NORWAY ex FRANCE passenger ship

[aukepalmhof]

Built as a passenger ship under yard No G19 by Chantiers de L’Atlantique, St Nazaire, France for Cie Générale Transatlantique, Le Havre.
07 October 1957 keel laid down.
11 May 1960 launched as the FRANCE, christened by Madam de Gaulle.
Tonnage 57.607 grt, 37.500 net, 13.960 dwt., dim. 315.66 x 33.70 x 10.48m. (draught).
Powered by 8 geared CEM-Parsons turbines, 160.000 hp, four shafts, speed 30 knots.
During trials she reached a speed of 32.5 knots.
Accommodation for 407 first, 1637 tourist class passengers. Crew 1.044.
19 November 1961 completed and delivered to owners. Building cost US $80 million.

21 November 1961 arrived at her homeport Le Havre.
19 January 1962 sailed for her maiden voyage for a cruise from Le Havre to the Canary Islands with on board 1705 passengers.
03 February 1962 left for her first cross Atlantic sailings under command of Capt. George Crosilie with on board 1727 passengers bound for New York where she arrived on 08 February.
Two days after sailing she did run in a heavy storm, and she had to reduce speed to prevent damage.
The plan was to use her during the summer months in the service across the North Atlantic and during the winter for cruising.

1974 The French Government let known that they did not longer would subsidize the vessel, where after the crew occupied the vessel when she lay at anchor near Le Havre on 11 September 1974 in protest to the laid up of the vessel. Passengers were transferred to shore by tender.
09 October 1974 she docked at Le Havre and was laid up.

October 1977 sold to a Saudi Arabian multi millionaire Akkram Ojjeh, who transferred the ship to the Swiss company, Techniques d’Avantgarde Finances Internationales S.A., many plans did not materialize, and the FRANCE stayed at Le Havre.

25 June 1979 bought at a public auction in Monaco for 18 million US dollar by Knud Klosters R/A, Oslo and renamed in NORWAY.
She was refitted and modernized for 40 million US dollar to a cruise vessel.
18 August 1979 under tow of the ABEILLE PROVENCE from Le Havre to Bremerhaven, Germany where she got her refit by Hapag-Lloyd Werft. The Norway flag was raised after the ship left the French territorial waters.
14 April 1980 left the yard. Power of the engine reduced to two turbines, 40.000 shp. Twin screws, speed between 16 and 20 knots. Also fitted out with bow and stern thrusters. Her owners are given as Norwegian Caribbean Lines. Tonnage 70.202 grt.

01 June 1980 sailed for her first cruise from Miami.
12 April 1982 arrived again at the yard of the Hapag-Lloyd for a refit. Turbo-generator exchanged for diesel powered installation.
03 July sailed from Bremerhaven for Miami.

02 July 1984 arrived at Hamburg by the yard of Blohm & Voss to replace the steam auxiliary engines by diesel installation.
22 July sailed again from Hamburg.

1986 Transferred to Kloster Cruise A/S, Norway, 1987 changed to Kloster Cruise A/S Bahamas.

03 September till 02 October 1990 refitted by the Lloyd Werft, Bremerhaven where two prefabricated passenger’s decks, increasing her passenger accommodation to 2.565 passengers. Tonnage increased to 76.049 grt.

02 May 1998 renamed in FRANCE for a cruise with French passengers in the Mediterranean.

25 May 2003 while alongside in Miami she got a boiler-room explosion, which killed 8 crew and wounded 17.
27 June 2003 under tow of the tug SMITWIJS ROTTERDAM she headed for Europe with on board a crew of 85.
24 July 2003 arrived by the Lloyd Werft, Bremerhaven, where she was laid up.
23 May 2005 under tow of the tug DE DA she left Bremerhaven bound for Port Kelang, Malaysia, where she arrived on 10 August 2005.

December 2005 sold for breaking up.
13 February 2006 renamed in BLUE LADY.
06 May 2006 under the name BLUE LADY she is towed from Port Klang to Alang India, where she will be broken up by Haryana Ship Breakers Pvt., Ltd, Alang.
15 August 2006 she was beached at Alang.
2007 She was scrapped.

As FRANCE on many stamps, see for that name the index.
Dominica 1984 $4 sg893, scott?
Antigua 1989 $6 MSsg 1289, scott?
Barbuda mail 1989 $6 same design as the Antigua stamp.

Source: Many web-sites. http://www.faktaomfartyg.se/france_1961.htm http://www.maritimematters.com/norway.html