the former has more of a sepia tone to most that i was dubious about when i heard about it, but they work so well imo, there are also some color ones that are stunning.both highly enjoyable reads!!

hope this helps,, enjoy!!!

fraser

[ 09-25-2008: Message edited by: etruriaguy ]

I actually have Frank O. braynard book on the Normandie already, but unfourtunately I seemed to have misplaced it cause I have not been able to find it for the last few weeks. As for john maxtone-graham's book...I dont have that one yet but I definately want to get it as soon as I can.

[ 09-27-2008: Message edited by: matdark ]

What I wouldn't give to go back in time and sail First Class (of course!) on NORMANDIE.

The well dressed passengers contributed to the glamour of the ship. No slobs in T shirts and shorts roaming Normandie's decks.

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Originally posted by matdark:
No shorts but... there's a man playing deck tennis in bathing suite

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Its interesting to see color photos from back then. I dont know about anybody else but I have always had trouble imagining things from back then in clear color. I always imagine back then everything was just black and white or colored like a old movie, like clear color vision was something that people only just discovered.

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Originally posted by matdark:
i'm pretty sure there would be a high-class market for such a ship now. People willing to pay more to be able cruise on board a ship like her. Come on, QE2 is (was) alway packed the latter years, who needs all the fancy (and tacky) on board newer floating shoeboxes? That'd be a challenge, kinda risky, but it could be successfull...
When QE2's gone, people are gonna start realizing classic ships are gone... and miss those sleek lines.

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I believe they had trouble filling Normandie then - now, in a much more competitive market, it might be even more difficult ? Normandie's interiors were considered quite fancy (and I guess some thought tacky) in the 1930's ... and surely you're not comparing QE2's hotch potch interiors with Normandie's???

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Originally posted by TDM99:
s/s NORMANDIE is the " only " GREATEST !!!
On this place you have " just " one ship ( and not more ) .
All Time " Number One " is the : s/s NORMANDIE

Noel

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Noel,

I am very sorry to tell you this but... if there could only be one "Greatest Ship Ever" then the ship in question would undeniably be the Great, Wondrous, Incredible, Fabulous, Perfect and Beautiful RMS Queen Mary !!!!!!. Though the Normandie was indeed great, she could not compare to the Queen Mary! lol jk jk I'm Just playing!...well kind of

Its pointless to compare the 2 ships. Apples and Oranges.

Ok one more question. Is there anywhere I could find deck plans for the Normandie???? I have only seen small portions of her plans.

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Originally posted by eroller:
Nothing really compares to NORMANDIE and I don't think any ship ever will. She embodies everything the term "ocean liner" implies.

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Nevertheless, entirely aside from the ship herself, I don't think one can overlook the importance of her having died young in creating the NORMANDIE mystique. Not many of us have ever seen NORMANDIE whereas most of us have seen QUEEN MARY at least in her "stuffed and mounted" form, and many of us even saw the old Queens in service (perhaps even sailing in them), as they were still going nearly three decades after the demise of NORMANDIE.

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Originally posted by matdark:
i'm pretty sure there would be a high-class market for such a ship now. People willing to pay more to be able cruise on board a ship like her.

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But parts of her were definitely inspired by NORMANDIE, in fact when she was being built some (not Cunard) suggested she was more of a successor to NORMANDIE than to the original Queens (this was meant as a compliment).

Certainly she is rather like NORMANDIE in terms of being so much larger and more expensive than anything that came before, and of course she was built in the same shipyard.

While QM2 does feel very elegant with everyone in evening dress I cannot say she looks as elegant as NORMANDIE does in those photos, though. And I am not sure it would be possible to create a ship today that would look as elegant to our eyes (in terms of the overall experience, not just the physical ship) as NORMANDIE - the nostalgic aspect would simply not be there in the same way.

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Originally posted by KenC:
Normandie's interiors were considered quite fancy (and I guess some thought tacky) in the 1930's ... and surely you're not comparing QE2's hotch potch interiors with Normandie's???

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As for QE2, even I must admit that here current interiors are, well... Um... They leave something to be desired.

I don't think anyone goes on QE2 for the decor - certainly not me. I do think the atmosphere on board is quite special, though, and really rather elegant.

Anyway all that is rather a moot point now as the end is so near.

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Originally posted by dougnewman:
IFor many liner enthusiasts she really is the archetype of the ocean liner. [....]

[...]Not many of us have ever seen NORMANDIE [...]

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In those days it was the cabin and tourist bookings that paid the way and a majority of the ship's passengers.

Unless one was in royalty class, the Queen Mary was a more comfortable and 'luxurious' ship for the mere mortals who never saw and barricaded from the first class digs.

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Originally posted by lasuvidaboy:
As beautiful as Normandie was she was a commercial flop. Most of us here would have probably chosen to sail on her but most passengers chose the far less intimidating Queen Mary.

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Let me be the Devil and through in the Nieuw Amsterdam smaller in size and slower. But here exteriors and interiors where well proportioned and first second and third class showed consistency in design. Much better then there two bigger competitors. The Nieuw Amsterdam making money immediately she start sailing.
tss Nieuw Amsterdam page 1 (exterior)
tss Nieuw Amsterdam page 2 (interiors)

All 3 liners reach legend status during and after the war. Normandie by here fire and QM, Nwe A'dam by there troopship career.
Would love to have seen all 3 ships and sail on theme. But my winner is Nieuw Amsterdam.

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Originally posted by desirod7:

In those days it was the cabin and tourist bookings that paid the way and a majority of the ship's passengers.

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That's a myth which is simply not true. Pax capacity on NORMANDIE: 848 1st Class, 670 Tourist Class, 454 3rd Class. People in 1st Class paid literally thousands of dollars (during the Depression) to cross, and even if 1st wasn't always filled, the revenue there was many times more than that of the lower classes, where someone could cross in 3rd for the equivalent of $125.00.

Just like today's airliners, where the profit comes from Business Class and First Class fares, not from Mr. & Mrs. SuperSaver sitting back in row 41.

Hey, I had not yet been born and John McCain had just been baptized, so he won't know either

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Originally posted by Linerrich:

That's a myth which is simply not true. Pax capacity on NORMANDIE: 848 1st Class, 670 Tourist Class, 454 3rd Class. People in 1st Class paid literally thousands of dollars (during the Depression) to cross, and even if 1st wasn't always filled, the revenue there was many times more than that of the lower classes, where someone could cross in 3rd for the equivalent of $125.00.

Just like today's airliners, where the profit comes from Business Class and First Class fares, not from Mr. & Mrs. SuperSaver sitting back in row 41.

Rich

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Sorry " Cunard Fan " but for me the answer is very simple ! Outside + Inside = s/s NORMANDIE

The Normandie was the first liner with a " modern " hull ( Queen Mary have the hull from the " old " scholl ) .
The Normandie was build just for the 1st Class .
Compared QM2 is just a ferry ! Why ? QM2 was build " 70 " years later ...

Queen Mary have not a so good outside ! When i see the Bow , the Stern , the Bridge etc ... of Queen Mary i have no comments ...

Yes , it' s not a " easy " combination to make : the greatest liner !
The Most Beautiful Outside : s/s FRANCE
The fastet : s/s UNITED STATES
The Most Beautiful Inside : s/s NORMANDIE
The Best Food : s/s FRANCE
And the result ...
Simply the Best ... QE2 ( but not the greatest ! ) .
You have ( in England ) the best Liner , but not the Greatest !!!

I made here a photo in the QE2 Terminal in Southampton ...
On the left : the greatest ; on the right the best .

And here , a real photo from ... 1937 in LE HAVRE