NORWAY

† NORWAY †

Norwegian Cruis Line. The Norway is the formerly elegant France. One of the last superliners to be designed and constucted for the North Atlantic passenger sevice.She entered service in January 1962. Built at Chantiers de L'Antique - St. Nazaire - France. The scheduled passenger service ended in Sept. 1974. After a laid-up she was sold in 1979 to Norwegian Klosters group for conversion into the largest cruiseship at that time. After a series of major overhauls and renovations have changed her appearance -size and propulsion system. For example above the original topdeck two additional decks are added. The Norway is still a steam turbine powered ship, but her propellors have been reduced to two.

As FRANCE

Gross Tonnage 76.049 - Passenger cap. 2026 In 2001 their was an announcement that the Norway left NCL's fleet and redeployed by parent comp. Star Cruises.However Star has changed their mind and the Norway is still belongs NCL's fleet.

MIAMI, May 25 -2003
An explosion and fire in the boiler room of the docked cruise ship NORWAY of Norwegian Cruise Lines killed 8 crew members
July 21-2003 Today NCL announced that the Norway will lay-up at Lloyd Werft until bids from shipyards for possible repair has been completed.

17/3/2004
Norwegian Cruise Line made it official today: the Norway will not be returning to the North American fleet. The company is weighing options for new deployment in Asia or possibly as a hotel, said NCL president and ceo Colin Veitch.
Since July, the Norway has been docked at Lloyd Werft in Bremerhaven, where it arrived under tow from Miami following the May 25 boiler-room explosion that killed eight crew members. Discussions with insurance underwriters are nearly concluded, Veitch said. No repairs to the ship have been made pending its new assignment.

April /2005
Star Cruises is making arrangements to tow the Norway from Bremerhaven, where it has been laid up for the past 18 months, to Port Klang in Malaysia in the near future and ‘intends to utilize the ship in a new venture’. Whilst NCL is not prepared to disclose details of the vessel’s future utilisation, a floating leisure complex must be high on the list. info: seatrader

May 11-2005 SMITWIJS, has reportedly been contracted to tow NORWAY from Bremerhaven around South Africa to destination Singapore. NORWAY has an NCL crew of 40 on board.Environmentalists in Germany have demanded the removal of asbestos before the ship leaves, as some shipping sources have already named Indian breakers as the current owners of the vessel. The ex FRANCE has been laid up at the Bremerhaven since July 2003 after a fatal boiler explosion in Miami in May of that year. The ship will be towed by the chartered Chinese tug DE DA.

May 23-2005 Today the NORWAY has left Bremerhaven on route to the Far East under tow of the tug DE DA.Farewell "Good old Lady".

Arrival at Port Klang
August 10-2005 The SS NORWAY arrived under tow at Port Klang at noon today. No further information is given by NCL/STAR.

Jan 4-2006 Sources confirmed to Seatrade Insider that Star Cruises is in serious negotiations to sell the vessel for scrap. Star Cruises spokeswoman Jane Poh had no comment. The negotiations follow unsuccessful efforts to sell the Norway for further trade. The ship is expected to be beached at India or Bangladesh in the near future. The Norway is currently moored off Port Klang, Malaysia, where it was towed last spring after languishing for months at Lloyd Werft.

Febr. 15 - 2006 From Fairplay:
GREEN groups in Bangladesh are up in arms over a reported sale of the cruise ship Norway, owned by Star Cruises, to a Chittagong ship breaker. It is claimed that the ship still has 1,250 tonnes of material that contains the hazardous substance asbestos. The activists have demanded that the ship not be permitted to enter the country and have threatened legal action if it is allowed in. Jiri Subedar Shipbreaking Yard has bought the ship, according to Chittagong’s The Daily Star, and AFP quoted yard owner Haji Lokman Hossain as saying he has offered $12M to an Indian broker. He has also assured that measures would be taken to destroy all hazardous materials and toxic gas. Bangladesh may bar the ship’s entry and cancel the letter of credit of the ship’s buyer. Malaysia’s Port Klang Marine Pilot Station confirmed to Fairplay today that the Norway is still anchored off Port Klang, Malaysia, and no notification of imminent departure has been received.

Latest news:

May-12 - 2006 “Norway” a 1960's classic ocean liner that last flew the flag of Norwegian Cruise Line, is on its final journey - a trip
from Port Klang, Malaysia, to Alang, India, a destination known as one of the world's cruise ship "scrapper" hubs.
The 'Norway' is no longer owned by Norwegian Cruise Line as one year ago she was transferred back to Malaysia
based “Star Cruises”, the parent company of NCL. The transfer happened as Star Cruises “intended to utilize the ship
in a new venture”. Now the ship is heading for the scrapyard.

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SAD END OF NORWAY aug.15-2006

AHMEDABAD: Norwegian cruiseliner the 'Blue Lady' on Tuesday beached for dismantling at the Alang shipbreaking yard in Bhavnagar after recently getting the go-ahead from the Supreme Court.

The beaching was permitted after the cruiseliner, also known as the SS Norway, underwent a thorough inspection by a team of experts appointed by the apex court last week after environmentalists said that it contained tonnes of harmful asbestos.

Confirming that the cruiseliner had beached at Alang, the port officer Anil Rathore said, "The Blue Lady has beached today aug.15-2006 in plot No V1 after completing all formalities required. It should be ready for dismantling in a month's time."

STILL HOPE? dec.-2006
India's Supreme Court on Monday delayed for at least a month a decision on whether an asbestos-laden ship that was once a legendary ocean liner can be broken apart here for salvage.
Since mid-August, the Norway, one of the largest passenger ships ever built, has remained aground about 4,000 feet offshore from the ship-breaking yards at Alang in the west Indian state of Gujarat, awaiting the outcome of a legal challenge to its demolition.

Febr. 2007 - THE INDIAN GOVERNMENT HAS FINALLY AGREED THAT THE FORMER ‘NORWAY’ CAN BE SCRAPPED AT ALANG AFTER VESSEL WAS INSPECTED FOR TOXIC MATERIALS. HOWEVER IN EARLY DECEMBER THE INDIAN SUPREME COURT GAVE A PROVISIONAL RULING FORBIDDING ANY DISMANTLING AT ALAND

Indian court clears breaking of Blue Lady 12/9/2007

India’s Supreme Court authorized the breaking of Blue Lady (ex Norway), Reuters in New Delhi reports,ending a long legal battle by environmentalists who claim Blue Lady has languished off the coast of India’s Gujarat state while the legal fight played out. the ship contains toxic waste.The court allowed the breaking to proceed after accepting a technical expert committee’s guidelines on how to break ships without exposing the workers to harm, according to Reuters. Seatrade Insider understands that established Alang shipbreakers Priya Blue Industries will handle the work. Numerous attempts to reach the company were unsuccessful.The head of the breaking company told news agency PTI that fears concerning radioactive material had been cleared and whatever asbestos remains will be handled ‘in the most professional manner.’

as Norway

On route to Port Klang passing NCL's newest Pride of America

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