View source for SS France (1960)

{{Short description|French, later Norwegian ocean liner/cruise ship in service 1962–2005}}
{{About|the liner launched in 1960|the liner launched in 1910|SS France (1910)}}
{{Redirect-distinguish|SS Norway|SS Norge}}
{{more citations needed|date=December 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2014}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image = SS France moored in Le Havre, 1978.jpg
| Ship caption =SS ''France'' laid up in [[Le Havre]], 1978
}}
{{Infobox ship career
| Hide header = 
| Ship country = [[France]]
| Ship flag = [[File:Civil and Naval Ensign of France.svg|60px]]
| Ship name = '''SS ''France'''''
| Ship namesake = Country of [[France]]
| Ship owner = [[Compagnie Générale Transatlantique]] (French Line)
| Ship operator = [[Compagnie Generale Transatlantique]] (French Line)
| Ship route = [[Le Havre]]–[[Southampton]]-[[New York City|New York]]
| Ship ordered = 26 July 1956
| Ship builder = [[Chantiers de l'Atlantique]]
| Ship yard number = G19
| Ship way number = 
| Ship laid down = 7 October 1957
| Ship launched = 11 May 1960
| Ship completed = 
| Ship christened = *11 May 1960
*by [[Yvonne de Gaulle]]
| Ship trials = 19 November 1961
| Ship acquired = 
| Ship maiden voyage = 3 February 1962
| Ship in service = 1962–1974
| Ship out of service = 24 October 1974
| Ship registry = [[Le Havre]], France
| Ship decommissioned = 25 October 1974
| Ship identification = {{IMO number|5119143}}
| Ship fate = Sold to Norwegian Cruise Line after 5 years out of service
| Ship notes = 
}}
{{Infobox ship career
| Hide header = title
| Ship country = [[Norway]]
| Ship flag = [[File:Flag of Norway.svg|60px]]
| Ship name = {{ubl|SS ''Norway'' (1980–2006)|SS ''Blue Lady'' (2006–2008)}}
| Ship namesake = Country of [[Norway]]
| Ship owner = [[Norwegian Cruise Line]]
| Ship operator = 
| Ship route = [[Miami]], [[Key West]], [[Cozumel]], [[Roatán]], [[Great Stirrup Cay]], [[Miami]], and also European cruises
| Ship ordered = 26 June 1979
| Ship builder = [[Lloyd Werft]] (Refitting for Cruising Duties)
| Ship completed = 3 May 1980
| Ship christened = 3 May 1980 by King [[Olav V of Norway|Olav V]]
| Ship acquired = 26 June 1979
| Ship sea trial = 12 April 1980
| Ship maiden voyage = 6 May 1980
| Ship in service = 1980–2003
| Ship out of service = 25 May 2003 (Boiler explosion)
| Ship registry = *[[Oslo]], Norway (1980–1987)
*[[Nassau, Bahamas]] (1987–2003)
| Ship decommissioned = 23 May 2005
| Ship identification = *[[Maritime call sign|Call sign]]: LITA
*{{IMO number|5119143}}
| Ship fate = Scrapped 2006
| Ship notes = 
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
| Hide header = 
| Header caption = 
| Ship class = 
| Ship tonnage = *{{GRT|66,343}}, {{NRT|37,063}} (1961)<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-MFWAAAAMAAJ&q=SS+France+66,343|title=Ships Monthly|publisher=Waterway Productions Limited|volume=35|page=12|year=2000|isbn=9781861761170 }}</ref>
*{{GRT|70,202}}, {{NRT|38,573}} (1980)<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=http://www.captainsvoyage.com/norwegian-cruise-line/ss-norway/quick-facts.html|title=Statistics &#124; CaptainsVoyage.com &#124; Captain Jan-Olav Storli|website=www.captainsvoyage.com}}</ref>
*{{GRT|76,049}}, {{NRT|45,886}} (1990)<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3GZUAAAAMAAJ&q=76,049+GRT+SS+France|title=Marine News|volume=58|year=2004|page=147}}</ref>
| Ship displacement = *{{convert|52646|t|LT}}
| Ship length = *{{convert|315.66|m|ftin|abbr=on}} overall
*{{convert|299.22|m|ftin|abbr=on}} waterline
| Ship beam = *{{convert|33.70|m|ftin|abbr=on}} (1961)
*{{convert|33.81|m|ftin|abbr=on}} (1990)
| Ship height = {{convert|67.66|m|ftin|abbr=on}} keel to mast
| Ship draught = 
| Ship draft = {{convert|10.49|m|ftin|abbr=on}} design
| Ship depth = 28.10&nbsp;m (92.2&nbsp;ft) keel to main deck
| Ship decks = *12 (1961)
*13 (1980)
*15 (1990)
| Ship power = *160,000 HP (1961, total)
*80,000 HP (1980, total)
*54,000 HP (1980, propulsion)
| Ship propulsion = *Geared CEM-Parsons turbines
*&nbsp;quadruple propeller (1961–1979)
*&nbsp;/ twin propeller (1979–2008)
| Ship speed = {{cvt|30|kn}} approx.
| Ship capacity = *1961–1974
*&nbsp;First class: 407–617
*&nbsp;Tourist class: 1,271–1,637
*1980–1990 – 1,944 passengers
*1994–2003 – 2,565 passengers
| Ship crew = *1961–1974 – 1,104–1,253
*1980–1990 – 875
*1994–2003 – 875
| Ship notes = Cost US$80&nbsp;million approx.
}}
|}

'''SS ''France''''' was a [[Compagnie Générale Transatlantique]] (CGT, or French Line) [[ocean liner]],<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cruisehabit.com/billys-favorite-ships-story-ss-norway-aka-ss-france | title=Billy's Favorite Ships – the Story of the SS Norway a.k.a. The SS France | date=30 August 2016 }}</ref> constructed by the [[Chantiers de l'Atlantique]] shipyard at [[Saint-Nazaire]], France, and put into service in February 1962. At the time of her construction in 1960, the {{convert|316|m|0|abbr=on}} vessel was the longest [[passenger ship]] ever built, a record that remained unchallenged until the construction of the {{convert|345|m|0|abbr=on}} {{RMS|Queen Mary 2}} in 2004.

''France'' was later purchased by [[Norwegian Cruise Line]] (NCL) in 1979, renamed '''SS ''Norway''''' and underwent significant modifications to refit her for [[Cruising (maritime)|cruising]] duties. She was renamed '''SS ''Blue Lady''''' and sold to be scrapped in 2005, and scrapping was completed in late 2008.

==Characteristics==
''France'' was the French Line [[flagship]] from 1961 to 1974, combining regular five days/nights [[transatlantic crossing]]s with occasional winter cruises, as well as two world circumnavigations. During her last years, to save fuel costs, crossings took six days/nights.{{Citation needed|date=February 2016}}

Some, like ship historian [[John Maxtone-Graham]], believe that ''France'' was purposely built to serve as both a liner and a cruise ship, stating: "Once again, the company had cruise conversion in mind... for cruises, all baffle doors segregating staircases from taboo decks were opened to permit free circulation throughout the vessel."<ref>Maxtone-Graham, John; ''Liners to the Sun''; Pg. 71</ref> However, others, such as ship historian William Miller, have asserted that ''France'' was the "last purposely designed year-round transatlantic supership."<ref>Miller, William H.; ''Famous Ocean Liners''; Patrick Stephens Ltd.; 1987; Pg. 107</ref>

==History==

===Concept and construction===
''France'' was constructed to replace the line's other ageing ships like {{SS|Ile de France}} and [[SS Europa (1930)|SS ''Liberté'']], which were outdated by the 1950s.{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}} Without these vessels the French Line had no ability to compete against their rivals,{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}} most notably the [[Cunard Line]], which also had plans for constructing a new modern liner. It was rumoured that this ship would be a 75,000-ton replacement for their ships {{RMS|Queen Mary}} and {{RMS|Queen Elizabeth}}.{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}} (This ship would eventually be the 68,000-ton ''[[Queen Elizabeth 2]]''.) Further, the [[United States Lines]] had put into service in 1952 {{SS|United States}}, which had broken all speed records on her maiden voyage, with an average speed of {{convert|35.59|kn}}.{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}}

At first, the idea of two 35,000-ton running mates was considered to replace ''Ile de France'' and ''Liberté''. [[Charles de Gaulle]] (the future [[President of France]]) opined that it would be better for French national pride, then flagging due to the then ongoing [[Algerian War of Independence]], to construct one grand ocean liner, in the tradition of {{SS|Normandie}}, as an ocean-going showcase for France. The idea of such a publicly funded liner was controversial, leading to raucous debates in the French parliament. The dealing lasted three and a half years, and though the letter commissioning the construction was finally signed by the Chairman of the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique, Jean Marie, on 25 July 1956, debate about the form, cost and construction schedule for ''France'' lasted a further year.<ref name="ARC">Offrey, Charles; ''303 Arts, recherces et créations'':SS Normandie/SS France/SS Norway: ''France'', the Last French Passenger Liner; p. 45</ref>

Beyond the luxuries, the French Line had to also face the realities that transatlantic passenger trade was forecast to decline due to increased air travel. Also, costs to operate ships were increasing, mostly due to prices of crude oil.{{citation needed|date=July 2012}}  Thus, the new ship would be larger than ''Ile'', but smaller and cheaper to operate than ''Normandie''. She would also only be a two-class liner, which would, like the recently built {{SS|Rotterdam}}, be able to be converted from a segregated, class restricted crossing mode to a unified, classless cruising mode, thereby allowing the ship to be more versatile in its operations.{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}} Despite these requirements, she was still to be the longest ship ever built, as well as one of the fastest, meaning not only an advanced propulsion system, but also a hull design which would withstand the rigours of the [[Atlantic Ocean|North Atlantic]] at high speed.{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}}

Hull G19 was built by [[Chantiers de l'Atlantique]] shipyard, in [[Saint-Nazaire]], [[France]], her keel being laid down on 7 October 1957. She was built in a pioneering manner: rather than constructing a skeleton which was then covered in steel hull plating, large parts of the ship were [[Prefabrication|prefabricated]] in other cities (such as [[Orléans]], [[Le Havre]] and [[Lyon]]). The hull was fully welded, leading to weight savings, and two sets of stabilisers were fitted.<ref name="Offrey; p. 52">Offrey; p. 52</ref>

She was blessed by the Bishop of [[Nantes]], Monseigneur Villepelet, and launched on 11 May 1960, at 4:15&nbsp;pm, by Madame [[Yvonne de Gaulle]], wife of the President, and was then named ''France'', in honour both of the country, and of the two previous CGT ships to bear the name. By 4:22&nbsp;pm ''France'' was afloat and under command of tugs.<ref>Offrey; p. 54</ref> President De Gaulle was also in attendance at the launch, and gave a patriotic speech, announcing that France had been given a new ''Normandie'', they were able to compete now with Cunard's ''Queens'', and the [[Blue Riband]] was within their reach.{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}} In reality, however, the {{convert|35|kn}} speed of ''United States'' would prove impossible to beat.{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}}

After the launch, the propellers were installed (the entire process taking over three weeks), the distinctive funnels affixed to the upper decks, the superstructure completed, life boats placed in their davits, and the interiors fitted out. ''France'' then undertook her sea trials on 19 November 1961, and averaged an unexpected {{convert|35.21|kn}}. With the French Line satisfied, the ship was handed over, and undertook a trial cruise to the [[Canary Islands]] with a full complement of passengers and crew. During this short trip she met, at sea, ''Liberté'' which was on her way to the shipbreakers.<ref name="greatoceanliners">{{Cite web|url=https://academized.com/samples/preserving-historic-ocean-liners-museums|title=Preserving Historic Ocean Liners as Museums - Essay Sample|website=academized.com}}</ref>

===Service history as ''France''===
''France's'' maiden voyage to [[New York City|New York]] took place on 3 February 1962, with many of France's film stars and aristocracy aboard.{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}}

On 14 December 1962, ''France'' carried the ''[[Mona Lisa]]'' from Le Havre to New York, where the painting was to embark on an American tour.{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}}
[[File:SS France CGT (1).jpg|thumb|SS ''France'']]
[[File:France-ad1.jpg|thumb|right|160px|Poster advertising ''France<nowiki>'</nowiki>s'' 1965 [[Christmas]] and [[New Year's Eve|New Year's]] cruise to the [[West Africa]]n coast.]]
She sailed the North Atlantic run between [[Le Havre]] and New York for thirteen years. But, by the beginning of the 1970s, far faster, and increasingly more comfortable and fuel-efficient commercial jet aircraft like the [[Boeing 707]], [[DC-8]], and [[Boeing 747]] had made long-distance transoceanic air travel more popular than the ocean liners, putting financial stress on European ship lines like the CGT that had derived much of their revenue from the trans-Atlantic market. Owing to this shift in trans-Atlantic travel trends, ''France'', which had always relied on subsidies from the French government, was forced to take advantage of these subsidies more and more.{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}}

Using the ship's versatile design to its full potential, the CGT began to send ''France'' on winter cruises, which was off-season for the Atlantic trade. One design flaw was revealed when the ship reached warmer waters: her two [[swimming pool]]s, one each for first and tourist class, were both indoors; the first class pool deep within the ship's hull, and the tourist class pool on an upper deck, but covered with an immovable glass dome. The latter, perhaps, was the more aggravating in hot weather.{{citation needed|date=September 2017}} She also had limited outdoor deck space, with much of what was available protected behind thick glass wind-screens, useful on the North Atlantic, but frustrating when blocking cooling breezes in the tropics.{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}}
[[File:SS France Hong Kong 74.jpg|thumb|left|''France'' docked in Hong Kong, February 1974]]
Nonetheless, ''France's'' cruises were popular, and her first world cruise took place in 1972. Too large to traverse the [[Panama Canal|Panama]] and [[Suez Canal]]s, she was forced to sail around [[Cape Horn]] and the [[Cape of Good Hope]]. That same year, with the destruction of the ''Seawise University'' (former [[RMS Queen Elizabeth|RMS ''Queen Elizabeth'']]) by fire in [[Hong Kong]], ''France'' became the largest in-service passenger ship in the world.{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}}

As the opening years of the decade progressed, the cruise market expanded, seeing the construction of smaller, purpose-built [[cruise ship]]s which could pass through the Panama Canal. In 1973 the [[1973 oil crisis|Oil Crisis]] hit, and the price of oil went from US$3 to $12 per barrel. When the French government, at the end of the [[Trente Glorieuses]], realised that keeping ''France'' running would necessitate an additional ten million dollars a year, it opted instead to subsidize the then in-development [[Concorde]]. Without this government money, the French Line could not operate, and with a press release issued in 1974 it was announced that ''France'' would be withdrawn from service on 25 October that year.{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}}

At that, the crew decided to take matters into their own hands: an eastbound crossing on 6 September, her 202nd crossing, was delayed several hours while the crew met to decide whether to strike then and there, in New York, or six days later outside [[Le Havre]].  Le Havre won, and the ship was commandeered by a group of French [[trade union]]ists who anchored ''France'' in the entrance to the port, thereby blocking all incoming and outgoing traffic. The 1200 passengers aboard had to be ferried to shore on tenders, while approximately 800 of the crew remained aboard.

The strikers demanded that the ship be allowed to continue to serve, along with a 35% wage increase for themselves. Their mission failed, and the night of the takeover proved to be the ship's last day of service for the CGT. It took over a month for the stand-off to end, and by 7 December 1974, the ship was moored at a distant quay in Le Havre, known colloquially as ''quai de l'oubli'' – the pier of oblivion.<ref name="greatoceanliners"/><ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://end.pagesperso-orange.fr/|title=Orange|website=end.pagesperso-orange.fr}}</ref>

By that time ''France'' had completed 377 crossings and 93 cruises (including two world cruises), carried a total of 588,024 passengers on trans-Atlantic crossings, and 113,862 passengers on cruises, and had sailed a total of 1,860,000 nautical miles.<ref name="captainsvoyage">{{Cite web|url=http://www.captainsvoyage.com/norwegian-cruise-line/ss-norway/timeline.htmlSS|title=Norway: Timeline}}</ref>

===First decommissioning===
[[File:1980 01 08 BHV Norway ex France beim Umbau in BHV.jpg|thumb|''France'' being converted into ''Norway'' in Bremerhaven, January 1980.]]
[[File:2016 05 01 Norway ex France verläßt Lloyd Werft nach Umbau zu Kreuzliner IMG 7098.jpg|thumb|''Norway'' leaving Lloyd shipyards in Bremerhaven after conversion.]]
The mothballing of ''France'' was met with dismay by much of the French population, resulting in a song by [[Michel Sardou]], titled "Le France".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/5060206.stm|title=Surreal times on the SS France|date=12 June 2006}}</ref> The chorus of the song being "Never call me "France" again / France has let me down" ("Ne m'appelez plus jamais "France"/ La France elle m'a laissé tomber").<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://lyricstranslate.com/en/le-france-france.html-0|title=Michael Sardou - Le France|date=20 June 2017}}</ref> The French Communist Party and the trade unions of Le Havre approved the song, which also became an anthem for the defender of the ship.

The ship sat in the same spot for approximately four years, with the interiors, including all furniture, still completely intact. There were no plans to scrap the ship, or to sell it. In 1977 Saudi Arabian millionaire [[Akram Ojjeh]] expressed an interest in purchasing the vessel for use as a floating museum for antique French furniture and artworks, as well as a casino and hotel off the coast of the south-east United States. Though he purchased the ship for $24&nbsp;million, this proposal was never realised, and others were rumoured to have floated, including bids from the Soviet Union to use her as a hotel ship in the [[Black Sea]], and a proposal from China to turn her into a floating industrial trade fair.<ref name="greatoceanliners"/>

In the end, the ship was sold in 1979 to Knut Kloster, the owner of [[Norwegian Caribbean Line]] for $18&nbsp;million for conversion into the world's largest cruise ship. Just before ''France'' was renamed ''Norway'' one last marriage was performed aboard the ship at the quay in Le Havre. The wedding was performed by Reverend Agnar Holme, the Norwegian Seaman's chaplain. Greg Tighe, Director of Research and Corporate Development for NCL, was married to Lorraine Anne Evering in ''France's'' chapel. Witnesses included the ship's Captain, and several members of NCL's management team. This marked the last marriage to be performed aboard ''France'', which had hosted hundreds of weddings over her [[transatlantic crossing|transatlantic]] career.{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}}

By August of that year ''Norway'' was moved to the Lloyd shipyards in [[Bremerhaven]], Germany, where she would undergo renovations at a cost of $80&nbsp;million.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.maritimematters.com/norway.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060615090329/http://www.maritimematters.com/norway.html|url-status=dead|title=France Norway|archivedate=15 June 2006}}</ref>

===Service history as ''Norway''===
[[File:SS Norway (2).jpg|thumb|left|''Norway'' at [[Velsen]], [[Netherlands]]]]

''Norway'' was registered in [[Oslo]], given the call sign LITA (literally meaning "small"), and was re-christened on 14 April 1980. She was the first (and only) purpose-built transatlantic ocean liner that was remodeled to be employed exclusively in luxury cruise service. Her hull form, bow design, and accommodation layout had been designed specifically for the rigors of crossing the North Atlantic, year-round. In her remodeling for cruise service, she was given a more generous accommodation, as well as larger and more numerous public spaces for the cruise-type recreations. Mechanically, the four screw propulsion plant was reduced to two screws. And in a bid for economy, she was given a complete set of bow/stern thrusters to give her the flexibility she needed to bring her into harbour and to dock without resorting to the expensive tugboat operations that were standard procedure in the heyday of the transatlantic express liners. When her re-fit was completed, and on her maiden call to Oslo, Senior Steward Wesley Samuels of [[Jamaica]], in the presence of King [[Olav V of Norway|Olav V]], hoisted the [[United Nations]] flag as a sign of the ship's international crew.{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}}

She began her maiden voyage to [[Miami]] that same year, amidst speculation about her future in the cruise industry. ''France'' had been built as an ocean liner: for speed; long, narrow, with a deep draft, as well as an array of cabin shapes and sizes designed in a compact manner more for purpose travel than languid cruising. But ''Norway'' proved popular, and made the notion of the ship being a destination in itself credible. Her size, passenger capacity, and amenities revolutionized the cruise industry and started a building frenzy as competitors began to order larger ships.{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}}

[[File:Norway La Rochelle-a.jpg|thumb|Side view of ''Norway'' in [[La Rochelle]], France, July 1998]]

As cruise competition attempted to take some of ''Norway's'' brisk business, ''Norway'' herself was upgraded several times in order to maintain her position as the "grande dame" of the [[Caribbean]]. In September and October 1990, there was the addition of two decks atop her [[superstructure]], adding 135 new suites and luxury cabins. While many ship aficionados believe the new decks spoiled her original clean, classic lines, the new private veranda cabins on the added decks were instrumental in keeping ''Norway'' financially afloat during the later years of her operation, as these became a common feature throughout the cruise industry. She received additional refits in 1993 and 1996 in order to comply with the new SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) regulations.<ref name="ssmaritime.com">{{Cite web|url=http://ssmaritime.com/SS-Norway.htm|title=Norway Photo's by Raoul Fiegbig|website=ssmaritime.com}}</ref>

Competition eventually overtook ''Norway'', and she even started taking a back seat to other, newly built ships in NCL's lineup itself. No longer the "Ship amongst Ships", NCL severely cut back on her maintenance and upkeep. She experienced several mechanical breakdowns, fires, incidents of illegal waste dumping, and safety violations for which she was detained at port pending repairs. Despite the cutbacks, the ship remained extremely popular among cruise enthusiasts, some of whom questioned the owner's actions in light of the continuing successful operation of ''[[Queen Elizabeth 2]]'', which had become a well-maintained rival still operating 5-star luxury cruises and transatlantic crossings for [[Cunard Line|Cunard]]. In spite of this, the cutbacks continued and problems mounted even as the ship continued to sail with full occupancy. A turbocharger fire erupted on ''Norway'' as she entered [[Barcelona]] in 1999, which pulled her out of service for three weeks.<ref name="ssmaritime.com"/> During one of the following cruises to Norway she broke down in [[Bergen]] with leaks to one of the propeller seals delaying sailing until repaired.{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}}

[[File:SS Norway in Norway.jpg|thumb|''Norway'' in [[Flåm]], Norway, 1999]]

Slated for retirement, ''Norway'' sailed out of [[Manhattan]]'s west side piers for the last time on 5 September 2001,<ref name="classicliners.net">{{Cite web|url=http://www.classicliners.net/SSNORWAY.html|title=S.S. NORWAY|website=www.classicliners.net}}</ref> on yet another transatlantic crossing to [[Greenock]], [[Scotland]], and then on to her home port of Le Havre, France. Her passengers would learn of the [[11 September 2001 attacks|terrorist attacks]] on [[New York City|New York]] and [[Washington, D.C.|Washington]] six days later, while in mid-ocean.  As the cruise industry reeled from the aftermath of the terrorist attacks, her owners decided to place her back into service – operating bargain-basement cruises from [[Miami]], after a brief cosmetic refit that failed to address her mounting mechanical and infrastructure problems.{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}}

====2003 explosion====
On 25 May 2003, after docking in Miami at 5:00&nbsp;a.m., ''Norway'' was seriously damaged by a boiler explosion<ref name="transportation1">[https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/MAB0703.pdf Norway Accident Investigation Report], [[National Transportation Safety Board]]</ref> at 6:37&nbsp;a.m. that killed eight crew members and injured seventeen as superheated steam flooded the boiler room and blasted into crew quarters above through ruptured decking. None of the passengers were injured. The National Transportation Safety Board determined that "the probable cause of the boiler rupture on the ''Norway'' was the deficient boiler operation, maintenance, and inspection practices".<ref name="transportation1"/> On 27 June 2003, NCL/Star decided to relocate ''Norway'', and she departed Miami under tow, although at first NCL/Star refused to announce her destination. She headed towards Europe and eventually arrived in Bremerhaven on 23 September 2003. NCL announced that constructing a new boiler was not possible but boiler parts were available to make the needed repairs. In Bremerhaven she was used as accommodation for NCL crew training to take their places on board the line's new ''[[Pride of America]]''.{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}}

====Former itineraries as ''Norway''====
NCL originally planned for ''Norway'' to sail empty from Germany to Miami, but a pre-inaugural cruise was added, with only a select number of passengers allowed to sail. Starting from [[Oslo]], Norway, stopping at [[Southampton]], England, and ending in New York City. A 6-day cruise to [[Bermuda]] was planned but cancelled at the last minute in favor of fixing some problems. She set sail on her first inaugural cruise from [[Miami]], [[Florida]], on 1 June 1980, a 7-day cruise with only two stops, one in [[Little San Salvador Island|Little San Salvador]] then followed by a stop in [[Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands|St. Thomas]], [[USVI]]. The other days of the cruise were sea days as ''Norway'' was the destination itself. This remained her main itinerary from 1980 to 1982 until NCL announced [[Nassau, Bahamas|Nassau]], [[Bahamas]] was added. By 1985 [[St. Maarten]], [[Netherlands Antilles]] was added. In 1987 her new itinerary was introduced: a 7-day cruise from Miami stopping at St. Maarten, [[Saint John, U.S. Virgin Islands|St. John]], USVI; St. Thomas and Great Stirrup Cay. Her Western Caribbean cruises later introduced were 7-days stopping at [[Cozumel]], Mexico; [[Grand Cayman]], [[Cayman Islands]]; [[Roatan]] and NCL's private island Great Stirrup Cay. Between regular cruising in the Caribbean and dry dock periods, she sailed many cruises to Western Mediterranean, Western Europe coast, Northern Europe, the British Isles and the Norwegian fjords.<ref name="classicliners.net"/><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.sealetter.com/Jun-01/nor0401.html |title=Sealetter Cruise Ship Review: Norwegian Cruise Line's Norway |access-date=10 October 2011 |archive-date=5 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305223927/http://www.sealetter.com/Jun-01/nor0401.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Her official farewell cruise was a 17-day transatlantic cruise from Miami stopping at New York; [[Halifax Regional Municipality|Halifax]], [[Nova Scotia]]; [[St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador|St John's]], [[Newfoundland and Labrador]]; [[Greenock]], Scotland; [[Le Havre]], France and ending in Southampton. But a decision was made to keep ''Norway'' sailing bargain-based Caribbean cruises out of Miami. This continued until her demise in May 2003.<ref name="classicliners.net"/>

===Second decommissioning===
[[File:ShipNorway.JPG|thumb|''Norway'' moored in Bremerhaven, Germany, February 2004]]
"The ''Norway'' will never sail again," it was announced on 23 March 2004, by NCL Chief Executive Colin Veitch.{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}} The ship's ownership was transferred to NCL's parent company, [[Star Cruises]].

Due to large amounts of [[asbestos]] aboard the ship (mostly in machine and bulkhead areas), ''Norway'' was not allowed to leave Germany for any scrap yards due to the [[Basel Convention]]. After assuring the German authorities that ''Norway'' would go to Asia for repairs and further operation in Australia, she was allowed to leave port under tow. It was reported that the art from her two dining rooms, children's playroom, stairtower, and library were removed and placed in storage, to possibly be utilized on board a revitalized {{SS|United States}}, or another ship in the NCL fleet.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ss-norway.com/|title=ss-norway : generalist webmagazine : science, habitat, ...|website=www.ss-norway.com}}</ref> Later photos of ''Norway'' at the scrapyards of [[Alang]], India, would prove this statement to be untrue. ''Norway'' left [[Bremerhaven]] under tow on 23 May 2005, and reached [[Port Klang]], [[Malaysia]] on 10 August 2005.{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}}

In fact, the ship was sold to an American naval demolition dealer for scrap value in December 2005. After eventually reselling the ship to a scrap yard, the ship was to be towed to India for demolition. In light of protests from [[Greenpeace]], potentially lengthy legal battles due to environmental concerns over the ship's breakup, and amidst charges of fraudulent declarations made by the company to obtain permission to leave Bremerhaven, her owners cancelled the sale contract, refunded the purchase price, and left the ship where she was.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ssmaritime.com/norway.htm|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090901133443/http://www.ssmaritime.com/norway.htm|url-status=dead|title=SS Norway ex France|archivedate=1 September 2009}}</ref>

===''Blue Lady''===
''Norway'' was sold in April 2006 to Bridgend Shipping Limited of Monrovia, Liberia, and renamed ''Blue Lady'' in preparation for scrapping. One month later she was again sold, to Haryana Ship Demolition Pvt. Ltd., and was subsequently left anchored in waters off the Malaysian coast after the government of Bangladesh refused ''Blue Lady'' entry into their waters due to the onboard asbestos. Three weeks later, the ship began its journey towards Indian waters, though it was announced that she had left Malaysian waters for the [[United Arab Emirates]] for repairs and to take on new crew and supplies.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ssmaritime.com/newsupdates7.htm|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061117164028/http://www.ssmaritime.com/newsupdates7.htm|url-status=dead|title=Letter of Peninsular Malaysia Marine Department, 19 May 2006|archivedate=17 November 2006}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?section=theuae&xfile=data/theuae/2006/june/theuae_june941.xml|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060707224434/http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?section=theuae&xfile=data%2Ftheuae%2F2006%2Fjune%2Ftheuae_june941.xml|url-status=dead|title=Khaleej Times: Did mystery ship owners lie over fate of SS Norway?|archivedate=7 July 2006}}</ref>

Upon learning of the ship's destination, Gopal Krishna, an environmentalist and an anti-asbestos activist, filed an application before the Supreme Court of India to ensure that the ship, reportedly containing asbestos, complied with the Court's 14 October 2003 order which sought prior decontamination of ships in the country of export before they could be allowed entry into Indian waters. On 17 May 2006, Kalraj Mishra expressed his concern to the Indian Parliament over possible hazards ''Blue Lady'' presented, and requested that the government put a halt to the ship's entry. As the [[Supreme court of India|Indian Supreme Court]] had lifted any ban on the ship's entry, ''Blue Lady'' was anchored 100&nbsp;km off the Indian coast in mid-July, coming from [[Fujairah]], UAE.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ssmaritime.com/newsupdates.htm|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060622164139/http://www.ssmaritime.com/newsupdates.htm|url-status=dead|title=SS France/Norway Project Dubai|archivedate=22 June 2006}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/theuae/2006/June/theuae_June870.xml&section=theuae&col|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930212127/http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data%2Ftheuae%2F2006%2FJune%2Ftheuae_June870.xml&section=theuae&col|url-status=dead|title=Khaleej Times: Dubai bid to save historic cruise liner|archivedate=30 September 2007}}</ref>

This also cleared the way for her scrapping at [[Alang]], in [[Gujarat]], pending an inspection of the on-board asbestos by experts from the [[Gujarat Pollution Control Board]] (GPCB).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.maritimematters.com/shipnews.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090219132435/http://maritimematters.com/shipnews.html|url-status=dead|title=Maritime Matters Shipnews|archivedate=19 February 2009}}</ref>
After GPCB chairman, K.Z. Bhanujan, said the Board had constituted an experts' committee for inspection, ''Blue Lady'' was docked in [[Pipavav]], [[Amreli district]]. On 2 August 2006, after a five-day inspection, the experts declared the ship safe for beaching and dismantling in [[Alang]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5237334.stm|title='Toxic ship' cleared for breaking|date=2 August 2006|via=news.bbc.co.uk}}</ref> This prompted a fury of controversy over the legality of such an act, including a press release from the NGO Platform on Shipbreaking that critiqued the technical report, alleging that the Technical Committee was under undue pressure to allow the ship to be beached, and had failed to follow the Basel Convention and the Supreme Court of India's order that ships must be decontaminated of hazardous substances such as PCBs and asbestos, and, in any case, must be fully inventoried and formally notified prior to arrival in the importing country.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ban.org/ban_news/2006/060803_irregularities_alleged.html |title=Toxic Trade News; ''Irregularities alleged in the functioning of the Technical Committee on Blue Lady''; 3 August 2006 |access-date=10 August 2006 |archive-date=6 August 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060806171231/http://www.ban.org/ban_news/2006/060803_irregularities_alleged.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ban.org/Library/NGO_Platform_Critique_on_TC_Inspection_Report_Final.pdf|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060806171505/http://www.ban.org/Library/NGO_Platform_Critique_on_TC_Inspection_Report_Final.pdf|url-status=dead|title=NGO Platform on Shipbreaking; ''Comments on the Indian Committee Inspection Report on the Hazardous Materials Onboard the SS Blue Lady''; 31 July 2006|archivedate=6 August 2006}}</ref> No such notification was made by either [[Malaysia]] (last country of departure) nor [[Germany]] (country where the ship became waste).{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}}

The NGO Platform on Shipbreaking also announced that it was prepared to launch a global campaign against Star Cruises and their subsidiary Norwegian Cruise Lines for corporate negligence in this case.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.ban.org/ban_news/2006/060726_cruise_line.html |title=Toxic Trade News; ''Cruise Line Called on to Take Responsibility for Toxic Cruise Ship''; 26 July 2006 |access-date=10 August 2006 |archive-date=16 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716214920/http://www.ban.org/ban_news/2006/060726_cruise_line.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[File:SS France in its avatar of Blue Lady awaits the ship breakers at Alang, August, 2007.jpg|thumb|left|''Blue Lady'' at Alang, India, awaiting scrapping.]]
Photos from Alang revealed that ''Blue Lady'' was still partially afloat off the coast; her bow on dry beach at low tide, and the ship fully afloat at high tide. The photos also showed that neither NCL nor Star Cruises had removed any of the ship's onboard furniture or artworks (including the murals in the Windward Dining Room and Children's Playroom, and the [[Steinway & Sons|Steinway]] piano in Le Bistro), as had previously been reported.{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}}

Fans of ''France'' became concerned about the future of the art pieces, both due to the ship lying at anchor in a very humid environment without power for air conditioning, and due to lack of concern for preservation on the part of the scrappers.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/blue-lady-gets-ready-for-shipbreaking/articleshow/1895897.cms|title='Blue Lady' gets ready for shipbreaking|newspaper=The Times of India |date=15 August 2006}}</ref><ref>[http://www.ssnorway.no/images.php the Last of SS Norway Web Auctions: Images] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061022222037/http://www.ssnorway.no/images.php |date=22 October 2006 }}</ref> Still, it was stated that as of early September 2006, the ship's owner had signed contracts with various buyers, including auctioneers and a French museum, to sell the artworks. Other fittings were to be sold by the ton.<ref name="captainsvoyage"/>

Gopal Krishna again moved an application seeking compliance with the Basel Convention, and three days later the Indian Supreme Court decided that the scrapping was to be postponed, stipulating that the Technical Committee, which earlier approved the scrapping, were to write a new report to be submitted before the Court's final decision.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vg.no/i/KOWz4|title=Her ligger hun på stranden|date=17 August 2006|website=www.vg.no}}</ref> That decision was reached on 11 September 2007 (the 33rd anniversary of ''France's'' last day on the Atlantic), when the court ruled that ''Blue Lady'' was safe to scrap, a decision that was received negatively by environmentalists.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6988763.stm|title=Indian court clears 'toxic' ship|date=11 September 2007|via=news.bbc.co.uk}}</ref>

[[File:Nez du paquebot France (Le Havre 2018).jpg|thumb|upright|The bow on display in Le Havre, 2018]]
By 4 December of the same year, it was confirmed that the tip of ''Blue Lady's'' bow had been cut; a ceremonial move done to most ships that end up in Alang just prior to the full-scale breaking of a ship.<ref name="mm2">{{Cite web|url=http://www.maritimematters.com/norway.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090725072713/http://www.maritimematters.com/norway.html|url-status=dead|title=Maritime Matters: France, Norway|archivedate=25 July 2009}}</ref> It was confirmed on 20 January that ''Blue Lady'' had commenced scrapping.<ref name="mm2" /> Scrapping began on the forward part of the sun deck. The suites added during the 1990 refit were gone by March, briefly returning the ship to her pre-1990 profile.{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}}

By 12 July 2008 the bow and the stern of the ship had been removed, with little of the ship's famous profile still recognizable.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.midshipcentury.com/|title=midshipcentury.com - ocean liners and cruise ships|website=midshipcentury}}</ref> By September 2008, most of what remained above the waterline had been cut away, and the ship's demolition was essentially completed by late 2008.{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}}

In 2009 the tip of the bow of ''Blue Lady'' was returned to the country of her birth as one of a catalogue of auction pieces removed from the ship before scrapping commenced. The auction was held on 8 and 9 February.<ref>[http://tallship.typepad.com/my_weblog/2009/02/the-ss-francenorway-becomes-a-legend.html "The SS France/Norway becomes a legend"] on the site ''Traditional Boats & Tall Ships Magazine''</ref><ref>[http://www.artcurial.com/en/news/ Artcurial press releases] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090726072638/http://www.artcurial.com/en/news/ |date=26 July 2009 }}: 10 February 2009, [http://www.artcurial.com/pdf/presse/2009/r1648.pdf Ocean Liner France/Norway Auction 8 & 9 February 2009] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090731031036/http://www.artcurial.com/pdf/presse/2009/r1648.pdf |date=31 July 2009 }} (.pdf)(in French)</ref> Initially put on public display at Paris Yacht Marina, Port de Grenelle, Paris 15e, in 2018 it was acquired by the city of [[Le Havre]] and put on display near the fishing port.<ref>{{cite web |title=The bow of the "France", all that remains of the great liner |url=https://time.news/the-bow-of-the-france-all-that-remains-of-the-great-liner/ |website=Time News |date=28 August 2022 |access-date=4 November 2023}}</ref>

In January 2010 one of the two sets of neon letters which sat atop the superstructure of ''France'' before her conversion was restored and put on display. The letters, which spell "France", were displayed at the [[Musée national de la Marine]] in [[Paris]]. After this they were returned to Le Havre and presented to the [[Musée Malraux]], and now face the front of the harbor.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://maritimematters.com/2011/01/ss-france-lettering-illuminated/|title=SS FRANCE Letters Illuminated}}</ref>

==Design==

===Exterior===

====''France''====
{{unreferenced section|date=December 2018}}
When ''France'' was commissioned in 1956 the French Line asked for a ship which was to be the longest ever built, as well as one of the fastest. But beyond the technicalities, the ship was also to be an ocean-going symbol of France and thus had to be artfully designed. Her 316-meter (1,035&nbsp;ft) [[Hull (watercraft)|hull]] was designed with a traditional tumble-home, but with a flared stem line at the bow, which ended in a [[bulbous bow]] beneath the waterline, evoking similar lines on {{SS|Normandie|3=2}}. Also similar to ''Normandie'', ''France'' was equipped with a whaleback on her bow.

Deckhouses on France's [[Superstructure#Engineering concept|superstructure]] were built of aluminium, to reduce the ship's weight and thereby conserve fuel in operation. Within the superstructure a full-length outdoor [[promenade deck]] was designed into both sides of the Pont Canots. Unlike on many other ships, this deck did not wrap completely around the ship, being blocked at the forward end by cabins built in behind the bridgescreen.

One of ''France''{{'}}s most distinguishable features were her funnels, designed not only to be eye-catching but functional as well. They were constructed with two wings on the sides, each to lead the exhaust fumes outwards into the ship's [[slipstream]], where they would be caught by the wind and carried away from the passenger decks below. In addition, each stack had a device that filtered solids from the outlet, returned it into the depths of the ship and then disposed of it into the ocean.

Despite the modern appearance of ''France'', she was painted in the traditional CGT colours, used since the 19th century, of a black hull with red boot-topping and white superstructure, and funnels in red with black cap-bands.

The ship's exterior remained unchanged during her thirteen years of service.

====''Norway''====
[[File:SS Norway on "maiden" voyage.jpg|thumb|''Norway'' arriving at Southampton on maiden voyage]]
In the conversion of ''France'' into a ship used for cruising, many alterations were made to her exterior decks.

Most notably, vast areas of deck space were opened up, and extended at the stern. A large [[Lido (swimming pool)|lido]] deck was created at the very aft, built so wide, to accommodate as many sunbathing passengers as possible, that it cantilevered over the hull below, which narrowed in towards the stern at that point. The terrace off the First Class Smoking Room was lost in the construction of an outdoor buffet restaurant, and the Patio Provençal on the Sun Deck was filled in with a top-side [[swimming pool]]. This last addition created an odd space on ''Norway'', where a tunnel-like space remained around the tank of the pool, into which the original exterior windows and doors of the surrounding cabins, which once looked into the Patio Provençal, still opened, all in their original 1960s colours.{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}}

[[File:SS Norway tenders1999.jpg|thumb|left|Tenders ''Little Norway I'' and ''Little Norway II'']]
On the [[forecastle]], behind the whaleback, the two cargo kingposts were removed and giant [[davit]]s were installed to hoist two two-deck, 11-knot [[Ship's tender|tenders]], built by Holen Mekaniske Verksted in Norway, and used to transfer passengers between ''Norway'' and island docks where the harbour would not allow for the ship's 9-meter (35&nbsp;ft) draft. Based on a [[World War II]] [[landing craft]] design,<ref>{{cite web|title=SS Norway – little Norway|url=http://www.captainsvoyage.com/norwegian-cruise-line/ss-norway/ss-norway---little-norway.html|website=Captains Voyage|access-date=24 February 2018}}</ref> these tenders were named ''Little Norway I'' and ''Little Norway II'', and were each themselves registered as ships, making ''Norway'' the only passenger ship in the world to carry ships. The two tenders were removed after the ship's retirement and moved to Norwegian's private island at [[Great Stirrup Cay]] in the [[Bahamas]]. Both vessels are still in service.<ref>{{cite web|title=Tender to Great Stirrup Cay|url=https://boards.cruisecritic.co.uk/showthread.php?t=2227992|website=Cruie Critic| date=29 June 2015 |access-date=24 February 2018}}</ref>

Below the waterline, the forward engine room was dismantled and the two outboard propellers were removed to reduce fuel consumption as a high service speed was no longer required as she was now a cruise ship.{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}}

Her operation was revived three further times, in 1990, 1997, and 2001, after machinery, decks, and recreational facilities were renovated. During her 1990 refit, two further decks were added to the top of her structure that featured luxury suites with private verandas. This addition raised her overall tonnage to 76,049 (reclaiming the title of largest passenger ship in the world, from the 73,000-ton [[Sovereign of the Seas (cruise ship)|''Sovereign of the Seas'']]), her passenger capacity to 2,565, and gave her a competitive edge against newer ships being built at that time which featured more and more private balcony suites for their passengers. The addition of the decks was criticised by ship fans for making ''Norway'' appear top-heavy.<ref name="ssmaritime.com"/>

===Interior===

====''France''====
''France''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> interiors were where the ship displayed its purpose as a showcase of modern French art and design. However, the interior designers were burdened with the pressure of living up to France's last great Ship of State, ''Normandie'', whose interiors had been on a scale never surpassed either before or since her construction. On top of this they had to work within the more strict fire regulations laid down after the end of [[World War II]], which gave them a limited palette consisting of few woods and much aluminium, Formica, and plastic veneers. This was very much like the interiors of {{SS|United States}}, put into service nearly ten years previous, and inspired the design of the public rooms on ''[[Queen Elizabeth 2]]'' eight years later.<ref name="greatoceanliners"/> Also, fire regulations would not allow ''France'' to have the grand vistas that were constructed through ''Normandie's'' main First Class rooms. ''France's'' only double-height spaces were the theatre, First Class smoking room, and both first and tourist Class dining rooms.

One area given an unusual amount of attention was the ship's kitchens; 1,500 square meters in area, and placed almost amidships, between the two dining rooms which the one kitchen served. It was thought by the CGT directors that ''France'' would not only display the best in French art and design, but also French [[cuisine]]. The kitchens were equipped with the most advanced machinery available, as well as many traditional cooking aides, including a stove that was 12 meters long and 2.5 meters wide.{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}} Staffed with 180 of ''France''<nowiki/>'s best cooks, sauce and pastry chefs, rotisserie cooks, head waiters and wine stewards, this team made ''France'' one of the finest restaurants in the world,<ref name="ARC1">Siriex, Françoise and Conquer, Philippe; ''303 Arts, recherces et créations'': SS Normandie/SS France/SS Norway: The Interior Design of ''France''</ref> and the food on board prompted food critic [[Craig Claiborne]] to state ''France's'' Grille Room was the "best French restaurant in the world."{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}}

''France's'' dog kennels were located on the Sun Deck, and, as they served both European and American dogs, the run was installed with both a Parisian milestone and a New York City fire hydrant.<ref name="greatoceanliners"/>

For First Class passengers, the Pont Veranda (Veranda Deck) held most of the public rooms. These included the Library and Reading Room, Smoking Room, Grand Salon, and balcony of the theatre, which was dedicated to First Class passengers only. These rooms were arranged down the centre of the ship, with large, glass-enclosed promenades to either side. The Library was a circular room with glass and lacquered aluminum enclosed book-cases all around, holding 2,200 editions, and was overseen by an attendant who regulated the borrowing and returning of books, as well as assisting passengers with their choices. The Grand Salon had a raised ceiling in the centre, over the abstract grey and white marble mosaic dance floor, with lower more intimate spaces at the corners. The theatre, which functioned both as a [[Proscenium]] (live theatre) and [[Movie theater|cinema]], sat 185 in the balcony, and 479 on the orchestra level, and had a projection booth which could handle 16, 35, and 70&nbsp;mm film. Until the 1990s it was the largest theatre ever constructed on a ship. However, one of the main showpieces of the First Class salons was the Smoking Room at the very aft of the Pont Veranda. It had a raised section in the centre flanked by columns and double-height windows to port and starboard.

One level down was Pont Promenade, the main Tourist Class deck. The main lounges and rooms here were the Library, Smoking Room, Grand Salon, and orchestra level of the theatre. Like the Pont Veranda, Pont Promenade also had a glass-enclosed promenade along the port and starboard sides of the ship, though the windows did not run full height, nor were the spaces as long.{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}}

Pont A held both First Class and Tourist Class dining rooms. These rooms served as the gastronomic counterparts to the smoking rooms, in terms of importance, and thus of form and décor. The First Class Dining Room was located amidships, and spanned the full width of the ship, accommodating 400 passengers. The centre of the space rose to a circular dome, some 5.5&nbsp;m (18&nbsp;ft) high and, as on  ''Normandie'', passengers entered from one deck up (Pont Principale) and descended a grand, central staircase to the main dining room floor. Glassware, of which there was 4,800 wine and water glasses, was provided by Saint-Louis crystal factory, and tableware consisted of 22,000 china items, with 25,500 pieces of silverware. The Tourist Class Dining Room similarly was two decks high, but differed in that it had dining on the upper level, with only a well between the two floors, and no connecting staircase. It was placed aft of the kitchens, and sat 826 people. Next to the upper level of this dining room was the Children's Dining Room, which allowed both First and Second class parents to dine without the "inconvenience" of young children.{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}}

After the first few of ''France's'' cruises, CGT executives realised that there was a problem regarding the naming of the public rooms. After her entrance into service, the rooms were simply known as the "First Class Grand Salon," "First Class Dining Room," "Tourist Class Library," etc. However, during a cruise, where class barriers were withdrawn and all passengers were allowed to use all the spaces equally, it became a slight embarrassment for a passenger travelling in a large cabin to ask a steward for directions to the Tourist Class Dining Room. Hence, proper names were applied to each room to avoid the issue:{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}}

* First Class Salon – Salon Fontainebleau
* First Class Music Room – Salon Debussy
* First Class Card Room – Salon Monaco
* First Class Smoking Room – Salon Riviera
* First Class Dining Room – Salle à Manger Chambord
* Tourist Class Salon – Salon Saint Tropez
* Tourist Class Music Room – Salon Ravel
* Tourist Class Smoking Room – Cafe Rive Gauche
* Tourist Class Dining Room – Salle à Manger Versailles

Some anomalies that contravened the class lines were ''Bar de l'Atlantique'', essentially an after-hours club for drinking and dancing late into the night which was open to both First and Tourist Class passengers, the Tourist children's playroom, and the chapel, also open to both classes, all of which were located on First Class Pont Veranda.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://perso.orange.fr/paquebot.france-norway/visite/VisiteVirtuelle/PageVisiteVV13.html|title=Bar de l'Atlantique}}</ref><ref name="auto1"/>

=====Art=====
The décor of the rooms was regarded itself as art, with many notable French designers and artists commissioned to create the most striking spaces at sea. Beyond this, many pieces of artwork were especially ordered to adorn the walls of the dining rooms, lounges and cabins. Within the Salon Riviera the tapestry by Jean Picart le Doux dominated the entire forward wall, at 17.4&nbsp;m (57&nbsp;ft) long. In the same room two paintings by Roger Chapelain-Midy occupied niches in opposite corners to the aft. The overall interior was designed by [[André Arbus]], who had previously worked with Chapelain-Midy to design sets for a performance of [[Les Indes galantes]] at the [[Palais Garnier]] in 1952. Slightly forward, the Salon Fontainebleau was decorated by [[Maxime Old]], and within was contained three tapestries by Lucien Coutaud (''Les femmes fleurs''), two by Claude Idoux (''Jardin magique'', ''Fée Mirabelle'') and [[Camille Hilaire]] (''Sous-bois, Forêt de France''). Near to that room was the Salon Debussy (Music Room) with three bronze lacquered panels by [[Pierre Bobot]], and a bronze abstract sculpture of a young woman playing a flute, by Hubert Yencesse. The theatre's interior was done in red, grey and gold by Peynet, with the ceiling in grey mosaic tile, and the port and starboard walls in vertical gold lacquered aluminium panels, tilted outwards to allow for recessed lighting from behind. The chapel's interior was created by Anne Carlu Subes (daughter of [[Jacques Carlu]]) in silver anodized aluminium panels arranged in a 45-degree grid pattern. Jacques Noël created [[trompe-l'œil]] panels for all four walls of the First Class Children's Playroom in a [[Renaissance]] theme, and Jean A. Mercier painted a full mural entitled ''Une nouvelle arche de Noé'' (A New [[Noah's Arc]]) for the Tourist Class Children's Playroom, using an abstract rendition of ''France'' as the Arc. The Bar de l'Atlantique contained two ceramics by [[Pablo Picasso]], as well three other ceramic sculptures (''Faune cavalier'', ''Portrait de Jacqueline'' and ''Joueur de flûte et danseuse'') by the artist in the Salon Saint-Tropez.{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}}

Lower down the dining rooms were fitted out with the intention that the rooms would be visual equivalents of the excellent food served within them. The Chambord dining room was decorated by Mrs. Darbois-Gaudin in gold [[Anodising|anodized]] aluminium, with monochrome chairs in red, orange and cream. The dome, painted black, contained an array of recessed spot-lights, and sat within a circular band of translucent, fluorescent-lit panels, all on a truncated rotunda of gold aluminium. Around all four walls of the room Jean Mandaroux's continuous mural, painted on 17 lacquered aluminium sheets, was entitled ''Les plaisirs de la vie'': The Pleasures of Life. Less sumptuous in design, the Versailles dining room was done by Marc Simon in tones of green, white and grey. The walls were produced from Polyrey and [[Formica (plastic)|Formica]] with a [[decoupage]]d gold leaf abstract pattern. Only the forward wall held a mural done in 14 engraved glass panels by Max Ingrand, as well as two tapestries, ''Les amoureux du printemps'' by Marc Saint-Saëns, and ''Paysage provençal'' by Auvigné. Lowest in the ship, the walls of the First Class swimming pool were covered with back-lit engraved glass panels by Max Ingrand, and a ceramic sculptural fountain by Jean Mayodon sat at the forward end of the room.{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}}

The First Class cabins also showcased design and art, especially in the Appartements de Grand Luxe. There were two aboard ''France'', amidships, on the port and starboard sides, on Pont Supérieur. Each had a salon, dining room, two bedrooms, and three bathrooms. The Appartement de Grand Luxe [[Île de France]] held a painting, ''La place de la Concorde'', by [[Bernard Lamotte]], as well as one, ''Parc de [[Gardens of Versailles|Versailles]]'', by [[Jean Carzou]], who also designed the suite's main salon. Slightly less expensive were the Appartements de Luxe, of which there were 12, as the Appartement de Luxe Flandres with a painting of [[Jean Dries]]. Each of these was decorated by artists, including the bathrooms where mosaic artwork adorned the walls around tubs and showers.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.revedefrance.com/nouvellepage14.htm |title=Les ponts et ses aménagements: Ses Intérieurs |access-date=22 September 2006 |archive-date=28 October 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061028201821/http://www.revedefrance.com/nouvellepage14.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> Some of the mosaics were by the sculptor [[Jacques Zwobada]].<ref>Bernard Vasseur, ''Jacques Zwobada – L'œuvre dessiné'' (Paris: Éditions Cercle d'Art, 2008)</ref>

====''Norway''====
After the ship was purchased by Kloster in 1979 many of the original 1960s interiors were lost as rooms were either demolished within larger renovations, or redecorated to suit Caribbean cruising, under the direction of maritime architect Tage Wandborg and New York interior designer Angelo Donghia.<ref name=autogenerated3>Conquer, Philippe; ''303 Arts, recherces et créations'': SS Normandie/SS France/SS Norway: Love's Labours... Lost?</ref> Areas that were completely remodelled included all of the Tourist Class public rooms, and their indoor promenade areas were filled with prefabricated "junior suite" cabins. The former Versailles dining room, now the Leeward, saw the least remodelling, the wall finish and etched glass mural remaining; however, carpeting and furniture was replaced, the open well was lined with [[smoked glass]] and aluminium handrails, an aluminium chandelier was placed over the two-storey space, and a spiral staircase was installed to connect the two levels. The former Salon Saint Tropez became ''Norway's'' North Cape Lounge for [[cabaret]] and other shows; the décor more dark and muted. Further forward on the same deck, the old Café Rive Gauche was transformed into the ship's [[Monte Carlo]] [[casino]]. With the promenade windows now within cabins, no daylight penetrated to the casino, and so all windows were filled in. The Tourist Class swimming pool, its glass dome gone after the construction of the open pool deck above, was filled with neon lights and covered with a glass dance floor as part of the remodelling of the entire space into the ship's Dazzles disco.{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}}

However, most First Class rooms were left intact, save for the Salon Riviera and Salon Fontainebleau. The former was transformed into the Club International (dubbed Club-I by ''Norway'' aficionados), where every element of the original décor was removed. The square columns were made round with vertical aluminium fluting, the walls were repainted in a cream with baby-blue in the ceiling and wall niches, and all the original artwork and furniture was removed. In the corner niches oversized, crystal encrusted [[Neptune (mythology)|Neptune]] statues were placed, and similar crystal garlanded busts sat on brackets on the forward bulkhead. Lounge seating, sofas and rattan chairs were placed amongst potted ferns, giving the room an overall [[Miami]] [[art-deco]] feel. Only the railings and bronze, star-shaped light fixtures were original to the room. The latter space was gutted and remade into Checkers Cabaret; a small show lounge with abstract chrome palm trees around the columns, red lacquered wall panels, and a black-and-white [[Draughts|checker board]] dance floor, again evoking a 1920s jazz club. The First Class Library remained untouched, and still used for the same purpose, while the Salon Debussy was turned into a shop, though its bronze décor and distinctive ceiling remained intact. To either side of these rooms ran the original First Class promenade decks, which were now turned into main circulation halls along the ship's principal public deck; the starboard dubbed [[Fifth Avenue (Manhattan)|Fifth Avenue]] and the port as [[Champs-Élysées]], complete with columnar advertising posts similar to those found in [[Paris]].{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}}

===Main propulsion===
''France'' was constructed by the CGT with speed and comfort in mind, and used the most advanced technology of the time in the design of the ship's propulsion system and other power generating machinery. Fuel costs were also an added factor.{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}}

Her engines consisted of eight high-pressure, super-heating boilers delivering {{convert|64|bar|psi}} of pressure and {{convert|500|°C|°F}}, all weighing 8,000 tons. This delivered {{convert|175000|hp|kW}} and provided for a service speed of {{convert|30|kn}} and a maximum speed of {{convert|35|kn}}, with a fuel consumption of 750 tonnes of oil in a 24-hour period. The machinery turning the four propellers was divided into two fore and aft groups, as was the electrical generating station.<ref name="Offrey; p. 52"/>

When ''France'' was converted into ''Norway'', the speed for trans-Atlantic crossing was no longer needed, and so the forward boilers and engines were shut down and eventually dismantled. This move also reduced the fuel consumption to 250 tonnes per 24 hours. The remaining four boilers and engine room were made fully automated, and operated from either a central control station below decks, or from the bridge. Five bow and stern thrusters, developing 10,600&nbsp;hp, were also installed to increase manoeuvrability in ports without the assistance of tugs.<ref name="ARC1" />

==Media appearances==
{{more citations needed|section|date=February 2022}}
The [[Ric Hochet]] comic album ''[[Rapt sur le France]]'' published in 1968, the story takes place on ''France''. The front of the comic shows a ship named ''France'', with the distinctive funnels visible.{{citation needed|date=October 2017}}

''France'', as one of the last transatlantic ocean liners before the [[Jet Age|jet age]], was also treated as the connection between, for example, New York and France. This was shown well in ''[[Le Gendarme à New York]]'' where the main characters sail on ''France''. The film also shows some of the 60s' interior of the ship.<ref name="youtube">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4KXcLUvfAE|title=YouTube|publisher=youtube.com|access-date=30 October 2014}}</ref>

The short [[Harold Baim]] documentary ''S.S. France'', narrated by [[Nicholas Parsons]], shows the interiors and operation of the ship in 1973.

At the conclusion of the 1973 film ''[[Serpico]]'', the title character can be seen sitting on the dock with the vessel behind him, as he prepares to sail on her into exile after testifying against the [[New York Police Department]]. {{citation needed|date=March 2024}}

''France'' appears in the ''[[Kolchak: The Night Stalker]]'', episode "The Werewolf" as the cruise ship (on which the story takes place) at sea.  This episode aired on 1 November 1974. {{citation needed|date=March 2024}}

During the opening of ''[[Dog Day Afternoon]]'', released in 1975 and also directed by Sidney Lumet, there is a shot of ''France'' docked in New York during the opening montage. {{citation needed|date=March 2024}}

''France'' was the ship that [[Elton John]] crossed the Atlantic Ocean in September 1974, and wrote the music to [[Bernie Taupin]]'s lyrics for the Captain Fantastic And the Brown Dirt Cowboy album, on the ships piano.<ref name="Champagne, Bingo, And The Gucci-Pucci Crowd: A Day In The Life Of Elton John Circa 1974">{{Cite web|date=2019-10-15|title=Champagne, Bingo, And The "Gucci-Pucci" Crowd: A Day In The Life Of Elton John Circa 1974|url=https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/day-in-the-life-elton-john|website=British Vogue|language=en-GB}}</ref>

In 1975, french singer [[Michel Sardou]] released a single "Le France" about the end of the ship that was a huge hit in France and French-speaking countries.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.discogs.com/release/659670-Michel-Sardou-Le-France-Fais-Des-Chansons | title=Michel Sardou - le France / Fais des Chansons | website=[[Discogs]] | date=19 November 1975 }}</ref>

In 1983, Anne Murray and guests, Richard Simmons, Eddie Rabbitt, and Luis Rodriguez performed musical numbers while aboard the ''Norway'' for a TV show called Caribbean Cruise.<ref>{{cite web |title=Caribbean Cruise |url=https://m.imdb.com/title/tt1198554/ |website=IMDB |access-date=9 July 2022}}</ref>

In 1986, the American TV show, ''[[Today (American TV program)|Today]]'' spent a week-long cruise aboard ''Norway''. {{citation needed|date=March 2024}}

''Norway'' appears in the 1989 María Sorté/Enrique Novi Mexican telenovela ''[[Mi Segunda Madre]]'' from episode 18 as the cruise ship (on which the romantic story takes place) at [[PortMiami]] and at sea.{{citation needed|date=March 2019}}

''Norway'' appears during the closing credits of the 1994 Sylvester Stallone/Sharon Stone feature ''[[The Specialist]]'' in a flyover of the Port of Miami. {{citation needed|date=March 2024}}

In 1994, the ''Norway'', was featured in the children's show [[Real Wheels]] in the episode ''There Goes A Boat''.{{citation needed|date=April 2020}}

On 30 July 1998, at the request of a passenger, the pilots of [[Proteus Airlines Flight 706]] made a slight detour from their intended route from [[Lyon]] to [[Lorient]] in [[Brittany (administrative region)|Brittany]], to see ''Norway'' that was anchored in nearby [[Quiberon Bay]].  While circling the ship at a low altitude to give passengers a birds-eye view of the iconic former French vessel, the twin-engined [[Beechcraft 1900|Beechcraft 1900D]] was hit by a [[Cessna 177 Cardinal|Cessna 177]], causing both to crash into the bay and killing all 15 people aboard both aircraft.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://nyti.ms/2bvV02U|title=World News Briefs: Air Collision Off France Kills 7, and 8 Are Lost|work=The New York Times|volume=147|issue=51,235|agency=The Associated Press|date=31 July 1998|page=A5}}</ref> The event was chronicled in the Canadian TV series, ''[[Mayday (Canadian TV series)|Mayday]]'' season 16, episode 5: "Deadly Detour".

In ''[[The Simpsons]]'' season 25 episode 12 "Diggs" originally broadcast on 9 March 2014, the episode's Couch Gag featured an animation by [[Sylvain Chomet]]. A picture of ''France'' replaced the picture of the boat.<ref name="Chomet Couch Gag | Season 25 Ep. 12 ">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOi5OF7gAiM|title=YouTube|publisher=youtube.com|access-date=19 January 2017}}</ref>

''France'' was also seen in the 2015 animated feature ''[[Minions (film)|Minions]]''. At timestamp 0:11:15, as the Minions leave the water in [[New York City]] in 1968, the ''France'' is seen in the background. Both the name and funnels are clearly visible.<ref>{{cite web |title=SS France appearing in New York|url=https://www.captainsvoyage.com/its-a-captains-life---one/ss-france-appearing-in-new.html |access-date=9 March 2024}}</ref>

==See also==
*{{SS|France|1910}}
*{{SS|Normandie}}
*{{SS|Liberté}}
*{{SS|United States}}
*{{SS|Constitution}}
*{{SS|Independence}}
*[[Pierre-Marie Poisson]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography==
{{Refbegin}}
*{{cite book |last=Brinnin |first=John Malcolm |year=1971 |title=The Sway of the Grand Saloon: a Social History of the North Atlantic |url=https://archive.org/details/swayofgrandsaloo00brin |url-access=registration |location=New York |publisher=Delacorte Press }}
*{{cite book |last=Coleman |first=Terry |year=1977 |title=The liners: a history of the North Atlantic crossing |location=Harmondsworth |publisher=Penguin Books }}
*{{cite book |last=Fox |first=Robert |year=1999 |title=Liners: The Golden Age. Die Grosse Zeit der Ozeanriesen. L'Âge d'or des paquebots |location=Cologne |publisher=Konneman }}
*{{cite book |last=Maddocks |first=Melvin |year=1978 |title=The Great Liners |url=https://archive.org/details/greatliners00madd |url-access=registration |location=Alexandria, VA |publisher=Time-Life Books }}
*{{cite book |last=Maxtone-Graham |first=John |year=1972 |title=The Only Way to Cross |location=New York |publisher=Collier Books }}
*{{cite book|last=Maxtone-Graham|first=John|title=France/Norway: France's Last Liner/Norway's First Mega Cruise Ship |year=2010 |publisher=W. W. Norton & Co.|location=New York|isbn=9780393069037}}
*{{cite book|last1=Miller|first1=William H.|title=SS France/Norway|series=Classic Liners series|date=2009|publisher=[[The History Press]]|location=Stroud, Gloucestershire|isbn=9780752451398}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080110013948/http://classicliners.nicholaswwilson.com/ships/france.htm The Classic Liners of Long Ago: France]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071019220208/http://www.frenchlines.com/ship_en_178.php The liner France in French Lines Archives]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20010923061120/http://www.transatlantique.fr.st/ Compagnie Générale Transatlantique]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080511152851/http://ss-norway.com/ S/S Norway Preservation Foundation]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080202204731/http://www.greatoceanliners.net/france3.html The Great Ocean Liners: France]
*{{cite web|url=http://instagram.com/ss_france1962 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140415073234/http://instagram.com/ss_france1962 |archive-date=2014-04-15 |url-status=dead |title=Instagram}}

===Image galleries===
{{Commons category|IMO 5119143}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060515052937/http://www.thewaywewent.com/nor_1.html ''Norway'' Farewell Transatlantic 2001]; many photos of ''Norway'', including interiors and details of artwork
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gDlrVFcgk4 Slide show of SS ''France/Norway'' images]
* [http://www.captainsvoyage.com/ Webpage Pictures galleries and personal stories from SS ''France'' and SS ''Norway'']
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120205192347/http://www.frenchlines.com/images/resultat_fr.php?origine=rindex&champ=navire&mc=France+(CGT+1962) SS ''France'' pictures from the official French Line Archives] (French captions)
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20071208080050/http://www.maritimematters.com/francetour.html SS ''France'': The tour page]
* [http://www.dvomarinedesign.com/france3d/france3d-intro.htm 3-D virtual still photo and movie renderings of SS ''France'']

{{Compagnie Générale Transatlantique ships}}
{{Norwegian Cruise Line}}
{{Blohm + Voss}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:France (1961)}}
[[Category:Ocean liners]]
[[Category:Ships of the Compagnie Générale Transatlantique]]
[[Category:Ships of Norwegian Cruise Line]]
[[Category:Passenger ships of France]]
[[Category:Passenger ships of Norway]]
[[Category:1960 ships]]
[[Category:Explosions in 2003]]
[[Category:Maritime boiler explosions]]
[[Category:Ships built by Chantiers de l'Atlantique]]