Alex, I believe you hit the nail on the head with your assesment of "Ron Clark". From reading all his posts on this thread, they have the unmistakeable "MO" of a PR person employed by NCL\Star. Oh yes, I read his post claiming to be employed by a large power company, but quite frankly, I don't believe it. In the past, on other threads that had a negative view of a cruise line, almost always some "Cheer Leader" would pop up and give a positive spin to quiet the masses. Hey, that is the job of PR people. It is up to the regular users of these forums, to spot when they are being "snowed", and come to their own conclusions. I may not be a Maritime Historian, nor will I ever claim to be, but I am smart enough to know when I am being fed a line of BS. Being an ex-Military man, I was trained to spot deception and cover-ups. Case in point, I knew that Americans were being deceived about those "weapons of mass destruction", but who am I to change the thinking of people who believe everything their leader tells them. Here to, I see someone trying to deflect the direction of the majority of the posts, to things that really have nothing to do with saving the SS Norway. Quite frankly, I could care less "How long it takes to change boiler tubes". What I want to hear is when will Star come to its senses and sell the ship to people that still want preserve it in a way that people can still see it, and appreciate it for what it is, one of the last great ocean liners. I have visited the Queen Mary four times, and find it fascinating. I only wish they had saved the Queen Elizibeth, which I got to see when it was docked in Fort Lauderdale, as a floating University. The world never built very many of these ocean liners, and their time was very short, but they all represent a great era in our history, and they need to be preserved. It is time people realized not everything is disposable, and thankfully, many are now doing just that. These PR people have to realize we are not all stupid blind lambs, to be led at will. We have been lied to so many times, we now have the smarts to see through the smoke and mirrors, and have developed a mistrust of any official statements.

Ron Clark may very well be working at NCL (almost all his posts are containing very straight-to-the-point informations from NCL)... So much information that only an office staff of NCL would know all the answeres.

But that is the 'fun' part about it, the different perspectives that makes us all twirl, write and continue to keep this thread alive.

SS Norway shall never die.

Jan-Olav
www.captainsvoyage.com

Can we please limit any bashing to a corporation rather than an individual poster? I know this has kept me from posting my thoughts a number of times, and I am not affiliated with NCL or any other cruise line.

I just wish Ron would say one negative thing about NCL. Go on Ron maybe those boiled eggs weren't to your liking on that last cruise you took? Come on it's not a perfect world we live in. Then we can move on.

quote:

Originally posted by peterwalker45:
I just wish Ron would say one negative thing about NCL. Go on Ron maybe those boiled eggs weren't to your liking on that last cruise you took? Come on it's not a perfect world we live in. Then we can move on.

The boiled eggs weren't perfect, but it wasn't NCL's fault. It was the food vending subcontractor ......

Thank you Jan. By the way, you were serving onboard Norway at the time of these memos...what do you make of them?

I'll repeat again, I don't work for NCL.

All the information I find is over the world wide web, using "Google" search features.

It was the NCL guys that sold the bonds, putting Star Cruises on the spot with Carnival Corporation takeover bid.

Here's several NY Times links anyone could find using Google.
NYT Search
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/sub...ield=org&match=exact
Dec 2, 1999
http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0F16F...ips%20and%20Shipping
Dec 4, 1999
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B04EED8...ips%20and%20Shipping
Dec 13, 1999
http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F3071FF...ips%20and%20Shipping
Dec 17, 1999
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F05E5D7...ips%20and%20Shipping
Dec 18, 1999
http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FB0A12F...ips%20and%20Shipping
Feb 13, 2000
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D03EFDC...ips%20and%20Shipping

And another link from cruisemates:
http://www.cruisemates.com/articles/news/march2000.cfm#story6
Excerpts:
Carnival Corp. announced late Thursday night it has decided not to participate in the joint venture with Star Cruises of Malaysia to buy Norwegian Cruise Lines. Star will remain the sole shareholder in NCL with a 95.4 percent stake. According to a statement by Carnival, the two companies could not agree on the details of the venture, but the termination of the deal was friendly.

You don't need to be an insider to find these news articles, all you have to be is good at searching the world wide web.

Dear all,

Let's stop concentrating whether Ron is a NCL-employee or not. It doesn't really matter anyway. People are entitled to their opinions and that is what's keeping this debate going. Can you believe it - 63 pages! I hope both Ron and everyone else keep on posting and keeping the memory of the blue liner alive.

Norway is undoubtly missed and will hopefully never be forgotten.

I'm sorry if there is something I have not understood. Which memo's are we talking about. I was on board the Norway from 1990 until last time in 1998 (joined as deckboy and left as Safety Officer). A very long time indeed. I like to look upon them as the good years of my life.

As far as I can remember, NCL was actually spending more on the Norway than any of the other ship's of the fleet that time. Maintenance was always an issue, but maybe more in the engineering department. On deck, it was pretty much the same work as any other modern vessel.

Though, I do remember she was in exceptionally good condition on deck. She was strong all over and she reeked of well designed and well kept features everywhere.

In my last year on board, I used to do historical trips on board her to educate the passengers on her historic significance. We used to start by the main mast with about 10 people and ended up in the Roman Spa with around 200 people!! People were so happy to learn the history of the ship and there was only one complaint on my extra job: more people wanted more tours (but it was a freetime project for me, and I actually had another paid job to do).

Oh, I miss her so, it hurts not being able to stand on her decks again.

If I fly over to India and board the ship in the dead at night, at her anchorage and steal her away from the breakers, would there be any law that could put me into trouble for a last minute ditch trying to rescue her :?:

Well, if you board a ship without the permission of the captain, and try to take command of the ship, I believe that's called piracy.

Recent release by the ICC on piracy.
http://www.icc-ccs.org/main/news.php?newsid=67

2006 piracy map
http://www.icc-ccs.org/prc/piracy_maps_2006.php
I hope your cruise doesn't sail near Indonesia or Bangladesh.

Oh yes, piracy is very BAD. I wouldn't want to do that - punishable by death!

I just wish there was something decisive that little me could do to save her. Anything.

It's just too sad to see her go.

Great idea Jan, but with no power, that could prove to be a difficult paddle. No problem with the piracy, I doubt there is a captain on board, probably only a skeleton maintenance crew if anything.

Hey, can anybody give me the link to "hear" Norway's horns. I lost the link.

Thanks

quote:

Originally posted by Remarc:
Hey, can anybody give me the link to "hear" Norway's horns. I lost the link.

Thanks

Hello, here a bond www.revedefrance.com for the foghorn
There is a French project which is on this site to make come the steamer in hotel to France

The better site is www.schiffsphoto.de The page is in German but click on 'cruiseliner' then find Norway under the 'N' listing. Lots of great photos and when the page downloads you'll get the 'real' horns. I honestly think there isn't a louder set of horns at sea other than our gal. They send a chill up my spine everytime I hear them.

Wow...that was the first time I've ever heard Norway's horn and it brought tears to my eyes. Thanks Capt Matt for the website link - great pictures, too!

I wonder what's taking so long for the SC to rule since the info was presented to them on July 3rd...but at least I still have hope. I've been checking the ssmaritime website daily but no updates since 07/16/06...

The sound of her marvelous whistle brings back such memories. We were on deck, alongside the NORWAY letters, as the other ships in Miami that afternoon floated by one by one and saluted our Lady. SS Norway responded to each with her own whistle blast. I could feel the ship tremble a bit -- or maybe it was me, as it was so emotional. This was in 2001, then billed as SS Norway's last season in the US, and it was so heartwarming to see and hear the other ships' salutes to the Great Lady. We have the entire episode on video/audio tape, and it is among my prized possessions.

Thank you for the link. I'm going to have another listen...

Yeah she definately has a special 'voice'. And if I recall correctly she has five horns..three in the radar mast and two in the foward mast at the breakwater. She always had the last 'word' during those great sailaway soundoffs.

Another nice site is www.thewaywewent.com The webmaster took the final 2001 farewell cruise and it's loaded with all kind of great photos especially the interior. Have a look and treat yourself!

I have been following this thread for so many months now and am still praying that somehow she can find a home, ANY home other than Alang. . .

Made me a bit sad to look at some of the pictures from my trip aboard her in 2001, if for nothing else than if she IS saved, the "character" of the ship seemingly will be lost because I am sure the inside has been looted by now, robbed of all it's art-deco type furnishings and fixtures. . .

Comments?

Thanks all, will be sure not to loose these links again.