A Walk Down Memory Lane - s/s NORWAY

I've been in a photo scanning mood today, so I finally got around to scanning old photos of my early s/s/ NORWAY cruises. The pics are from July

1980 and August 1983. As you can imagine both cruises were awesome experiences, when NORWAY was in her prime. The July 1980 cruise was during her first month of service in the Caribbean. We missed out on the power outages that plagued the ship early in her NCL career.

Something unique about NORWAY in 1980 was the casino. It had slots only. Also

the production show was Hello Dolly and it was awesome. I even managed to grab some photos of the production. The Lido Lounge was a wonderful spot, one of my favorite places onboard. Everything on NORWAY was color coded back then to help you get around, even the carpet patterns. Turquoise color was forward, and salmon color was aft. Even your ticket jackets matched where you were staying on the ship, and what pier you embarked from (Pier 1 or Pier 2).

Not much had changed when we returned in 1983. Thankfully the Lido Lounge was still in tact. The biggest change was that table games were added to the casino and Hello Dolly was gone, replaced I believe by My Fair Lady but I'm not 100% sure about that. On our first cruise we dined in the Leeward Restaurant, but this time around it was a large center table in the Windward Dining Room which I much preferred.

Hope you enjoy this little walk back in time.

Ernie

s/s NORWAY - July 1980

s/s NORWAY - August 1983

Wow Ernie, thanks for this! Very cool.

Thanks for sharing your pics.

We sailed the Norway several times but they were all many years after your 2 ctuises and a few overhaiuls later. She sure looked different in the 80s

Thanks for sharing your pics.

 

We sailed the Norway several times but they were all many years after your 2 ctuises and a few overhaiuls later. She sure looked different in the 80s

Unfortunately several poorly planned refits and too many management changes at NCL to recall, pretty much did her in. She went from the top priced ship in the Caribbean where you had to book a year in advance to even get a cabin, to the bargain basement ship of the Caribbean with standard $399 fares.

Even so I loved her to the end. I had a fifth cruise booked on her but that never came to be. :-(

Ernie

Were the outdoor decks painted green or were they covered in that fake grass/astro terf/ felt kinda stuff????? Those pictures are priceless! I remember having a tv set that looked like the one in your stateroom. That was until we got the toe-breaker model. You know, the huge 1 ton floor model tv's with the pointy edges that stuck out real far and would break your baby toe when you kicked it as you walked by it. Yeah, we had one of those until I was about 11.

Thanks for the pics! Are you the youngster playin the piano? If so, post a current pic so we can see if you look as worn and falling apart as Norway does now:rolleyes::D

Unfortunately several poorly planned refits and too many management changes at NCL to recall, pretty much did her in. She went from the top priced ship in the Caribbean where you had to book a year in advance to even get a cabin, to the bargain basement ship of the Caribbean with standard $399 fares.

 

Even so I loved her to the end. I had a fifth cruise booked on her but that never came to be. :-(

 

Ernie

Do you have any other pics of Norway Ernie? I'm very interested in the changes to her over the years.

Thanks for posting these! We sailed on her 2 times - and the first time was our very first cruise. Sure brings back a lot of good memories.

I remember on our first cruise we had an inside cabin on the Fjord deck, our waiter's name was Christie, and the "name" entertainer was Shields and Yarnell, whose music director was Paul Shaffer (now of the David Letterman show).

We even talked to Paul S. around the pool one day while he (and my husband, and every other guy on the sun deck that day) ogled the ship's dancers sunbathing in their tiny bikinis LOL.

Scariest of all was on the very first night the boiler went out before we got to Nassau and we were adrift for a couple hours. We sat on deck and watched the stacks pouring dark smoke as they tried to get it restarted. We finally went to bed and my husband bet me we would be at port the next morning. But I didn't feel any ship movement throughout the night, and was so sad because I was sure we would be flying home before we even got to really experience a cruise. Bright and early the next AM he ran out on deck and checked and came back in and said "We're in Nassau!" Yay!

My husband's favorite thing was watching them loading and unloading the two tenders (Little Norway I and Little Norway II) on the bow with the hydraulic lifts. (The Norway was so long and her draft was too deep to fit most ports). The crew had that procedure down pat.

A couple years and a couple cruises later we sailed on her again (Rita Coolidge was the entertainer), then disembarked and jumped on RCCL's Song of Norway. But there was nothing like the SS Norway, and I'm glad we were able to sail on her. :D

Thanks so much for sharing these photo's. I used to watch the SS Norway sail in and out of New York going back to her 'SS France' days. I always wanted to sail on her, but couldn't afford to. When I finally could, I waited just a bit too long, and now forever regret the missed opportunity.

I didn't let the same thing happen with the QE2. I finally sailed on her on her final winter crossing in 2008, and the memories of that will stay with me forever....

Mention was made of the differences between 1980, 1983, and her later years. Do you know how different she was in 1980 from her earlier days as the liner 'France'? Were there still easily recognized signs of her previous 'class' separations, etc.?

I was on the NORWAY September 10 of 1983, and the Broadway musical onboard WAS "My Fair Lady"... The entertainment was: Shields and Yarnell, Norm Crosby and The Fifth Dimension. The cost of my "bargain basement" room was $1,250.00 (Biscayne 136). The bathroom had a tub with spigots for a sea water option. The stewards would place little pins in the door frame with aluminum foil flags they would tilt against the door to let them know when you had left the room. I remember the indoor pool (pre-spa) that you had to reach by (almost hidden)staircase located next to the grand stairway to the Windward dining room.

Great ship....Ill never forget that trip.

My honeymoon was onboard the Norway in 2002!! I will always be fond of that ship because it was such a special occasion. That cruise was DH's first cruise and now he loves them!!

Thanks for sharing your pics. The Norway was so unique. I wish there would be a Club I style lounge on one of the new ships. Such a beautiful room.

The Saga looks so small compared to the newer ships!

Can't forget the stairwells! They were all decorated differently and they all didn't go all the way down so you had to make sure you took the correct stairwell if you wanted to get to someplace in particular. Also if you wanted to get to the spa you needed to take the little stairwell off to the side from the Windward dining room. Loved that Roman Spa!

Mention was made of the differences between 1980, 1983, and her later years. Do you know how different she was in 1980 from her earlier days as the liner 'France'? Were there still easily recognized signs of her previous 'class' separations, etc.?

A book I highly recommend for you is called:

FRANCE / NORWAY by John Maxtone-Graham

ISBN 978-0-393-06903-07

This excellent hardcover picture book chronicles the life of FRANCE / NORWAY from her launch as the FRANCE, all the way to her breaking up on the beaches of Alang, India.

It's a much have for any lover of this great ship!

Ernie

Thanks for sharing your pics. The Norway was so unique. I wish there would be a Club I style lounge on one of the new ships. Such a beautiful room.

 

The closest rooms to Club International I have found on modern day ships are:

1. Dazzles on OASIS and ALLURE OF THE SEAS. A beautiful two level room with big band and soloists. Although physically different than Club International, it has the same sort of atmosphere.

2. Queen's Room on QM2. A beautiful ballroom, again two-level with the largest dance floor at sea. Just spectacular.

Thank you so much, Ernie. I sailed her twice, and she is still my favorite.

The Starward was my first cruise in 1972. Doesn't it look small?

I loved the International Deck and the Great Outdoors on the Norway, not to mention the handsome officers. The entertainment was top notch.

What great photos. Love them.

We went on our first family cruise in the early 8o's. I remember having a large Oceanview room for our family of four. One small twin and a bunk bed. I would have to stand on tip toes to see out of the porthole! You can imagine the struggle of dressing for dinner every evening in that small room. I think my five year old daughter had 4-5 long dresses along. The cost was around 2500 which was not cheap at the time. As much as I admire the grandeur of this once fine ship, I just booked a similar itinerary one week cruise on the EPIC. The cost is considerably less (only two going 1400) and we will enjoy a nice balcony. There will be myriad more dining, drinking, and entertainment options. No need to dress for dinner (I was always fine with this) and no need to dine at certain times. Don't wish for the past as you might get it!

Love this topic, because I loved the Norway! I sailed on her in 1987 (my first cruise) and again in 1989, both times with my former husband. Everyone dressed up (certainly by today's standards) every night-- and incredibly so on the 2 formal nights. There was even a rule that no shorts were allowed in any public areas after 6 p.m.!

On our 1st Norway cruise, the "name" entertainer was Red Buttons, but name entertainment was discontinued by our 2nd Norway cruise. Also, by the 2nd time, the nickel-and-diming had begun, with the selling of bingo cards and even lottery tickets at every turn. They had NOT been doing that on our first cruise.

We had inside cabins both times, and I recall the 1st cruise costing $1100 pp... but I believe it included air fare. Not sure about that. Both cruises, our inside cabins included a full-size bed for us to share. But when we entered our cabin on the 2nd cruise, we were surprised to see a back door! What?!? Opening it, we discovered a passageway in front of the bottom of the midship pool, with a big window looking into the pool. That area (and the pool itself) was originally an outdoor atrium when the ship was the France. Very cool!

But when we entered our cabin on the 2nd cruise, we were surprised to see a back door! What?!? Opening it, we discovered a passageway in front of the bottom of the midship pool, with a big window looking into the pool. That area (and the pool itself) was originally an outdoor atrium when the ship was the France. Very cool!

Wow you were lucky to occupy one of those original First Class cabins. As you mention, in the days of FRANCE these cabins had a second door that opened into a lovely sunken outdoor patio. How much use it got on the North Atlantic in anyone's guess.

The conversion from FRANCE to NORWAY meant a second outdoor pool was necessary, so that original patio became the well for the pool a deck higher. Very ingenious. NCL placed portholes in the pool and there was still enough room for a walkway around the pool well so you could look in. Those original cabins remained in tact, and instead of opening to a patio they opened to the walkway surrounding the pool.

I always wanted to occupy one of those cabins!

Ernie

There are some nice photos at this link of the France/Norway. Scroll down and there's even one of passengers dining in the private outdoor patio Ernie mentions above:

http://cruiselinehistory.com/tag/ss-norway/

My husband reminded me on the Norway he got ice cream at least three times a day(!), and while I can picture where the ice cream parlor was located, I don't remember that. He's not that crazy about ice cream so that must have been some really tasty ice cream LOL.

I also remembered sitting on a small aft deck and a man and a woman with a small baby joined us, sitting on the opposite side. We smiled and said hello, and then went back to watching the waves. They were speaking another language that I didn't recognize (but later after listening to the captain's announcements thought it might have been Norwegian).

A couple minutes later the door opened, and a photographer and a reporter stepped out and asked the couple if they could speak to them. They agreed and a few more people came through the door. Then it was like a news conference began, with pictures of her with the baby, him with the baby, and the baby alone. The reporter was transcribing everything they were saying - but alas, it was in the other language, so we had no clue what was being said and just who these "famous" people were!

We left them alone and never did find out exactly who they were. I wondered if they were upset that we didn't recognize them. ;)

Gee I wish the Norway was still around, I'd sail on her again in a minute!

As my signature states below, I was on the Norway right before the beginning of her eventual demise.

While, I don't remember her quite as fondly as some others do, given my more recent cruises on much nicer ships, with much more to do, given the panache of it being my very first cruise, it holds a special place for me.

I remember it being expensive, compared to other vacations I could have taken. And, compared to what you get for your money today, it was really a big splurge for a very young couple (me and my then wife).

Not to upset anyone, but any of my subsequent cruises offered better accommodations, better entertainment (can't remember the entertainment on the SS Norway, but do recall I thought it was "B" grade). Food, maybe was better on SS Norway. But, I do remember getting sick one night from the food, too.

It certainly wasn't as stable as current ships. It certainly wasn't as luxurious as any current NCL ship.

But, it was my first cruise. As such, it has left a positive memory.

Every time we talk about our cruises, the one ship that always comes to mind is the SS Norway. We sailed on her in October 2001, what memories, what a gracious ship. The SS Norway will always hold that special place in our hearts.

A book I highly recommend for you is called:

FRANCE / NORWAY by John Maxtone-Graham

ISBN 978-0-393-06903-07

 

This excellent hardcover picture book chronicles the life of FRANCE / NORWAY from her launch as the FRANCE, all the way to her breaking up on the beaches of Alang, India.

 

It's a much have for any lover of this great ship!

 

Ernie

I will look for that book....thankyou!

I did discover this interesting photo-history that answered some of my curiousity....http://www.classicliners.net/SSNORWAY.html

Love this topic, because I loved the Norway! I sailed on her in 1987 (my first cruise) and again in 1989, both times with my former husband. Everyone dressed up (certainly by today's standards) every night-- and incredibly so on the 2 formal nights. There was even a rule that no shorts were allowed in any public areas after 6 p.m.!

 

On our 1st Norway cruise, the "name" entertainer was Red Buttons, but name entertainment was discontinued by our 2nd Norway cruise. Also, by the 2nd time, the nickel-and-diming had begun, with the selling of bingo cards and even lottery tickets at every turn. They had NOT been doing that on our first cruise.

 

We had inside cabins both times, and I recall the 1st cruise costing $1100 pp... but I believe it included air fare. Not sure about that. Both cruises, our inside cabins included a full-size bed for us to share. But when we entered our cabin on the 2nd cruise, we were surprised to see a back door! What?!? Opening it, we discovered a passageway in front of the bottom of the midship pool, with a big window looking into the pool. That area (and the pool itself) was originally an outdoor atrium when the ship was the France. Very cool!

Yes, thanks for reminding me of the pool "porthole" and why it was there, I remember walking down some stairs to a hallway to see it with my son. Also remember a midnight chocolate buffet and some themed late night dining outdoors aft (western barbecue one night). Our waiter was Joey and my kids still remember him fondly. Also recall putting tips into envelopes with hand written notes the last night of the cruise and searching out all the staff before disembarking. It certainly was a different more gracious era. However, I do think we need to appreciate how the cruise product has evolved in the last decades where other travel such as airlines have declined.

You are so awesome, Ernie! Thanks for the memories :) I always wanted to sail on the Norway (never got to), but did get to tour her in the early 80's when my mom was a travel agent. So fabulous!

Thanks for posting these photos -- what an incredible trip back in time! I never sailed on the Norway but my first cruise was on the Costa Flavia back in 1981 (it was my senior class trip -- I live in Florida).

I see some similarities... we were four to a stateroom, with fold-down bunks. The shower was basically an indentation in the floor with a curtain surrounding it. No "decor" at all in the room. I do recall many of the decor elements of that time period, though... LOTS of chrome, and "industrial" style fluorescent lighting. Astroturf, potted palms, narrow curtain panels that spanned two floors, garish carpet colors, etc. The Norway looks huge -- very long and sleek, but there aren't that many decks compared to today's massive superships.

And the fashions -- short shorts on the men, leisure suits, etc.

I guess it was all good at the time! Thanks again for the photos!