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From major cities like Oslo and Bergen to small cities and villages with unique museums and great local food, Norway has plenty of beautiful scenery and cultural appeal to make it a great cruise destination. France was later purchased by Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) in 1979, renamed SS Norway and underwent significant modifications to refit her for cruising duties. She was renamed SS Blue Lady and sold to be scrapped in 2005, and scrapping was completed in late 2008. With so many former ships having left Norwegian Cruise Line already, and more ships already under construction to join the fleet, it can be difficult to say which ships may be sold, transferred, or scrapped in years to come. In 2004, ownership of the ship was shifted within the company, and eventually, she was transferred to Star Cruises in 2007.
Seaward / Norwegian Sea
And it was easy to see why; France would be the longest passenger liner ever, at 1,035 feet, and weighed in at an immense 66,348 tonnes. It was clear that this new ship would be the pride of France for many years to come. The authority estimates an increase of 4% in the number of cruise calls over 2023, and an increase of 6% in the number of cruise passenger visits.
Oslo
And if you want to see the Northern Lights in Norway, that's on the cruise menu too. Built in 1992 for Majesty Cruise Line, this ship was originally named Royal Majesty until she was purchased by NCL in 1997. She was then lengthened by 110 feet, and offered a range of sailings from Charleston and Baltimore until 2004.
Blue Lady
In 1957, construction of the new ship, known at this point simply as Hull G19, began. Like her predecessors, including Normandie and Ile de France, she would be constructed by Chantiers de l'Atlantique by the River Loire. Compagnie Générale Transatlantique (French Line) had first made big waves in the passenger shipping industry in the 1920s, with SS Ile de France, and later with SS Liberte.
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The Leeward was a two level dining room with interconnecting stairs featuring an enormous chandelier, which was transformed from the former Restaurant Versailles which really was a rather simple and cold dining room. She had left the Caribbean on a number of occaisions to make some cruises in European waters, mostly combined with a refit or overhaul at Lloyd Werft, Germany. In 1979, she was sold to Knut Kloster, owner of Norwegian Caribbean Line (NCL) for a sum of 18 million dollars, and she was taken to Bremerhaven, Germany. Almost completely surrounded by water, Ålesund's central area has a spectacular setting. Yet it's full of beauty itself in the form of its architecture, which is totally unique in Norway. The city has a picturesque location, which can best be appreciated by the short ride on the Fløibanen funicular railway.
Norwegian Crown
It's capable of hosting three, and sometimes even four, large cruise ships. For example, on 16 July this year, the cruise ships Viking Sky, Star Legend, Jewel of the Seas, and AIDAdiva are all expected in Bergen. Stavanger is the starting point for many trips offered by cruise operators. The nearby Lysefjord may be included on a cruise or offered as a separate boat trip.
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These liners put the company in direct competition with the likes of White Star, Cunard and NDL and Hamburg-Amerika Line. However, by the 1950s, French Line's ships were lagging behind, especially following the completion of SS United States, and plans for a brand new Cunard liner, which would later be named QE2. In order to compete, French Line knew that it needed something new, something which could rival its competitors, in speed, size and luxury.
How cruise ships got so big - Royal Caribbean Blog
How cruise ships got so big.
Posted: Fri, 04 Aug 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
On a clear day, the inner parts of the Nordfjord are a spectacular sight. Highlights include the ski jump at Holmenkollen Ski Arena, and the remarkable collection of Vigeland Sculpture Park. Others will enjoy some of the country's best museums including the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History, Kon-Tiki Museum and Fram Museum. This popular attraction takes passengers from Myrdal station on the Oslo to Bergen line down to Flåm on the shore of the Aurlandsfjord, through the outstanding scenery of the Flåm valley. Be flexible with your Norway shore excursions.Norway is a terrific place for outdoor activities like kayaking, biking and hiking. However, rain is an often-unavoidable fact even during the country's drier summer months.
SS France/SS Norway - The (Third or Fourth) Pride of France
So, on the way in and out of Flåm, make sure to spend your time out on deck to take it all in. In the conversion of France into a ship used for cruising, many alterations were made to her exterior decks. The ship's exterior remained unchanged during her thirteen years of service. However, Lloyd Werft warned for high maintenance costs if Norway was used in a static role. If you want to see what the Norway was really like, take a look at this great video shot only a week before her days at sea. Thanks to Harold Smiley Davis, the camera and jib operator for this video, and his site, The Television and Motion Picture Network.
Many mainstream and luxury lines offer itineraries to these ports, though the cruises typically last two to three weeks and may include some southern Norway destinations, too. This ship was constructed in 1988 for Royal Cruise Line as Crown Odyssey, though in 1989 NCL purchased the entire cruise line. Crown Odyssey continued to sail with her original name until 1996, when NCL reorganized its various fleets and the ship was renamed Norwegian Crown. She was shuffled around a bit until 2006, when the ship was sold to Fred. Her early years were plagued with difficulty, however, when extensive illness ravaged the ship through infected water supplies in 1973 and a devastating boiler room fire occurred in 1979. In 1991, the ship was sold and became Shangri-La World, sailing out of Singapore and other Asian ports.
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) is one of the most popular cruise lines in the world, well known for its casual, freestyle experience and stunning ship hull art. Today, the line is home to 16 amazing ships, with seven new ships already ordered and planned for launch over the next few years. Alas, in May 2003, whilst in the port of Miami between two cruises, Norway suffered an explosion in one of her boilers.
In order to keep up with increasing competition though, she would undergo a refit in 1990, which included two new decks, providing more luxury cabins and thus an increased passenger capacity. Her fate was ultimately similar to that of the many great ocean liners, but her legacy cannot be understated. She would now be not only the largest cruise liner afloat, but also the first and only transatlantic liner to be converted and used exclusively as a cruise ship. Renovations included increased accommodation spaces, larger and more numerous public spaces, and a reduction from her four-screw propulsion to two-screws as speed became less of a necessity.
After successful trials in November 1961, she was ready to begin service, and embarked on her maiden voyage to the Canary Islands on 19 January 1962. Her first transatlantic crossing would come on 3 February 1962, sailing from Le Havre to New York. On 11 May 1960, two-and-a-half years after the keel was laid down, G19 was ready for launch. Like the great liners before her, France's launch would be something of a spectacle, as over 100,000 gathered in the crowds to watch the new marvel hit the water for the very first time. President Charles de Gaulle, who attended the launch with his wife, Yvonne, exclaimed "I have given you a new Normandie!".
Nordfjordeid and Eidfjord are two examples of alternative cruise ports in the fjords region that have seen more traffic as other more famous destinations get full up. Also, I've seen Skjolden, Ulvik, and Åndalsnes feature on more itineraries lately. I mentioned earlier that smaller cruise ports have seen an increase in visitor numbers too. That includes the likes of Nordfjordeid, Tromsø, Honningsvåg, Trondheim, and Eidfjord. A ferry trip to the Hjørundfjord is a popular excursion offered by cruise lines.
Simply taking a walk around the central area is enjoyable enough, but I highly recommend a visit to the Jugendstilsenter (Art Nouveau Museum) to dig deeper into the story about the devastating fire and the city's reconstruction. The town itself is fairly ordinary, but once again the surrounding area offers attractions of interest. Popular trips include the Viking Village at Avaldsnes, the Langfoss waterfall, and the Folgefonna glacier. Popular trips from Olden include the Briksdal glacier, and the Loen Skylift in the nearby village of Loen.
Original murals and grandiose wood-panneling have been retained over the years, and these added an unmistakable classic charm to this dining room. SS France would not only sail across the traditional transatlantic route, she also enjoyed many successful cruises, and in 1972 began operating world cruises. However, she was too large to sail through the Suez and Panama Canals, so she instead sailed around Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope, visiting Papeete Tahiti, Auckland, Wellington and Sydney, Australia. Evoking design features similar to that of Normandie, including a slender bow which expanded to a bulbous appearance below the waterline, SS France was constructed for the height of luxury and efficiency.
