The construction of France involved much prefabrication. After her keel plates were laid, large sections up to fifty tons were brought on site and put into the liner. Her double bottom was a unique feature aboard her, incorporating an inner keel, with space for storing 3,653 tons of fuel, 117 tons of diesel oil, and 682 tons of water. All in all, she could carry 8,000 tons of fuel - sufficient for the trip to New York and back.
The funnels were of unique design on the France. In April 1961, the forward funnel was lifted aboard, complete with a pair of ailerons, which served as smoke deflectors. They not only served to deflect smoke, but they also made the funnels seem very streamlined. Additionally, the funnels had a filtering device which removed all solids from the smoke, and returned the solids to the bowels of the ship, and eventually into the sea.
In 1972, the French Line sent France on her first world cruise. She refueled in Rio, and linens and other supplies were flown in by air, and crew members were aired in and out throughout the voyage.
The France then passed into the hands of Norwegian Caribbean Lines, one of the most successful companies working the Miami-Caribbean trade. She was sold for $18 million, and was sent to the Hapag-Lloyd Shipyards in Bremerhaven, Germany, and was refitted at a cost of $80 million. At last she had found a new owner, and was ready for a new career...
In 1984, Norwegian Caribbean Lines merged with the Swedish Royal Viking Line. With this, an additional two decks were added to the Norway, further raising her tonnage and capacity. Today, Norway is still in service. She regularly sails to the Caribbean, and she receives outstanding reviews. Those who have sailed on her say that it is an experience not to be forgotten, with some luxury suites even containing private balconies. The Norway has had an exceptional life so far, and hopefully she will continue for a very long time...
France/Norway Vital Statistics: Gross tonnage: 66,348 (1961), 69,500 (1980), 76,049 (1989) Length: 1,035 feet Width: 110 feet Draft: 34 feet Machinery: Steam turbines geared to quadruple screw, later twin screw Speed: 30 knots (1961), 16 knots (1980) Capacity: 501 First, 1,543 Tourist (1961); 2,181 Single-Class (1980); 2,565 Single-Class (1989) Built: Chantiers de l'Atlantique, St. Nazaire, France, 1957-1961 Demise: N/A The Classic Liners of Long Ago © 2000-2007 Nick Works, Inc. |
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The
France was the last ocean liner ever built solely for the
transatlantic trade. She was not built with winter cruising in
mind. It took the French four years, three months, and 28 days to
construct her, at a cost of $80 million. She would be 66,000 tons (one
large liner was found to be superior to two smaller liners), and the longest
ship ever, at 1,035 feet.
She was launched on May 11, 1960, by Madame Charles de
Gaulle. The next day, some
2,000 specialists came aboard and finished her off. Her rudder and
four propellers were installed, some 18,000 miles of color-coded wiring
was installed, 1,300 telephones, 28 miles of ventilating ducts, and 102
air conditioning control panels.
For
France's sea trials, she went on a "dress rehearsal"
cruise to the Canaries. She was filled to capacity, and proved
herself beyond reproach. She reached New York at the end of her
maiden voyage on February 8, 1962. The American press was amazed by
her interiors. There was an array of suites on the upper decks, some
large enough to contain private dining rooms and kitchens.
Furthermore, there was no wood on board the France. Instead,
there were creations of aluminum, formica, and plastic. The kennels
on the sun deck were all carpeted, and the walkways included a Paris
milestone, and a New York City fire hydrant. Her theater could seat
664 people on two levels. She also contained two
swimming pools. One was indoor, and one was outdoor, covered by a
glass shield. Finally, most of France's cabins featured
private bathrooms.
France settled in well on her intended
transatlantic route. During the summer months, she was at 100%
occupancy and 70% during the weekends. However, in 1966, these
outstanding numbers began to diminish, as the airlines were soundly
beating the transatlantic liners. As a result, the France
began cruising in the winter. She went to the tropics, with 1,349
passengers in a single class. However, she had a handicap in this
role. She was a transatlantic liner, designed for the wet and foggy
North Atlantic. As a result, her swimming pools were indoors or
covered, and she lacked a lot of open deck spaces.
Two years later, in 1974, the France was at her
worst. The Atlantic trade was all but gone, and fuel went from $35
to $95 per barrel. The French Line asked the government to increase
its subsidy from $14 to $24 million, but it instead lost its subsidy, as
the French government determined that subsidizing the Concorde was more
worthwhile. As a result, the France was withdrawn. In
September 1974, some crew members mutinied off of Le Havre, holding the
ship at anchor in the channel, demanding that she be restored, and that
they get a 35% wage increase. The attempt failed, and she was sent
to an old pier in the backwaters of Le Havre.
Eventually,
the France was sold for $22 million to a millionaire Arabian named
Akram Ojjeh. He planned to fill her with the Wildenstein collection
of French antique furniture, and turn her into a museum of French
civilization and a hotel-casino in Daytona Beach, Florida. His plan
amounted to nothing more than docking fees. He put the ship back up
for sale.
Norwegian
Caribbean Lines renamed the France the Norway. As
such, she hoisted the Norwegian flag, as well as the United Nations
flag. However, the key to the Norway's success was her
economy. She would only use one engine room and two propellers,
which created a fuel-saving speed of 16 knots. The staff would be
reduced from France's 1,100 to 800 as Norway. Her
passenger capacity was enlarged to 2,181 from its original 2,044. On
board, many of her original installations were removed, and replaced with
outdoor pools, lido areas, discos, shopping arcades, soda fountains, and
slot machines. Externally, she 
now had a blue hull and
blue-and-white funnels (later changed
to all blue with NCL logo on the sides).
