We're planning a cruise on the SS Norway -- October 20th. Has anyone been on this ship? I'm aware that it's not five star, but the price is definately great!! $399pp including port charges, plus $100 per cabin shipboard credit.

Go to Cruise Critic.com and try the forum area as well as reviews.

there have been a few safety issues with it.. I remember the Coast Guard refusing to let it leave Port while in Ft Lauderdale a few months ago....

it's getting OLD.... *very* old.... like flying on a 707 in today's standards..

-n

You can also go to Cruisemates.com for cruise info.

The life of the Norway is very sad to watch. Of course she once was the grand 'France'. But she has been added on to and fiddled with since.

However, for the price you are paying, I would consider it a darn good deal. I would enjoy just prowling around the ship to see her changes and history. It wouldn't take much research on the internet to get a summary of what she was like in her glory days.

As she is an ocean liner in design, she will treat you well in rough seas.

Enjoy your voyage! One day she will be gone and you can say that you traveled on her.

I watched her sail out of New York Harbor as the "France" in the early 1960s.

The France/Norway is one of the last North Atlantic liners.

http://www.maritimematters.com/francetour.html

I was on the SS Norway last year for a Western Caribbean cruise. The ship, itself, is fine. Service, food, and communication were somewhat lacking. Email me for more details.

-- Bob

I did three one-week cruises on her in successive years from 1998 to 2000. She's big and solid, but visibly aging. (This is the ship you want to be on during hurricane season.) However, these were all before her "farewell" and refit, so I don't know what if anything was actually done before she was unexpectedly returned to NCL.

The main thing about her was that because (like the Canberra) she wasn't designed for cruising, a lot of facilities had been obviously inserted, sometimes shoehorned, into available space. For example, the gym sometimes felt a bit like someone had just added a conservatory to the back of Olympic deck to house it, and the air conditioning can struggle to cool it sometimes. Or the informal buffet restaurant (the Great Outdoor Restaurant) has clearly been put in the only available place for such a facility, rather than into a purpose-built partly indoor space. This causes problems when it's chucking down with rain and there's nowhere dry left to sit, and everyone migrates indoors to sit in the other public lounges.

Also, the cabins tended to look pretty basic and tired, mostly because much of it was 1960's vintage stuff that hasn't been replaced over the years. So there were the original formica/laminate wardrobe and drawer fronts, instead of the wood laminate surfaces you now normally find. And the plumbing in the bathroom is all visible. But everything worked, and if it broke it was always effectively fixed. The "tiredness" was merely superficial.

All this made the ship a walking (sailing) cliche - lots of character and history. But because everything still worked, when you got to know her you tended to get very fond of her. I hope she's still mostly like that. There won't be many chances left to try her, whatever her owners decide to do with her, so don't miss out.

BTW - the architectural highlights of the ship are the Windward dining room and the Club Internationale, which used to be the old first class smoking lounge.

I was on her lasy year, and am sailing her again Nov. 17th.

She is a grand old lady. Passengers either love her or hate her. You can't go wrong for the price.

THe Norway has an atmosphere that todays ships are lacking. She has a loyal following that sail her year after year. There is something special about her, like an aging relative who doesn't have alot of time left.

If this is your first cruise, DO NOT judge cruising by her. If you are an experienced cruiser, you will understand after you have been aboard.