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»	Cruise Talk » Ocean Liners and Classic Cruise Ships » My own Norway fantasy.

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Topic: My own Norway fantasy.

Kelly D Payne
First Class Passenger
Member # 4205

posted 03-06-2005 07:22 PM

2004 NCL announces the norway will not return to the ncl fleet.9-1-04 after a moment of inspiration Colin Veitch annouces the Norway will be modernized to be brought up to the standard of the rest of the fleet.The refit will include conversion to diesel electric drive.12-20-04 norway enters drydock at lloyd werft 1-10-05 they begin to remove aft funnel 1-15-05 aft funnel gone it's now being stored on a barge.2-6-05 boilers and geared turbines are now being removed.Meanwhile all of the pre 1980s staterooms are being removed.to be replaced with new larger staterooms.portholes will also be enlarged so people will still have a nice view 2-18-05 Boilers and geared turbines now gone. New engine mountings being installed.3-15-05 engine mountings complete. 3-25-05 the first of 6 diesel engines arrives.4-2-05 the other 5 diesels along with 2-18mw motors arrives 4-10-05
installation of new engines begins.One of the wings on the aft funnel is damaged after a freighter hits barge.5-5-05 engine installation is complete 5-8-05 funnel is reattached New stateroms 70 percent complete.New wiring is being hooked up.6-12-05 auxillary generators brought online for the first time.6-26-05 main engines begin testing.7-2-05 all 6 main engines run up to maximum output during dockside test,they pass with flying colors.7-16-05 Norway floated out of drydock.8-1-05 the norway is repainted white 8-20-05 Norway leaves bremerhaven for trials.8-21-05Norway achieves 26knots during high speed tests while burning 30%less fuel.8-23-05Norway returns to bremerhaven.8-25-05 Norway begins loading fuel and supplys for her delivery voyage to miami.8-27-05 norway leaves Bremerhaven for miami,9-1-05 captain in an unauthorized test runs the main engines at 115% power,norway hits 27.5 knots.Norway arrives at miami,9-5-05.Final cost for refit 130million dollars.Norway becomes one of the most popular ships in the fleet.

[ 03-06-2005: Message edited by: Kelly D Payne ]

[ 03-10-2005: Message edited by: Kelly D Payne ]

Posts: 57 | From: louisville ky | Registered: Oct 2003 | IP: Logged

Ernst
First Class Passenger
Member # 5369

posted 03-06-2005 07:50 PM

January 2006: In a storm the new efficient wing on the aft funnel suddenly rises the whole, now much lighter ship, making her rudder inefficient and causing her to hit a reef. Passenger evacuation is difficult as the majority has been shocked watching everything trough the extra large port holes. Also, being the most popular ship in the fleet, she has been dramatically overbooked.
As a consequence of this disaster all wing shaped funnels had to be removed from any cruise ship immediately.

Posts: 9746 | From: Eindhoven | Registered: Jan 2005 | IP: Logged

Linerdan
First Class Passenger
Member # 4719

posted 03-06-2005 09:51 PM

Great Dream Kelly

Just wonder how long before this gets copied to another chat board and they believe thats its true and the rumours start up lol.

Posts: 397 | From: Australia.....NSW......Jervis Bay | Registered: May 2004 | IP: Logged

Kelly D Payne
First Class Passenger
Member # 4205

posted 03-06-2005 10:49 PM

It really was a dream,i dreamed it the other night,it was so real i almost believed it.(i wish it was.)

Posts: 57 | From: louisville ky | Registered: Oct 2003 | IP: Logged

sslewis
First Class Passenger
Member # 3649

posted 03-07-2005 09:32 AM

I had a wonderful dream too!
During a storm, ssNorway goes aground, blocking Le Havre port!
Riots erupt all over France as Port Authorities threatens to blow ship up!
French President self esteem forces him to grant vessel National Historic status!
ssNorway to be permanently docked in historic Forme7, where Normandie, Ile de France and old France were serviced.
Tremendous level of visitors thanks to special trains from Charles de Gaulle airport, painted in French lines colors!

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

DAMBROSI
First Class Passenger
Member # 100

posted 03-08-2005 01:30 PM

For Kelly-----what a nice dream indeed....I just wish it were for real. I'd love that to happen.

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

Kelly D Payne
First Class Passenger
Member # 4205

posted 03-08-2005 04:09 PM

If i had a couple of extra billion dollars lying around i'd make it happen.(because i'd also buy the big U and the indy)

Posts: 57 | From: louisville ky | Registered: Oct 2003 | IP: Logged

PamM
First Class Passenger
Member # 2127

posted 03-08-2005 04:32 PM

Kelly if I had a spare billion dollars all cruisetalkers would be sailing for free on Norway [aka the SS PamM

] whenever they felt like it. Sadly I only have a few pennies, dream on

Pam

Posts: 12176 | From: Cambridge, UK | Registered: Jun 2001 | IP: Logged

Pascal
First Class Passenger
Member # 5510

posted 03-14-2005 12:57 PM

quote:
sslewis
French President self esteem forces him to grant vessel National Historic status!
ssNorway to be permanently docked in historic Forme7, where Normandie, Ile de France and old France were serviced.
Tremendous level of visitors thanks to special trains from Charles de Gaulle airport, painted in French lines colors!

This is what SHOULD happen. FRANCE is a part of our History. We french HAVE to preserve her even if this may be a little bit expensive. But of course this won't happen. Our beloved president Chirac was prime minister in 1974 and HE took the descision to withdraw France (to gave her subsidies to the sooooo profitable Concorde,what a visionnary man) where as French Line with its historic background, with its reputation,and with such a ship, could have become one of the leading world cruise line (and very profitable).
Maybe it would be an occasion for our president to partialy repair what he did more than thirty years ago...
But don't dream, he is absolutely not the kind of guy who have remorses and who cares about History.

Posts: 1371 | From: Aix en Provence | Registered: Mar 2005 | IP: Logged

sslewis
First Class Passenger
Member # 3649

posted 03-14-2005 01:07 PM

Pascal,
Our dreams are very close!
What is so sad is the fact that Association French lines, Bureau Veritas and Caves de France(French Lines Wines)share office in a building locate around the Drydock Forme7 which remains empty.....
Now, they have TGV starting from Le Havre to Marseilles via Rouen, Charles de Gaulle airport and Disney!
I would not be surprised if the Germans came up with something : ssFrance had the same hull as they beloved Tirpitz/Bismark battleships.

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

Ernst
First Class Passenger
Member # 5369

posted 03-14-2005 01:32 PM

quote:
Originally posted by sslewis:
Pascal,
Our dreams are very close!
What is so sad is the fact that Association French lines, Bureau Veritas and Caves de France(French Lines Wines)share office in a building locate around the Drydock Forme7 which remains empty.....
Now, they have TGV starting from Le Havre to Marseilles via Rouen, Charles de Gaulle airport and Disney!
I would not be surprised if the Germans came up with something : ssFrance had the same hull as they beloved Tirpitz/Bismark battleships.

What do you mean with "beloved" Tirpitz / Bismark ?!?!?!? (How are their hulls similar to the hull of the France????)

Posts: 9746 | From: Eindhoven | Registered: Jan 2005 | IP: Logged

Kelly D Payne
First Class Passenger
Member # 4205

posted 03-15-2005 05:10 PM

Actually the Norways(france) hull design is simular to the Normandies.

Posts: 57 | From: louisville ky | Registered: Oct 2003 | IP: Logged

Malcolm @ cruisepage
Cruise Director
Member # 301

posted 03-15-2005 05:52 PM

My fantasy would have seen the Norway transformed into a ‘premium’ Ocean Liner once again, rather than downgraded to a cookie-cutter.

However, the QE2 had that niche sewn up and I suppose there was not room for two? NCL have never been in the 'premium' business, anyway.

[ 03-15-2005: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

Posts: 19210 | From: Essex (Just Outside London) | Registered: A Long Time Ago! | IP: Logged

Pascal
First Class Passenger
Member # 5510

posted 03-16-2005 01:28 PM

To be honnest, my real fantasy about Norway is to see her refurbished and repainted in her original colours, renamed France, bought by CMA-CGM which would have relaunched the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique brand, and see her cruising for french market. I really think this would be quite profitable for CMA-CGM which has just bought the Compagnie des Îles du Ponant and Tapis Rouge Croisières in order to become (again) a player on the cruising industry. I'm sure all ss France cruises would be sold out as this ship is a true legend for french. I'm certain as well this would definitely launch cruise market in France, French still being a little bit reluctant with this kind of vacation.

Posts: 1371 | From: Aix en Provence | Registered: Mar 2005 | IP: Logged

Ernst
First Class Passenger
Member # 5369

posted 03-16-2005 01:34 PM

As sad as it sounds: I agree, that she would do quite well as France today, probably much better than as Norway. (but it would still cost a fortune to rebuild her as such...)

Posts: 9746 | From: Eindhoven | Registered: Jan 2005 | IP: Logged

Pascal
First Class Passenger
Member # 5510

posted 03-16-2005 02:09 PM

You are right, this would cost much €... It would be something like a 150 Millions € refit. However, this is still half the price of a new ship this size. And I assume the building cost of those new ships is taken back after just a few years. Keep France sailing about ten years and this would more than enough. More over, with such a ship, you won't need a promotional budget, journalists would take care of that.
I still think this would be quite profitable for anyone who would dare this operation.

Posts: 1371 | From: Aix en Provence | Registered: Mar 2005 | IP: Logged

NAL
First Class Passenger
Member # 1102

posted 03-16-2005 02:23 PM

Pascal........

As a lover of "Le France" and "La France" I like
your way of thinking. I think it's unthinkable that
there is no French company offering ocean
cruises on a French registered vessel.

Posts: 2243 | From: Watsontown, PA | Registered: Feb 2000 | IP: Logged

Ernst
First Class Passenger
Member # 5369

posted 03-16-2005 02:32 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Pascal:
You are right, this would cost much €... It would be something like a 150 Millions € refit. However, this is still half the price of a new ship this size. And I assume the building cost of those new ships is taken back after just a few years. Keep France sailing about ten years and this would more than enough. More over, with such a ship, you won't need a promotional budget, journalists would take care of that.
I still think this would be quite profitable for anyone who would dare this operation.

I am not sure what it would cost. (we all can post some more or less arbitrary numbers) But a refit would have to be very, very extensive, not only to sort out some problems like her porpulsion, asbesots, but to bring her to acceptable standards. (and then we are again at the point: Why then not building a new ship?)
Also the "relaunch" might not be that easy and cheap. Press might asisst in marketing, but this is not even halve the rent. It is a big, big effort to start from scratch at the high level people for sure would expect from a France.

Posts: 9746 | From: Eindhoven | Registered: Jan 2005 | IP: Logged

Pascal
First Class Passenger
Member # 5510

posted 03-17-2005 04:40 AM

I don't think it 's necessary to refit her in order to make her match the newest cruise ships. I've never been on Norway or France, but I know she remained very popular until the end on the very competitive US market. So, even without a refit, in her present condition, I think she is not so obsolete (people who cruised on her could confirm that, or not).
Anyway, I may seem a little bit cynical, but french cruise market is very immature : there are very few people who book a cruise in this country, most of people aren't "aware of cruising" (I saw this expression on another post about asian market) and if they cruised on the France/Norway ,they would be unable to compare her to a more modern ship.
But people are quite aware of ss France : Ernst, you just don't realize how this ship is emotionnaly linked to the soul of french nation. She was christenned by Mrs De Gaule and his husband made a tremendous speech during the ceremony, still in every memory ("France a épousé la mer !"), she was the pride of the country. One of the most important and symbolical event of french social History took place on her (the 1974 mutiny). When she was discommissioned everyone felt concerned about it and one of the most popular french song was written about her fate in 1975. When she left Le Havre in 1979 to become Norway, you had dozens of thousand people crying on the pier. w
When she sometimes called in France, as Norway, you had thousands of people crossing the entire country just to see the "France" again. I even remember a prime time show about her on one of the biggest french channel just because she called at Le Havre. And there are plenty other examples.

French would book a cruise on her, not to cruise, but to be on a national legend. It would be pointless to build right now a new ship with this name, people would see it as a sort of usurpator.
But relaunching France would give (finally !) french people the taste and the culture of cruising, they would see how those vacations can be great and they would book again a cruise. Then new ships for french market could be built and the old France could eventualy have a quietful retreat as a museum or an hotel. And she would have been both the ship which ended french ocean liner service and the ship who gave birth to french cruising industry. This would be a nice story, la boucle serait bouclée.
But it's just my own Norway fantasy...

Posts: 1371 | From: Aix en Provence | Registered: Mar 2005 | IP: Logged

Ernst
First Class Passenger
Member # 5369

posted 03-17-2005 04:59 AM

I know very well how important and special the France is.

But beside the mentioned unavoidable things which must be fixed (and this are not details), she also would need some attention in her hotel department. Maybe most passengers could not compare her to other ships, but for sure to hotels and restaurants ashore. Rebuilding the original interior and/or bringing her up to a more acceptable standard: in both cases it would cost a lot for sure. And this might well be in an order of mangitude, that a possible operator might come to the conclusion, that it makes (economically) more sense to build a new (french) ship.

Posts: 9746 | From: Eindhoven | Registered: Jan 2005 | IP: Logged

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