The SS Norway, of the Norwegian Cruise Line, was one of the
grande olde ships I had always wanted to go on. Their seven-day cruise
was over Thanksgiving out of Miami to the Caribbean. It was a Big Band
Cruise with dance hosts and four well-known swing bands from the past.
Perfect -- I like the old jazz and big band music and I love to dance
but often don't have a good dance partner. I signed up.
Sailing on
the Norway turned out to be a trip back in time. She was built in 1960
as the famous SS France, more than 1,000 feet long, a 110 foot beam, and
with about 2,000 passengers and a crew of 900 who come from all over
the world.
You felt the grand tradition as soon as you boarded.
The Norway still maintained a style and graciousness reminiscent of
earlier cruising. The ship has been refurbished several times, but the
art deco murals, hand-laid tile mosaics, polished teak rails, and the
nautical antiques from cruises bygone have carefully been preserved, and
as you walked the long promenade deck you felt like you were cruising
somewhere back in time. As you dined, you knew you were dining where
famous stars had dined, and you look at the murals and original art
works knowing they were there in those early days when others before you
sat in this room, viewed those same murals, and engaged in the same
kind of lively conversations with others as you're doing now. Later that
evening, you half expect Cary Grant, elegant in his tuxedo, to stroll
down the deck and lean 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 International Deck lined with sidewalk cafes
and boutiques; on the Olympic Deck is the fitness center with glass
walls so you can exercise while gazing out at the sea; on a lower deck
you come upon a decadent Roman Spa that offers massages, aromatherapy,
body wraps, saunas, steam rooms, and an indoor pool for water exercise.
On various decks are two pools, a jogging track, seven bars, six
entertainment lounges, one grand ballroom, a cabaret, a large casino,
disco, an ice-cream parlor, library, piano bar, and a theater for first
run and old classic films. If you need them, there is a hairdresser,
laundry, dry cleaner, masseuse, and medical facilities.
The Norway
has 1,039 staterooms, each with individually controlled
air-conditioning, private bath with shower, TV, radio and phone. Some
suites have a separate living room and bedroom in addition to a master
bedroom. Most penthouse suites have private balconies. One evening we
were invited to a party in the owner's suite. It was spectacular, with a
wrap-around balcony, living room, bedroom, dressing room and jacuzzi.
Our host -- a former police officer from Illinois who had won a major
lottery of many millions and was celebrating. We had a less spectacular
small cabin with a porthole.
Biggest job every day -- choosing
from among the things to do. There were Broadway shows, exercise
classes, dance instruction, basketball, golf driving and putting,
paddleball, ping pong, shuffleboard, skeet shooting, snorkeling classes
and excursions, volleyball, fashion shows, wine-tasting, art auctions,
lectures, a tea for grandparents, a mixer for singles, and a champagne
party for honeymooners. There weren't many kids aboard this cruise, but
usually there was a youth program with a children's playroom, kids and
teenager activities, and special shore excursions. How can anybody ever
say they would be bored on a cruise?
We left Miami late in the
afternoon and the activities started immediately. Some passengers
immediately headed for the casino, waiting for it to open when we got
outside the legal miles. The casino was set up for blackjack, craps,
roulette, baccarat, 200 slot machines and a few new games I hadn't heard
of. I was happy on deck, listening to the music, snacking off the
welcome-aboard buffet, and watching the shoreline disappear astern.
I
was already glad I had made this decision. I felt like a different
person. The holiday rush on land doesn't apply here. I watched the waves
break alongside the ship and the wake trail behind. The air was fresh.
Holiday fatigue? -- poof. The only traffic jam here would be the first
people in line waiting to enter the dining room to dig in to another
meal. The only decisions would be whether to shop on board, in port, or
both, or play golf or tennis, go swimming at some tranquil tropical
beach or work hard at deep-sea fishing. And tonight I would have to
decide whether to have the conch fritters or shrimp, or fresh baked
bread or blueberry muffins, or stuffed Cornish hen or grilled swordfish,
or coconut meringue pie or that 'death-by-chocolate' dessert. Or a
little of each. And I never would have to look for a parking space!
By
the first night we were meeting people, and serious dancing had already
begun. I have never seen so many people in one place who enjoyed
dancing so much and who knew so much about jazz and big band music. You
could wander from ballroom to ballroom, and in between on the
International Deck you could sit and talk to the passengers reminiscing
and comparing memories as they listened to a complimentary 24-hour CD
jukebox stocked with choice selections of years of jazz and big band
recordings.
Four bands were playing this week, alternating two
each night: the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra conducted by Buddy Morrow, Si
Zentner and his Orchestra, the Bob Crosby Orchestra conducted by Ed Metz
Jr, and the Harry James Orchestra conducted by Art Depew. And every
night in the Cafe Internationale, which turned out to be my favorite
place, was the band whose drummer used to play the background music for
the old Fred Astaire movies. He still played the old familiar brush drum
arrangements for 'Stepping Out with My Baby' and 'Top Hat and Tails'. I
met the six gentlemen dance hosts in their navy blazers and white
slacks and danced my first dances.
A few days out at sea the staff
began to put up Christmas trees, more than 50, around all the decks. A
few passengers helped put on some ornaments. In the spirit of the
holidays, the video channel featured classic holiday films as well as
period movies, big band performances, and interviews with old well-known
big band stars. We all had the holiday spirit. But it's different out
here. There's no pressure.
Our first port stop was St. Maarten/St.
Martin. (The island is divided in two, half Dutch and half French.) The
Dutch port, where we docked, was Philipsburg. On the other side is
Marigot, with some seaside French cafes. In between there is the beach
at Mullet Bay with lots of rock formations for good photo ops, swimming,
and exploring. There is duty-free shopping on both sides, with
merchandise ranging from inexpensive t-shirts to expensive jewelry and
French and Caribbean designer clothing. Several shore excursions were
offered. In the morning we chose to go sailing on a 12-Metre racing
sailboat that had raced in the America's Cup. In the afternoon we
wandered along from shop to shop in the sun with calypso music in the
background, then stopped for a cool drink on a restaurant patio along
the ocean, and thought about the people shopping in the crowds back
home.
Next stop was St. John, the U.S. Virgin Island that is a
protected national park. There are empty beaches there and some
excellent hiking trails. We chose sailing again, while others chose
beaching, sightseeing around the island by safari bus, or went on one of
several snorkel/scuba dives. Our sailboat took us over to St. Thomas,
where we caught up with the ship. Most of the people went into town to
do some duty-free shopping so their Christmas shopping would be done
when they got home. Others headed for Magen's Bay, most popular beach in
the area. Another group went snorkeling at the protected reefs of Buck
Island, where feeding fish by hand underwater is a highlight, and others
viewed coral and sea life on the Atlantis submarine. We were back on
board in plenty of time for a rest and a shower before dinner, and more
big band music and dancing.
I have three wonderful memories from
the second formal night. One was the group of musicians sitting around
the CD juke box, playing the old stuff and reminiscing. "That's Major
Holley on bass, with Slam Stewart, one of those wonderful times they
played together." "Who's the drummer?" "Sounds like Oliver Jackson."
"Right. Remember the night ..." I just sat and listened, grinning, happy
to be part of it.
The second memory was the scene at 1 a.m. in
the main ballroom. Some of the older people were asleep sitting on the
side banquettes, too tired to dance anymore, but too stubborn to leave
the good music.
It was after 2 a.m. when I started back to my
stateroom, taking my usual walk past the CD juke box to get a breath of
sea air before turning in. The reminiscing musicians were gone, but one
elderly couple were there, slim and tiny in their formal clothes, with
their arms around each other, lost in memories, dancing to an old Tommy
Dorsey tune. I had tears in my eyes as I walked back to my cabin.
The
next day was beach day on a little island in the Bahamas -- Great
Stirrup Cay. I used to live in the Bahamas on one of the outislands, so
it was wonderful to get back to transparent turquoise Bahamian waters. I
walked the beach, and remembered my five years living in the islands.
At
the end of seven days, the ship was sparkling with decorations, ready
for the Christmas and New Year's Cruise. They were already totally
booked. But, I thought, I can sign up for next year. But time got away
and now she will sail no more.
HISTORY OF THE S.S. NORWAY
The
Norway was christened the S.S. France in 1960. Length: 1,035 feet, that
longest passenger ship then ever built. Along with Cunard's Queen Mary
and Queen Elizabeth, she was one of the grand luxury ships regularly
crossing the Atlantic Ocean.
But jet planes came along, and were
quicker and cheaper, passenger traffic became unprofitable, and sailings
were stopped in 1974. The France languished for several years in the
port of Le Havre until pioneer of the cruise industry Knut U. Kloster,
bought her for $18 million for his Norwegian Caribbean Line (today known
as Norwegian Cruise Line) and renamed her the S.S. Norway. Over the
next 10 months some 2,000 workers renovated the ship at the cost of $100
million.
She began her new life in the Caribbean, sailing her
first seven-day Caribbean cruise June 1, l980 from Miami, her new home
port, with an international crew of 800 from some 40 nations. In 1990
she once more returned to the shipyard, this time for a $40 million
refurbishment, including a 6,000 square foot Roman Spa with pampering
fitness, health and beauty programs and two glass-enclosed decks of
luxury cabins, including two with floor-to-ceiling windows, wraparound
balconies, and jacuzzis with ocean view. In 1993 the ship had a $23
million refurbishing and renovation of the 5,000 square foot casino to a
mirrored, etched and stained glass Art Deco theme reminiscent of the
ship's legendary past.
Her future was unknown for a long time, but now she is headed to be scrap.
Shirley Linde is editor of
http://www.SmallShipCruises.com,
the biggest website in the world on small ships, and is author of three
cruise guides and many medical books. She has a Medical Information
Center at
http://www.medicalinformationcenter.org with links to information on various medical conditions.
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