to a Carribean paradise...

[ 08-15-2006: Message edited by: J.S.S.Normandie ]

[ 08-15-2006: Message edited by: J.S.S.Normandie ]

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Originally posted by Patsy:

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[ 08-15-2006: Message edited by: DAMBROSI ]

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Originally posted by Malcolm @ cruisepage:
Is that smoke coming from the wings?:-)

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[ 08-18-2006: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

Ant to everyone else, my name is Dan. I've been lurking on this site for quite some time. I am fascinated with debates regarding the SS Norway.

This has got to be one of the controversal stories to date. If the SS Norway was an ordinary ship, we wouldn't have this forum about it.

It is The Last of the Great Classic French Oceanliners of the 20th Century. It may not have had the interior decour like the SS Normandie. The reason for that was because of the Fire Laws that prevented the French Line from making it into a 1960s version of the SS Normandie or the Ill De France.

I don't think that the French Line could ever imagined that their last Ship of State would outlast its predecessors, like the Normandie and Ill De France.

In my opinion, had the French Line had known that the SS France would be this successful as a mega cruiseship SS Norway, they would have renovated the ship themselves for that role and profited from that instead of NCL.

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Originally posted by Redlinekid2:
I don't think that the French Line could ever imagined that their last Ship of State would outlast its predecessors, like the Normandie and Ill De France.

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Good point and welcome aboard.

I suppose GTC were in the ‘transatlantic travel’ business not the ‘vacation business’. There was a stagnant period between the end of sea travel and the start of holidays afloat. It was probably difficult to see it coming.

In addition big ships like the SS Norway we not originally considered suitable for cruising. It was believed that that cruise passengers would not want to share their vacation with 2000 more people.

I once heard a business Guru say that if 'Amtrak' had realised decades ago that they were in the ‘transportation business’ and not just the ‘railway business’, we would all be flying Amtrak Airlines by now.

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Originally posted by Malcolm @ cruisepage:
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Personally I still don’t the SS Norway was a particularly good cruise ship and she increasingly became more outdated. Her attraction for me was the Ocean Liner feel onboard.[/QB]

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I suppose that is right Malcolm, as I salied on her specifically for the same reason, that and the fact that she only made three stops in a week, so there was a lot of time at sea with her. I loved walking on the boat deck in heavy seas I could almost imagine my self on the North Atlantic.

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Originally posted by Glencoe:
What would you personally consider a good cruise ship, or cruise even. I figure when I go again I will be taking a more conventional vessel.

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Wow..a big question!

Glencoe, ships like RCI ‘Radiance Class’ and NCL’s newbuilds are superb state-of-the-art floating resorts. They are comfortable, colourful, and a little glitzy. They are family/mass market orientated. The fares are often very good too. RCI interestingly still have very attractive ‘conventional’ dining rooms and the occasional tasteful colonial or nautical bar/lounge.

If you still need a traditional nautical experience smaller/older vessels (around 30-35,000 gt) like Marco Polo, Black Watch/Boudicca, Thomson Spirit/Celebration and the Saga Fleet are just perfect and rather intimate (mainly aimed at Brits, though).

P&O (I don't mean Princess) offer a trtaditional British Experience on an increasingly modern fleet, but aim there cruises at Brits once again.

There is of course still the QE2, although I’m not one of her biggest fans. However the wonderful QM2 combines modern facilities and Ocean Liner heritage superbly. She’s well worth the extra bucks, if you can afford her.

Much of the joy of cruising is being at sea on ANYTHING!

Personally I have enjoyed both big/small new and old ships. It's a bit like cars. I'd like to drive a vintage car for fun, but I'd choose a new model for general use.

[ 08-19-2006: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

I think to that Hapag Lloyd does cruises in the Great lakes and that might be good to.

I am unfortunatly not financially able for the immediate futre to contemplate anything much, but will when I can.

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Originally posted by Patsy:
Got a question for you all. My dad brought it up last night when I was talking to him about it. Does anyone know which type of asbestos it is? He says there's 3 but they're just calling it asbestos.

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http://www.asbestosresource.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asbestos

http://www.mesothelioma-source.org/

Your dad is right, there is white, brown and blue.
These websites give some more information about asbestos and the danger of it.

[ 08-20-2006: Message edited by: Patsy ]