Cruise Talk: Bergensfjord/De Grasse

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Cruise Talk » Ocean Liners and Classic Cruise Ships » Bergensfjord/De Grasse

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Topic: Bergensfjord/De Grasse

NP
First Class Passenger
Member # 8721

posted 03-21-2007 02:14 PM

Does anyone have some interiors pics of the bergensfjord, especially during her (short) life under the french flag as the MS De Grasse?

[ 07-31-2009: Message edited by: NP ]

Posts: 84 | From: Paris | Registered: Mar 2007 | IP: Logged

Linerrich
First Class Passenger
Member # 4864

posted 03-21-2007 02:54 PM

Here's a link to a few photos of BERGENSFJORD--

http://www.timetableimages.com/maritime/images/nalb2.htm

I've got many more in my collection of brochures, and I may create an album to share.

As DE GRASSE, French Line spent several months converting her for one-class cruising, but I've read that the public rooms were not changed much in decor. The brochures and deck plan folders I have for her do not have interior photos. She only sailed for about a year with them, and very little collateral was published.

Rich

[ 03-21-2007: Message edited by: Linerrich ]

Posts: 4210 | From: Miami, FL | Registered: Jul 2004 | IP: Logged

NAL
First Class Passenger
Member # 1102

posted 03-22-2007 08:15 AM

I was booked to sail DE GRASSE in the spring of 1973, I think, but she was abruptly pulled from service before I sailed. As I remember CGT did little to the public rooms as it was a rush job to get her in service to replace ANTILLES. As I remember, NAL kept her in good shape so little was really needed to get her sailing. I may still have a brochure from CGT and if I can find it, I'll see how she looks.

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

Linerrich
First Class Passenger
Member # 4864

posted 03-22-2007 09:48 AM

The M/S BERGENSFJORD of 1956 was the epitome of 1950's Scandinavian styling. She was a clear forerunner to the later SAGAFJORD and VISTAFJORD, with many of her design features enhanced in the newer ships.

I've created an album of her interiors, scanned from various post cards and brochures:

http://www.travelserver.net/travelpage/aspgallery/view_ad.asp?Ad_ID=2783

Enjoy!

Rich

Posts: 4210 | From: Miami, FL | Registered: Jul 2004 | IP: Logged

NAL
First Class Passenger
Member # 1102

posted 03-22-2007 12:39 PM

Very cozy interiors....thanks Rich.

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

NP
First Class Passenger
Member # 8721

posted 03-22-2007 05:14 PM

wow thanks a lot.... vert cozy indeed, difficult to imagine that under the sun of the west indies....
If i remeber well, some rooms were renammed in order to obtain a more appropriate french spirit:
1st class dining room: salon Deauville (no longer in use as a dining room).
Club Bergen: club Viking
Trst class dining room: la Rotisserie
Trst class lounge: salon Yorktown
trst class ladies room: Rue de la paix
trst class bar: salon des jeux

A friend of mine, who traveled onboard De Grasse in 1973, told me that some art deco furniture from the "Normandie" were in place on this ship, especially some aubusson covered sofas from the Grand salon placed in the "De Grasse" Foyer...

Posts: 84 | From: Paris | Registered: Mar 2007 | IP: Logged

Linerrich
First Class Passenger
Member # 4864

posted 03-22-2007 05:20 PM

Yes, the rooms were given French names to go along with the new operators' nationality. I have the introductory brochure for DE GRASSE from 1971, but no interior photos. The text is interesting:

"First, what is the DE GRASSE? She was the BERGENSFJORD. A fine ship of sturdy Norwegian stock, with no plastic embellishments. Just finely polished furnishings, wood paneled walls and rich Scandinavian carpets. Now she has a new name -- the m.s. DE GRASSE."

Rich

Posts: 4210 | From: Miami, FL | Registered: Jul 2004 | IP: Logged

Noordam
First Class Passenger
Member # 3811

posted 03-22-2007 08:28 PM

Does anyone have deckplans, she seems like she has a ton of public rooms, in comparison to the Saga and Vista

Posts: 441 | From: Los Angeles | Registered: Apr 2003 | IP: Logged

Linerrich
First Class Passenger
Member # 4864

posted 03-22-2007 09:44 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Noordam:
Does anyone have deckplans, she seems like she has a ton of public rooms, in comparison to the Saga and Vista

I have several deck plans for her, as BERGENSFJORD and DE GRASSE, but they are all large, tissue plans which won't scan easily. She did have a lot of public rooms because she was a two-class vessel, so everything was duplicated. She was also a product of an earlier era than her later fleetmates, and had rooms which did not exist on ships later, such as the smoking rooms and ladies lounges.

Rich

[ 03-22-2007: Message edited by: Linerrich ]

Posts: 4210 | From: Miami, FL | Registered: Jul 2004 | IP: Logged

NAL
First Class Passenger
Member # 1102

posted 03-23-2007 08:29 AM

Also her public rooms were smaller than on SAGAFJORD and VISTAFJORD which only did the North Atlantic very occasionally. On the two newer vessels the larger rooms such as the dining room and the main ballroom could seat all pax at one time....and comfortably as built. In later years far less comfortably.

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

bearbuns
First Class Passenger
Member # 6418

posted 03-23-2007 07:25 PM

Thak you Rich, for posting these wonderful remembrances. I loved Bergensfjord and enjoyed crossing to Norway on her. It was such a treat to once again see these lovely rooms...the bar with its charming wood wall was always a lively place. But most of all it just brought back very special memories of a time that no longer exists on a ship that left us all too soon. A very sad loss to those of us fortunate to have sailed her.

Cheers, Penny

Posts: 82 | From: South Carolina | Registered: Apr 2006 | IP: Logged

NP
First Class Passenger
Member # 8721

posted 07-29-2009 08:57 AM

I bought months ago some stuff about the "De Grasse" including various, and rare, interiors shots from an article of the French Line's newspaper "L'atlantique".

I've created an album devoted to this short lived French liner :

http://www.travelserver.net/travelpage/aspgallery/view_ad.asp?Ad_ID=3341

Enjoy

Posts: 84 | From: Paris | Registered: Mar 2007 | IP: Logged

Jekyll
First Class Passenger
Member # 1878

posted 07-29-2009 09:13 AM

Lovely collection, Rich. One can certainly see how the design of bergensfjord influenced the latter two ships, especially Sagafjord and her dining room. What also struckme was the curved staircase...one of my favourite features on Saga/ Visita.

Thansks for sharing.

Posts: 1524 | From: Nowhere | Registered: Mar 2001 | IP: Logged

Johan
First Class Passenger
Member # 4458

posted 07-29-2009 09:25 AM

Very nice collection. tnx for showing.
It is clear that little was changed.
It is "fun" to compare the pictures of the salon and the library. In the library only the books are less orderly stacked in the bookcase and there are people otherwise identical, as with the library.
Almost from the same position taken also, with a difference of almost 20 years...
J

Posts: 1895 | From: Antwerpen, Belgium | Registered: Feb 2004 | IP: Logged

NAL
First Class Passenger
Member # 1102

posted 07-30-2009 08:33 AM

Interesting to see that in NP's pictures the De Grasse funnel does not show to be in CGT's traditional crimson red. Perhaps it's the age of the photos. It actually looks almost to be Cunard red.

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

Maasdam
First Class Passenger
Member # 3858

posted 07-31-2009 09:14 AM

Actually the Bergensfjord was based on the slightly smaller Oslofjord. The Oslofjord build by the NSD Yard Amsterdam Netherlands 1949 at 16.844 grt and Bergensfjord Build by Swan Hunter Yard Newcastle Great Britain 1956 at 18.739 grt.

Oslofjord

Bergensfjord

Sagafjord

Vistafjord

Great vessels with a very nice and friendly profile.
Rich thanks fore the interior shots.

Greetings Ben.

[ 07-31-2009: Message edited by: Maasdam ]

Posts: 4695 | From: Rotterdam home of the tss. Rotterdam. | Registered: May 2003 | IP: Logged

Linerrich
First Class Passenger
Member # 4864

posted 07-31-2009 10:28 AM

quote:
Originally posted by Maasdam:
Actually the Bergensfjord was based on the slightly smaller Olsenfjord.
Great vessels with a very nice and friendly profile.
Rich thanks fore the interior shots.
Greetings Ben.

Ben, you mean the OSLOFJORD. Yes, there is a definite lineage in the design of all NAL post-war ships. I'm glad you liked the interior photos--I've just acquired some more NAL brochures and interior post cards, which will be scanned and posted later.

Rich

Posts: 4210 | From: Miami, FL | Registered: Jul 2004 | IP: Logged

NAL
First Class Passenger
Member # 1102

posted 07-31-2009 10:57 AM

Great news, Rich! We look forward to more good photos from Norwegian America Line. I had the good fortune of sailing on Sagafjord and Vistafjord as built for NAL before all the top-side add-ons. What great ships they were. I remember seeing Bergensfjord at a pier next to Pier 40 [NYC] during several trips to/from the HAL pier. She was a handsome vessel. I booked her as De Grasse, but it never happened because of her sale out of CGT. Pity.

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

Maasdam
First Class Passenger
Member # 3858

posted 07-31-2009 12:16 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Linerrich:
Ben, you mean the OSLOFJORD. Yes, there is a definite lineage in the design of all NAL post-war ships. I'm glad you liked the interior photos--I've just acquired some more NAL brochures and interior post cards, which will be scanned and posted later.
Rich

Whooooooops yes you are right Rich Oslofjord. Ben is shaming his self in the dark corner of his room Changed the mistake in my post.

Greetings Ben.
Looking forward to the new scans.

Posts: 4695 | From: Rotterdam home of the tss. Rotterdam. | Registered: May 2003 | IP: Logged

NAL
First Class Passenger
Member # 1102

posted 07-31-2009 12:26 PM

Thanks, Ben, for your photos of the last four NAL liners/cruise-ships. They were beauties....as built.

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

NAL
First Class Passenger
Member # 1102

posted 07-31-2009 12:30 PM

Penny or Rich....did the Bergensfjord have a glass-enclosed promenade or was she as Saga/Vistafjord with her public rooms extended to the outside of the ship? Thanks for your help.

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

NP
First Class Passenger
Member # 8721

posted 07-31-2009 06:51 PM

And she's still among us, well in fact a little part of her as the wreck of her last incarnation as the MS Rasa Sayang.

http://www.shipspotting.com/modules/myalbum/photo.php?lid=251079

http://www.shipspotting.com/modules/myalbum/photo.php?lid=930916

http://www.shipspotting.com/modules/myalbum/photo.php?lid=913093

[ 07-31-2009: Message edited by: NP ]

Posts: 84 | From: Paris | Registered: Mar 2007 | IP: Logged

Linerrich
First Class Passenger
Member # 4864

posted 07-31-2009 07:21 PM

quote:
Originally posted by NAL:
Penny or Rich....did the Bergensfjord have a glass-enclosed promenade or was she as Saga/Vistafjord with her public rooms extended to the outside of the ship? Thanks for your help.

BERGENSFJORD's Promenade Deck was glass-enclosed, surrounding the First Class public rooms and most of the Tourist Class public rooms, the same as on OSLOFJORD.

SAGAFJORD was the first to expand her public rooms to the sides of the ship, being designed with more cruising in mind.

Rich

Posts: 4210 | From: Miami, FL | Registered: Jul 2004 | IP: Logged

lasuvidaboy
First Class Passenger
Member # 4527

posted 07-31-2009 07:28 PM

The four postwar NAL ships were some of the most beautiful to ever sail. We will never see elegant ships like that again.

My Favorite is Sagafjord which will sadly be scrapped later this year.

Posts: 7654 | From: Hollywood Hills/L.A. | Registered: Mar 2004 | IP: Logged

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