my sleeves for that job. And BTW.....I got my computer up and running and I can now post on this site as well as with my Webtv. So Pam....everything is up to speed for me.

Posts: 2554 | From: Florida, USA, Where the Legend SS NORWAY sailed from. Moving back to FL next yr. | Registered: May 99 | IP: Logged

Waynaro
First Class Passenger
Member # 3484

posted 10-06-2003 07:50 PM

As long as she will sail again, I am happy

. Most likely, I think NORWAY will go to Star since there is room to grow in the Pacific and Star always seems to be short on ships. Maybe Star will send NORWAY down to Australia

Posts: 6108 | From: Vallejo,CA : California Maritime Academy!!! | Registered: Nov 2002 | IP: Logged

Captain Rhone
First Class Passenger
Member # 3498

posted 10-06-2003 08:11 PM

sslewis,Are you saying they never actually recoreded the top speed similarly to the SSUS and are you saying she could do atleast 40 knots?Do you know how fast she did/should have reached?Could she beat the SSUS speed if she was still running?How fast is her current top speed reached?What speed did she normally cruise at?

Posts: 686 | From: New York,USA | Registered: Nov 2002 | IP: Logged

norman warren
First Class Passenger
Member # 1602

posted 10-07-2003 08:42 PM

france was bigger than SSUS with less H.P. If S.S.U.S. was in top condition France could NOT out run Her. As Norway,2 screws are not used any more. I heard that she could do 24 Knots wide open.probaly 20 knots, if that fast, between Ports.

Posts: 117 | From: suffolk va. u.s.a. | Registered: Sep 2000 | IP: Logged

desirod7
First Class Passenger
Member # 1626

posted 10-07-2003 11:58 PM

Hi Norman,

I got an extra bridge tour on the Norway while at sea. The speedometer read 22 knots. This was between St Maarten and Great Stirrup Cay. With a clean hull she can make 26 knots. A normal stop from top speed takes 10 miles, a turbine damaging panic stop is 2 miles.

France had 160,000 hp and did 35 knots at her trials. The BigU needs 160,000 hp to maintain 35 knots clean hull. 240,000 to make 38 knots

I understand you need 8x the horsepower to double speed.

quote:
Originally posted by norman warren:
france was bigger than SSUS with less H.P. If S.S.U.S. was in top condition France could NOT out run Her. As Norway,2 screws are not used any more. I heard that she could do 24 Knots wide open.probaly 20 knots, if that fast, between Ports.

[ 10-08-2003: Message edited by: desirod7 ]

Posts: 5727 | From: Philadelphia, Pa [home of the SS United States] | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

sslewis
First Class Passenger
Member # 3649

posted 10-08-2003 08:56 AM

Captain Rhone and Desirod,
thanks for elaborating.
Of course, French pride had to be considered.
But these revelations about her top speed, 37 knots off South Africa on one of her World Cruise to catch up lost time...due to delayed planes, can be questioned!
Just think.
ssUs was a much smaller and lighter ship but with a huge power that gave little extra speed really.
Again, she went much further than the official 38knots, I believe she could top 41,75 knots at 240000bhp, but only for a while.
I noted a rare picture of her in Cherbourg or Le Havre just after winning the blue ribband.
Her hull paint was stripped at the bows like most Blue Ribband ships.
But it striked me that she was unusually high in the water, perhaps completely empty of fuel.
I then wondered if the ship was deliberately kept on a lower displacement just for that crossing, then had to bunk in France or the UK for the return journey. She could take 10000 tons of fuel, enough for more than a return journey!
The French had a bigger ship, with less power, but more advanced hydrodynamically(bulbous bow, almost horizontal hull lines at stern to stop squatting).
She however lacked a sister ship, which forced an arrangement with United Stated lines.
Someone must have records of this "Entente Cordiale".
Both ssFrance and ssUS were never late, even in raging storms.
ssFrance's propellers were changed in 1964, why?
She also started cruising intensively after ssUS withdrawal.
If Elysee(French Government) wanted to beat ssUS, they would have needed French Lines help, or vice versa, and it would have been fatal to the bilateral contract.
Yet, ssFrance had the power margin to reach the same speed that ssUS achieved to win the Blue Ribband.
I now understand that this African adventure was possible just before the ship bunked the next port!
Just look at the facts that she still can do 24-26 knots even with 3/4 of her power removed!
QE2 amazed me after her engine rebuild. She managed an incredible 35 knots with 110000 bhp, almost 3 knots faster than her troubled steamplant allowed with same power!
So, I hope ssNorway to be re-engineered a la QE2 and see how fast she can do with 110000 bhp?
Remember she still have the 1964 propellers, not the 1987 ones fitted to QE2.
ssLewis,

Posts: 2513 | From: Shipspotting Solent shores when weather allows.... | Registered: Feb 2003 | IP: Logged

desirod7
First Class Passenger
Member # 1626

posted 10-08-2003 04:11 PM

Hi SSLewis,

The BigU does have a bulb on the bow yet it is small. According to the speed/horsepower charts the hydrodynamics are equally efficient. The laws of physics say that the France could not catch up to the BigU with an 80,000hp deficit.

NCL changed the propellors in 1980 to ones that were optimised for cruising.

Le France was known for having a better ride than the BigU, but she sits 3' deeper in the water and had stabilisers.

The QE2 was the first Ocean Liner to use a computer in the hull design calculations. Her hull engineering is the best of those 3. The France as France is only a tad smoother than QE2. The balconies ruined the Norway's ride.

Just think of 30 years of advances on the QM2 engineering both in efficiency and stability.

quote:
Originally posted by sslewis:
ssUs was a much smaller and lighter ship but with a huge power that gave little extra speed really.
Again, she went much further than the official 38knots, I believe she could top 41,75 knots at 240000bhp, but only for a while.
The French had a bigger ship, with less power, but more advanced hydrodynamically(bulbous bow, almost horizontal hull lines at stern to stop squatting).
ssFrance's propellers were changed in 1964, why?
She also started cruising intensively after ssUS withdrawal.
If Elysee(French Government) wanted to beat ssUS, they would have needed French Lines help, or vice versa, and it would have been fatal to the bilateral contract.
Yet, ssFrance had the power margin to reach the same speed that ssUS achieved to win the Blue Ribband. Remember she still have the 1964 propellers, not the 1987 ones fitted to QE2.
ssLewis,

Posts: 5727 | From: Philadelphia, Pa [home of the SS United States] | Registered: Oct 2000 | IP: Logged

DAMBROSI
First Class Passenger
Member # 100

posted 10-12-2003 11:25 AM

For Captain Rhone: Thank you so much for finding out the real answers we needed about the lovely SS NORWAY. I was so afraid she was'nt going to come back. And I know you dug really hard to find out this info for us. I know if you find out anything more...you'll pass it on to us as soon as you are able.
THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY WALLET.
NCL: WHEN YOU GET THIS SHIP BACK NEXT YEAR. BE PREPARED.
I'M COMING BACK TO HER AND SAIL HER AGAIN. MORE WONDERFUL THAN EVER.
YOU GOTTA BELIEVE!!!! YOU GOTTA BELIEVE!!! (I think that's said in Football games????)

Posts: 2554 | From: Florida, USA, Where the Legend SS NORWAY sailed from. Moving back to FL next yr. | Registered: May 99 | IP: Logged

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