Once again, if Dubai still wants the SS Norway, they had better act quickly and not wait for a court decision. This delay will certainly cause them to act quickly in order to get the Norway from the shipbreakers.

If they have the money to restore her, why would they wait for the courts to make a decision on December 4, 2006? It would seem that the cards are in the scrappers court. They should just pay the scrappers asking price and move on before it's too late.

By December or January, it would be very difficult to refloat the Norway. So Dubai doesn't have an advantage right now!

quote:

Originally posted by Remarc:
A must read from Reuben. NOT GOOD!

http://www.ssmaritime.com/Norway-NewsUpdates-1.htm

Yeap... NOT GOOD AT ALL... and no mention anymore of "Project Dubaï", Blue Riband and Gulf Desert, possible on-going negotiations etc... etc... strange no???

From what Reuben had mentioned, Project Dubai is still committed. But with a delay in the Supreme Court decision for December 4, they have no other option but to settle for the scrappers asking price if they want the SS Norway. Otherwise, the support that they have received will rapidly decline by the court date.

So in this case, pride must be thrown out the window. It'll cost too much to refloat the Norway by December than it is now.

it looks to me they (supreme court) are just postponing the decision so they won't HAVE to make a decision.
once December comes around, the Norway might be half-way cut up and the supreme court will say... : "... oh well... it's too late now anyhow, so why bother making a decision"

PlanetPhips,
My thoughts exactly. The SC doesn't want to make a decision on this case. If Dubai is still around, I don't think that they are too happy with the court's delay as they were hoping that they would ban the ship from its territorial waters. Thus, they would have been in a better position to get the Norway at a lower price.

But they should be grateful that the courts didn't give the green light to breakup the ship.

So Dubai has to accept the fact that they are not in a position to get the Norway at their desired price target. Personally, they should just settle to the scrappers demands and put this dark chapter of the Norway saga to a close.

The longer this drags on, is the more people will begin to believe that Project Dubai is nothing more than a hoax. All talk and no money to show for it. Just like 'Project Lurline', which was supposed to have saved the SS Britanis from the scrappers. Unlike Dubai, Project Luline attracted insufficiant funding. All talk, but no money to buy the ship back in 1999-2000. We all know what happened to the Britanis: sank off the coast of South Africa in October 2000.

I certainly hope that we're not seeing another 'Project Lurline' in the making with Dubai.

Come on guy's things could'nt look bleaker Project Dubai is only a dream in someones imagination i don't think it ever existed, if it did , then there would be more info available on the web, please prove me wrong"Project Dubai" .

Redlinekid2
I think you are the only person left apart from maybe Ruebens who still believes in Dubai.
I would like to believe it too , but there is very little evidence to show that it is still a serious proposition.
Come December the SC is not going to ask the breakers to find all the bits and weld Norway back together again so that it may be refloated.
I think we have to face it that apart from us lot not many people in the world care about what happens to the Norway and that's the problem.

Don't forget the king tide that's coming today...

Forgive my ignorance as I have been unable to bring myself to look at current photographs -- but how secure is she as she "sits in the sand?" How is she staying upright, and will this method be sufficient when the king tide rolls in?

quote:

I think we have to face it that apart from us lot not many people in the world care about what happens to the Norway and that's the problem.

I think atlantic109 sums it up pretty well.
Look at all the other NCL posts in the cruisechat forum, some of which include topics on butler service, card games and coffee makers to name a few. Not many people care or are aware of the plight of the SS France/Norway. I feel that even if these people were made aware her plight and the fate that lies ahead for the SS United States and Independence...few would really care. Sadly the world today has become a me, me, me generation. Out with the old, in with the new, seems to be their mantra.

LisaP,

She is secure, but the rising and falling tides are surely damaging her already weakened hull and as I mentioned in an earlier post, she is most likely filling with water without bilge pumps running.
If she sits like this until December, she will most likely be unable to safely refloat to Dubai, should the situation change for her.

We have reached the end. The Norway/France is lost.

quote:

Originally posted by Redlinekid2:
I certainly hope that we're not seeing another 'Project Lurline' in the making with Dubai.

Dan - I think you, PlanetPhips, and many others on the board are correct: (a) "Project Dubai" probably did exist, but clearly has fallen apart at this stage. (b) Indian SC is clearly engaging in stall tactics, allowing the "decision" to be made for them. Clearly the scrappers had more $$$/influence than "Project Dubai"

i hope, for the sake of the Norway, that we are not correct...
... i always try to give somethign/someone the benefit of the doubt, trying to look on the positive side, but damnit, there is just not much positive to look at anymore!

I think that project dubai still exist, but they might be looking elsewhere... to get a ship without asbestos (which they would have to remove as well anyhow from the NOrway)..and without any damage to it, that no one really knows how serious it is....

hell wouldn't you? i mean yes, the Norway is a beautiful and classic ship, but these guys in Dubai talk business big time so i don't think it wuold be a big deal for them to buy her. but i imagine they will fill this entertainment park or whatever it will be in the end anyhow...with or without the Norway or with another ship, don' you think?

there has GOT to be one of these investers on these 7 pages who wants a nice classic lookign ship in their project...!!!

http://www.projectdubai.com/projects.php

My friend from India's statement this morning: 'Alang being Hindu will not sell to Dubai (being Islamic) especially after the last train bombings.' BTW he also confirmed Ruebens statement (as if we didnt know) - India's legal system runs totally on "cash in hand".

This makes me all the more disgusted when I think of all the US customer service and programming jobs those corrupt bastards have grabbed with this cheaper than cheap labor thing.

Maybe they were the model for the Ferengi's in Star Trek?

dave

Lisa: I'm sorry, it was late for me! BTW my daughter started harp lessons on Infinity from the harpist at SSUS - was she there then? (Melanie from Canada). d

Jan-Olav has a little bit of information on the high tide and further pulling attempts. If it's true, then it was not unexpected.

quote:

Originally posted by atlantic109:
Jan-Olav has a little bit of information on the high tide and further pulling attempts. If it's true, then it was not unexpected.

".... pulled in a zig-zag motion" to get her 1000 meters closer to shore ?

Yep, that's it. She ain't coming back. I'm sure by now they have wrestled her up on the "rocks of no return" that Peter Knego warned us about.

What a bunch of slimey weasels !!!
(but Watson, who are you referring to as weasels?)

Man! Take yer pick: Breakers, Trading Companies, Supreme Court, Star, NCL, Genting, tug operators, .... I dunno, did I miss anyone?

I just feel sick

quote:

Originally posted by atlantic109:
Jan-Olav has a little bit of information on the high tide and further pulling attempts. If it's true, then it was not unexpected.

last news from ssmaritime:

For your information. Now the ship is on the beach, and the case is before the court, the ship cannot legally be moved until clearance; for 1. the breakers get the go ahead, or 2. she is ordered to leave Indian territorial waters. Currently, Project Dubai is unable to do anything, until there is an outcome by the court. Remember the breakers are fighting for their future existence, and they certainly have no desire to sell her at this stage. Earlier it was Star Cruises that stood in the way, and there is much more to this story, which I hope to write about in the future. Only, when the court releases her, will the breaker have to mover her out to sea and they will have to sell her. Obviously, there is not one breaker anywhere who will now touch her, this leaves just one buyer in the field, Project Dubai. Will she be in good enough condition to be moved? Hope so, time does take its toll, but she is strong and was built well, thus she should stand up to it!

You know, an oft quoted president of the United States, by the name of Harry S Truman had that famous desk sign stating: "The BUCK stops here." While there are potentially millions of people and thousands of different scenarios that might have played out given this little setting, or that--when ALL the chips are down, culpability MUST rest squarely on the shoulders of one individual, or one entity. In the case of Truman, he knew that for better or worse, whatever happened in the nation HE was the chief "executive" officer of, was HIS, and completely HIS responsibility--ultimately. That Buck can NOT be passed from this one, to that one, to some other guy/group, --whatever, ad infinitum. It MUST stop somewhere along the chain of events; and he was big enough, man enough, and HONEST enough to admit that the "Buck" stopped at HIS desk.
Now, as to all this NIGHTMARE for those who have loved this majestic ship,and AGONIZED for months on end chasing more windmills than Don Quixote, hoping against hope, and everything that they have had to endure--WHERE does the proverbial "buck" stop? We've had a few apologists, certainly entitled their chance on the soapbox, who've tried to spin it so much that a reader could get vertigo trying to sift through the nonsense and rationalization. We've also had a few fatalists, again entitled their particular views, who, while mourning her loss, have long since come to grips with it, and harbor little to no ill-feelings, nor do they desire a placing of where the "buck" stops. So be it.
Then there are the rest of those aboard this forum. I may speak for many; but I claim only myself in expressing MY right to MY views of this ugly charade. I feel the buck stops right at the doorstep of a three-lettered gutless, soulless, arrogant, and flouter of all that is decent, honest and forthright, organization called N. C. L.
It was THEIR ship to begin with, and yes PLEASE spare us the "then they could do as they please," saga--reruns get old FAST! BTDT; It was THEY who from the get-go employed what by every account I've reviewed is nothing less than subterfuge, lies, misinformation, deceit, dishonesty, and contempt BOTH for those who loved the classic liner, AND those destined to die a protracted death from asbesteosis as a result of her breaking. As long as they got what THEY were determined to do/get; damn the torpedos and full speed ahead!
I am CONVINCED that from the beginning, this corporate monster has thumbed its nose at all that is decent in their obscene handling of a grand and beautiful ocean liner, they've equally trashed international law, as well as respect or any consideration for human life, tradition, and anything remotely resembling integrity in how this entire affair has been handled. They could care less about those who mourn the loss of this classic ship; they could care less about the international laws and treaties they have flouted with impunity; they could care even less about the dozens, if not hundreds of human lives her breaking may claim. In a word, they are despicable. That has ALWAYS been my opinion, and it will always REMAIN my opinion. The proverbial "BUCK" stops right at their doorstep.
And now the circling vultures begin to descend with visions of $$$ dancing in their heads. I apologize if this offends anyone but were I too put it any other way, it would be a dishonest expression of how I truly feel. And that's one word, "honesty" that doesn't exist in the NCL lexicon. The "buck" stops THERE!

/rant

A2K