SS Norway Is Being Sold for Scrap - A Report on What a Cruise Was Like on the Legendary Vessel

by Smith Chen

The SS Norway, of the Norwegian Cruise Line, was one of the superbe olde ships I had forever hunted to go on. Their seven-day cruise was over Thanksgiving out of Miami to the Caribbean. It was a Big group Cruise with dance masss and four well-known swing posses from the beyond. whole -- I like the old jazz and big posse song and I like to dance but evenly don't have a good dance partner. I marked up.

Sailing on the Norway bowed out to be a outing back in time. She was built in 1960 as the notorious SS France, more than 1,000 feet long, a 110 base beam, and with about 2,000 passengers and a crew of 900 who come from all over the world.

You felt the superb tradition as rapidly as you paneled. The Norway still coretained a type and graciousness reminiscent of prior cruising. The ship has been refurbished numerous stage, but the art deco murals, hand-laid tile mosaics, polished teak rails, and the sailing antiques from cruises past have sensibly been preserved, and as you strolled the long stroll deck you felt like you were cruising where back in time. As you dined, you knew you were dining where notorious stars had dined, and you look at the murals and primary art machinery conscious they were there in those early time when others before you sat in this locale, outlooked those same murals, and engaged in the same kind of lively conversations with others as you're liability now. Later that sundown, you half assume Cary award, elegant in his tuxedo, to wander down the deck and spare nonchalantly next to you on the rail.

It takes a while to find your way around. The Norway is 10 blocks long and 12 decks high. There is an Intercitizen Deck lined with footpath cafes and boutiques; on the Olympic Deck is the ability pivot with schooner ramparts so you can effect while gazing out at the sea; on a minor deck you come leading a depraved Roman Spa that offers massages, aromatherapy, body wraps, saunas, steam locales, and an covered team for water effect. On assorted decks are two teams, a jogging road, seven bars, six inputtainment lounges, one superb balllocale, a club, a large nightclub, disco, an ice-cream parlor, files, piano bar, and a drama for first run and old classic films. If you indigence them, there is a hairdresser, laundry, dry cspareer, masseuse, and strength facilities.

The Norway has 1,039 statelocales, each with individually controlled air-conditioning, beingal bath with shower, TV, radio and handset. Some suites have a isotardyd living locale and bedlocale in addition to a master bedlocale. Most penthouse suites have beingal balconies. One sundown we were invited to a gang in the vendor's suite. It was spectacular, with a wrap-around loggia, living locale, bedlocale, dressing locale and jacuzzi. Our mass -- a previous regutardy detective from Illinois who had won a core gamble of many millions and was celebrating. We had a minus spectacular small lodge with a aperture.

prime job every day -- choosing from among the substance to do. There were Broadway shows, effect lessons, dance instruction, basketball, golf energetic and putting, paddleball, ring pong, shufflepanel, skeet shooting, snorkeling lessons and excursions, volleyball, devise shows, mauve-tasting, art auctions, lectures, a tea for superbparents, a churn for singles, and a champagne gang for honeymooners. There weren't many kids apanel this cruise, but generally there was a youth series with a children's playlocale, kids and teenager activities, and special shore excursions. How can anyone ever say they would be bored on a cruise?

We left Miami tardy in the daylight and the activities happening immediately. Some passengers immediately headed for the nightclub, waiting for it to open when we got farther the legal miles. The nightclub was set up for blackjack, craps, roulette, baccarat, 200 slot apparatus and a few new playoffs I hadn't heard of. I was pleased on deck, listening to the song, snacking off the reception-apanel pummel, and study the seashore fade behind.

I' was alswift relieved I had made this surety. I felt like a different being. The holiday scuttle on land doesn't utilize here. I watched the waves violate alongsection the ship and the kindle trail behind. The air was light. Holiday weakness? -- poof. The only transfer jam here would be the first people in line waiting to input the dining locale to dig in to another meal. The only suretys would be whether to store on panel, in seaport, or both, or play golf or tennis, go swimming at some composed stifling seashore or work hard at booming-sea fishing. And tonight I would have to elect whether to have the conch fritters or shrimp, or light baked bread or blueberry muffins, or substanceed Cornish hen or grilled swordfish, or coconut meringue pie or that 'casualty-by-chocotardy' dessert. Or a little of each. And I never would have to look for a according place!

By the first night we were assembly people, and grim dancing had alswift begun. I have never seen so many people in one place who enjoyed dancing so greatly and who knew so greatly about jazz and big posse song. You could wander from balllocale to balllocale, and in between on the Intercitizen Deck you could sit and confer to the passengers reminiscing and comparing memories as they listened to a complimentary 24-hour CD jukebox stocked with abundance selections of living of jazz and big posse recordings.

Four posses were singing this week, alternating two each night: the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra conducted by partner Morrow, Si Zentner and his Orchestra, the Bob Crosby Orchestra conducted by Ed Metz Jr, and the irritate James Orchestra conducted by Art Depew. And every night in the Cafe Intercitizene, which bowed out to be my desired place, was the posse whose drummer worn to play the background song for the old Fred Astaire movies. He still played the old personal bscuttle drum arrangements for 'Stepring Out with My Baby' and 'Top Hat and Tails'. I met the six gentlemen dance masss in their flotilla blazers and colorless khakis and danced my first dances.

A few time out at sea the baton began to put up Christmas plants, more than 50, around all the decks. A few passengers helped put on some substance. In the spirit of the holitime, the tape route featured classic holiday films as well as stage movies, big posse performances, and interoutlooks with old well-known big posse stars. We all had the holiday spirit. But it's different out here. There's no hassle. Our first seaport finish was St. Maarten/St. Martin. (The island is alienated in two, half Dutch and half French.) The Dutch seaport, where we docked, was Philipsburg. On the other section is Marigot, with some seasection French cafes. In between there is the seashore at Mullet Bay with heaps of sway formations for good photo ops, swimming, and exploring. There is task-boundless storering on both sections, with merchandise ranging from inpricey t-shirts to pricey bracelets and French and Caribbean demarker clothing. some shore excursions were vacant. In the morning we chose to go sailing on a 12-Metre racing schooner that had raced in the America's Cup. In the daylight we wandered along from store to store in the sun with calypso song in the background, then finishped for a cool swig on a respiteaurant yard along the ocean, and thought about the people storering in the crowds back home.

Next finish was St. John, the U.S. Virgin Island that is a sheltered citizen accord. There are drain seashorees there and some superb climbing trails. We chose sailing again, while others chose seashoreing, sightseeing around the island by trip bus, or went on one of numerous snorkel/scuba dives. Our schooner took us over to St. Thomas, where we trapped up with the ship. Most of the people went into urban to do some task-boundless storering so their Christmas storering would be done when they got home. Others headed for Magen's Bay, most accepted seashore in the locale. Another group went snorkeling at the sheltered reefs of lowest Island, where feeding fish by hand underwater is a highlight, and others outlooked coral and sea life on the Atlantis marine. We were back on panel in plethora of time for a respite and a shower before dinner, and more big posse song and dancing.

I have three brilliant memories from the support decorous night. One was the group of songians meeting around the CD juke box, singing the old substance and reminiscing. "That's foremost Holley on deep, with thump Stewart, one of those brilliant stage they played together." "Who's the drummer?" "Sounds like Oliver Jackson." "Right. evoke the night ..." I just sat and listened, grinning, pleased to be part of it. The support recall was the outlook at 1 a.m. in the core balllocale. Some of the adult people were snoozing meeting on the section banquettes, too bushed to dance anymore, but too immovable to delay the good song.

It was after 2 a.m. when I happening back to my statelocale, pleasing my everyday stroll beyond the CD juke box to get a breath of sea air before rotary in. The reminiscing songians were vanished, but one elderly join were there, slim and tiny in their decorous clothes, with their arms around each other, forlorn in memories, dancing to an old Tommy Dorsey modify. I had tears in my eyes as I strolled back to my lodge.

The next day was seashore day on a little island in the Bahamas -- Great Stirrup Cay. I worn to live in the Bahamas on one of the outislands, so it was brilliant to get back to transparent turquoise Bahamian waters. I strolled the seashore, and remembered my five living living in the islands.

At the end of seven time, the ship was saccordling with decorations, swift for the Christmas and New Year's Cruise. They were alswift perfectly booked. But, I thought, I can mark up for next year. But time got away and now she will sail no more.

About the Author

Smith Chen is an author and internet marketing consultant.

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