Watson Island...Back on May 21 you told us of your find of a plastic model of Norway/France. You asked for opinions in regards to colour. So what was your choice???? France black and red or Norway Carolina blue?
Have a great day
The model came with the hull already molded in BLACK plastic, so I guess the choice is easy. She sails on as SS FRANCE.
Project DUBAI: Transforming S/S NORWAY into Hotel S/S FRANCE !!!
Posts: 265 | Location: Chapel Hill, NC, USA | Registered: February 06, 2006
According to the Supreme Court of India web site, they returned from summer vacation on July 3. Alex, you will note, July 30th is a Sunday, and no court sits on that day. I could not find any reference to hearings regarding "Blue Lady", but if anyone has a case #, it can be looked up there. I may not be very vocal here, but I am working for the cause via e-mails to NCL / Star. Next will be the local newspapers, urging a "Boycott" of NCL cruises. For me, the choice is easy, I always did like Celebrity Dennis
The July 30 date was reoported as the earliest possible date the court would sit, in the following article from 06 July (and my favorite one so far hahaha) in Khaleej times:
As for new emails, I've red Reuben's updates today and it seems he's beat me to the punchline. I think he's got it right, corporations understand money and the successful approach here with Star is going to be carrot and stick. We've used the stick and they've ignored us, but Bridgend Shipping is having to pay hundreds of thousands in docking fees while waiting for the SC to rule on the breakage issue, which if the article is correct, will be on (unlikely I would guess due to it falling on a Sunday?) or after July 30th.
Maybe it's time to reopen courteous dialogue with NCL/Star and use the carrot approach by pointing out the money they're losing both in expenses and lost clientele, and offer new alternatives such as green-lighting project Dubai and dropping the $2M fee. Time will tell.
Dear Sir & Madam : I'm sure by now you have received countless e-mails concerning the planned scraping of the SS Norway, ex. SS France. To allow this to happen when other much better alternatives are available for the future of the ship is wrong. Unfortunately, most people today consider everything to be disposable, and nothing is ever saved, and it appears you both share that same philosophy. The Norway was and still is a great ship, and anyone willing to save it should be given the encouragement and opportunity to fulfill those plans. Where would we be today if earlier generations followed your thinking. There would be no great Pyramids of Egypt, as they would have been torn down for the value of the stone blocks. Likewise for the Great Wall Of China, and the Roman Coliseum. You see, man made objects reflect on our progress through engineering marvels, and a mega ship that was designed to withstand the 50' seas of the north Atlantic, is equally as important as the previous mentioned man made wonders.
I had the honor of sailing on the Norway on her 2001 "Farewell Cruise" from North America, and learned much of the history of the ship from lectures on board by Maritime Historians. The Captain stopped the ship over the resting place of the RMS Titanic, as a string of pearls was cast on the water following a very heartfelt ceremony. The Norwegian Cruse Line of that day cared about maritime history, and it felt good to be on one of their ships. It appears the "New NCL / Star Company has no respect for the past, and is only interested in profit, and getting more people on and off their ships. That type of thinking is NOT what made the cruise industry what it is today. If you don't respect and learn from others before you, there is no hope for you to succeed in the future.
In closing, my wife and I have been on 4 Norwegian Cruises and are members of the Latitudes Club. We always enjoyed our time on board, although the last cruise on the Dream out of New York, left us quite disappointed, as we do like to spend more than a couple of hours at a exotic port of call. We're on vacation, not on an express train , which is what it seemed like on the Dream. I am closely following your actions concerning the fate of the Norway, and it will determine if we ever book with NCL ever again, and we'll be telling everyone else we know to stay clear of a company that doesn't care for its history, and is likely to treat it's customers like it treats its ships, like "Trash", to be disposed of as scrap. Please show you do still care.
Sincerely : Dennis & Emily (Latitudes #0726xxxx8)
This was my e-mail to those at Star. It was diplomatic, but also had the bite to hit them where it hurts, loss of money. Others should also follow Rubens advice
I think we may have another problem. The bombings in India yesterday - the Hindi people have a different view of the Arab world than we do - their mistrust is pretty upfront. I fear that the Dubai deal may die just on virtue of retribution for the bombings....this is second hand from a guy I work with from Hydrabad.
north beach nj major celebrity fan, but i miss the norway
"I think we may have another problem. The bombings in India yesterday - the Hindi people have a different view of the Arab world than we do - their mistrust is pretty upfront. I fear that the Dubai deal may die just on virtue of retribution for the bombings....this is second hand from a guy I work with from Hydrabad."
I hope not. Like everyone else, I want to see this deal close as quickly as possible so that the Norway is saved and the concentration can focus on the SS United States!
Dan Lague
Posts: 350 | Location: Florida | Registered: May 16, 2006
«SS Norway» lå denne uken for anker 73 sjømil eller 135 kilometer utenfor Alang, i påvente av teknisk inspeksjon. Indias høyesterett har gitt klarsignal for at skipet kan gå inn til skipskirkegården, hvis inspektørene mener det er trygt.
Det betyr den endelige slutten for det 315 meter lange fartøyet som lenge var et fransk nasjonalsymbol. Skipet ble kjøpt av Norwegian Cruise Line i 1979 og omdømt til «Norway», før det endte som «Blue Lady».
Project DUBAI: Transforming S/S NORWAY into Hotel S/S FRANCE !!!
Posts: 265 | Location: Chapel Hill, NC, USA | Registered: February 06, 2006
Well I'm new here so just want to say hello. well I just prey that the S.S. Norway will be saved .It very sad that people today just don't care anymore about history it's very important that the S.S. Norway is saved because she is the last ship to be built in France and there is nothing like her.I mean look at her bow and funnels that is a work of art and we can not loss that.So please who ever want to buy and save the S.S. Norway please do it as soon as you can. viva S.S. Norway.
<forfour>
Posted
quote:
Originally posted by Watson Island Norway Fan: The latest news from Norway:
«SS Norway» lå denne uken for anker 73 sjømil eller 135 kilometer utenfor Alang, i påvente av teknisk inspeksjon. Indias høyesterett har gitt klarsignal for at skipet kan gå inn til skipskirkegården, hvis inspektørene mener det er trygt.
Det betyr den endelige slutten for det 315 meter lange fartøyet som lenge var et fransk nasjonalsymbol. Skipet ble kjøpt av Norwegian Cruise Line i 1979 og omdømt til «Norway», før det endte som «Blue Lady».
What does that mean in English? or is it my mac playing up?
Originally posted by forfour: What does that mean in English? or is it my mac playing up?
It's more or less the same intro to about 50 articles from IndiaTimes ... "Anchored 73 miles (135 km) offshore from Alang. It's 315 metres long, was the national symbol of france, then NCL bought her in 1979, changed the name to SS Norway, now it's called Blue Lady ... blah blah blah"
Not entirely sure what "fart-o-yet" means, but my kids got a kick out of it.
Project DUBAI: Transforming S/S NORWAY into Hotel S/S FRANCE !!!
Posts: 265 | Location: Chapel Hill, NC, USA | Registered: February 06, 2006
It very sad that people today just don't care anymore about history it's very important that the S.S. Norway is saved because she is the last ship to be built in France and there is nothing like her.
While I'll agree there's no other ship like her, I'll disagree that she was the last ship built in France.
Wasn't the Queen Mary 2 built in France? QM2 was built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire, France.
Isn't MSC also building ships in France today?
MSC Musica 65,000 1,600 Chantiers de l'Atlantique $250 million June 2006
MSC Orchestra 65,000 1,600 Chantiers de l'Atlantique $250 million Spring 2007
MSC Fantasia 133,500 3,887 Chantiers de l'Atlantique $550 million Spring 2008
MSC Serenata 133,500 3,887 Chantiers de l'Atlantique $550 million Spring 2009
Looks like France will be busy building large ships until at least 2009.
I like the farting view on it... reminds me of the Norwegian's ordering FULL FART at departure and FULL REVERSE FART at arrival... (full speed ahead/ astern)... old joke....
Best regards from Jan-Olav Storli CaptainsVoyage.com
Originally posted by Heron Bay: You made your point, Ron.
Ahoy Heron Bay, I guess I must have missed the "point", unless it was that France HAS INDEED built some other ships since 1962, so it's okay if NCL/Star acts irresponsibly and causes S/S FRANCE to be destroyed ??
Project DUBAI: Transforming S/S NORWAY into Hotel S/S FRANCE !!!
Posts: 265 | Location: Chapel Hill, NC, USA | Registered: February 06, 2006
As we await the news from India, I pose a question to everyone... quite seriously.
If our ship is indeed saved and moored in Dubai, will you visit?
My answer, sadly, is "probably not." Don't get me wrong, as I hope this pans out -- yet I doubt that having one of my favorite ships "living" there will entice me to visit a country I never considered visiting. I'm curious to hear others' opinions.
Originally posted by LisaP: If our ship is indeed saved and moored in Dubai, will you visit?
Sadly, I must agree with you, Lisa. Though I'd love to visit our great lady (as well as experience the exciting new "hot spot" of the Middle East), unless airfare drops drastically (currently $1,200 round trip on Emirates from JFK), I don't think I could go. I usually travel with my family, and that would bring simply the airfare to >$5,000...
