Built in 1960 as French Line's S.S. France, the Norway has begun it's journey into history. If you recall, the ship suffered a boiler explosion in 2003, killing 7 crew members which was the beginning of the end. Since then the ship's owner NCL first said that the ship would be repaired and returned to service. Then after realizing that they would have to refit the entire propulsion system, they decided to place the ship up for sale to the highest bidder. She was towed to Germany where she stayed for two years and then to Malaysia, all the while NCL was still trying to sell the ship. Rumors floated around saying that the ship would be used in Asia as a floating hotel like the Queen Mary, other rumors had the ship being scrapped.
Unfortunately, the latter was true. In 2006 the ship was sold to an Indian scrap company and she was towed to Alang, India, the largest shipbreaking site in the world. There she has sat for over a year as legal battles ensued over the toxic content of the ship which apparently contains over 900 tons of asbestos. Finally, recent news indicates that the work has commenced on the early stages of scrapping the ship. It has been reported that the workers have started removing the interior furnishings and fittings in preparation for chopping her up into chunks of scrap metal.
Truly a sad ending for a ship that was the pride of a nation when built and changed the face of pleasure cruising in her second life in the Caribbean. She was the longest ship ever built and held that title until the launch of the Queen Mary 2 in 2003. I always dreamed of taking a trip on her but, unfortunately, that was not to be. The Norway (the name I knew her best by) is really the ship that started my fascination with mega-ships. I'll miss that classic, elegant profile.
Side Note:
Many may know that NCL also owns another classic ship, the S.S. United States, which is still laid up in Philadelphia. She has not seen service since 1969 but NCL has promised they will return her to service as part of their NCL America brand. Considering the newbuilds that NCL has scheduled and the fact that they have lost money on their NCL America experiment, I don't believe they will be able to restore the ship to he former glory. It's just too much work and money. I fear that the United States will find the same fate as the Norway. People have been petitioning for years to have the U.S. government step in and acquire the ship as a national landmark. The Big U represents the pinnacle of the American shipbuilding industry and is one of the greatest ships ever built. I fear her time as well is quickly running out. Check out the S.S. United States Conservancy website for more info on her history and efforts to save this great ship.
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