Norway Farewell Transatlantic 2001
Days 2 & 3
September 3, 4 - Sea Days
One of my goals in exploring the Norway was to look wherever possible for traces of her old life as France. Here are the remains of letters commemorating the construction of "le paquebot France."
 Remains of old sign from ss France
Pool and porthole
 What once was a private open deck for select First Class passengers on France is now the tank of the Sky Deck pool. Just visible inside the large portholes is one of the "Spanish" style wrought-iron bars that covered the windows.
After years of poring over photos of the First Class Dining Room on France, I stood in awe to see the same room, now called Windward, stand largely unchanged.
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ss Norway Windward Dining Room
ss Norway Club Internationale
 The ship's most "liner-like" room in my opinion, the Club Internationale has changed considerably in color scheme and wall treatments from French Line days.
Roaming the corridors late at night, a favorite pasttime of mine. From the looks of this scene one would never guess that we were pounding north on the Atlantic seaboard at 12-13 knots.
 ss Norway corridor
ss Norway mural
 Etched metal murals, removed from the former First Class Library, adorned bulkheads on many decks.
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This section commemorates the arrival of the Pilgrims in North America, part of an overall theme of the importance of the sea in history.
 ss Norway mural
Stair rail
 Details on the ship provide a glimpse back to the aesthetic of her past. In the background two fellow passengers are finding their way around by the plans displayed on every deck.
At night, the former First Class promenade takes on a homey feel with the glowing lights. To the right is the neon adorning the entrance to the Sports Bar.
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Promenade deck at night
ss Norway Sports Bar

 

The Sports Bar is a colorful spot, and was packed almost every evening with a "Bal Musette" aimed at French passengers. The dance floor to the left would be full as a single musician with drum machine and accordion and vocal mike performed traditional tunes.
Many of the light fixtures on board are original from the France days. This wall sconce is an example of the minimalist Space Age look which can be glimpsed throughout the ship.
 ss Norway light fixture

ss Norway Winward Dining Room

A grand descente down these steps began every dinner in the Windward Dining Room.
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Dining room etched glass
 An etched glass mirror panel shields the entrance to the galley and a private dining room for officers.
Closer detail of one of the figures above.
 Detail of etched glass
ss Norway wall treatment
 A section of the laquered murals which surround the dining area.
Another section of mural. Covering the walls of the entire dining room, the artwork depicts musicians, chess players, dancers, fanciful beasts, and even (half-concealed behind plants) the graphic symbol for atomic energy.
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More wall treatment in Dining Room
ss Norway aft pool deck
Aft pool deck: the trip up from Miami to New York was calm waters, gentle warm breezes -- lucky for the Atlantic in September.
One of the most interesting liner enthusiasts' events was a special "behind-the-scenes" tour of Norway's theater. After years of viewing this room in brochures it seemed smaller than I had imagined, but it is a superb performance space. Here some of us are filing up the narrow stairs to go backstage.
 ss Norway theater
Theater detail
 The theater is elegant and functional, with lighting rigged up for the wide array of entertainment offered on her cruises.
A close view: two sides of the ship's life converge. The classic sculpted garland on the theater's proscenium is crowded by a mirrored arch with hundreds of tiny bright lights. Norway began the trend of Broadway musicals at sea, and the entertainment on board was quite good. They did a creditable "Guys and Dolls" on a stage not much larger than the ship's swimming pool, and they brought it in in just over an hour, not leaving out either the guys or the dolls.
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Theater detail: now and then
A tour of the old ss France
 Devon Scott, the ship's historian, gave us a lively and detailed tour of the backstage area, where a dressing area is jammed into what was once the First Class Chapel. Devon's talks were always entertaining, and he knew what I wanted most to know: where are the traces of the old France.
A closer view of the aluminum panels which graced the Chapel. The holes and faint outline are all that remains of a light sconce. One can only hope that the piece has found a good home, though one does wish that the few ship enthusiasts who are guilty of the vandalism feel at least a twinge for those of us who are left to look at the scars.
 Vestiges of ss France
Theater doorway - original style
 One prize "piece of France" is the exit doors to the Saga Theater on Norway. The hand-painted panel above the door is a riot of abstract swirls and bands of color, and the six panels are thick blocks of lavender-hued glass. This little corner is essentially unchanged since the Transat days.
A detail view of the glass panel.
 Glass panel detail
Sunset over water
And after two of the calmest days I've ever spent at sea, the sun sets and we look forward to tomorrow's early arrival in New York, our first port of call.
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next:
September 5 - New York