Some history to be saved?
It appears a group of Norwegians has obtained rights to auction Norway items. Their website contains a phenomenal photo-tour of the ship as she now sits beached in India. Warning: these images can be heartbreaking.

It is shocking to see just how intact the ship remains - even the grand pianos sit in place. While NCL's Colin Veitch recently stated that numerous items were removed, only the Captain's desk is notably missing from these images. It's likely the mural from the children's playroom was removed, too, as it is not pictured. The original France lamp, one of the most valuable pieces aboard, remains in the library. The beautiful lacquered panels in the former First Class Music Room, the Windward Dining Room & through much of the ship are still surprisingly there.

To see for yourself, click on the logo above to open the site in a new browser window. There is a place to put in your e-mail address for updates. Please - if you DO buy any pieces of the ship, consider lending them for display to maritime museums!! Again - the images on this website may prove disturbing; they clearly illustrate the extent to which NCL & Star wantonly abandoned the ship they continuously promised to protect.

History Lost... Blue Lady's Fate Sealed
From our ever-vigilant friends at MaritimeMatters.com:
Eyewitness Alang
August 15: From Alang: "BLUE LADY/NORWAY beached this morning about 500 meters away, almost same distance as BIG RED BOAT II."

"Project Dubai"

Kudos to Mr. Reuben Goossens for keeping us all up to date on this last valiant effort to save our beautiful friend from the beaches of Alang. We appreciate your dedication.

Project Dubai & Other Preservation News
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Sites & Sound

We stumbled across this wonderful webpage that is worth sharing not only for the fantastic photos, but for the excellent sound bite of Norway's "voice". Click here to open www.schiffsphoto.de. Page opens in a new window. To the artist: Well done! To all else - no, we don't have a translation! It appears these photos were taken during the drydock in Bremerhaven immediately after the "Farewell Crossing" (based on the presence of the QE2) & work being done on the International Deck promenade.

WARNING - Soundbite plays automatically & can be a bit loud!

Some Interior Elements Removed in Bremerhaven

As expected, some of the ship's interiors have already been dismantled. It is doubtful some of the most valuable original pieces were preserved. For example, the original glass artwork above the doors exiting the theater was rarely noticed by those sailing aboard. Few were aware the table lamp in the library was original to the France. In any case, unlike most great liners, it was never this ship's interiors that made her so special. If you doubt the design of the hull was the finest ever conceived by naval architects, compare the hull of the new QM2 to that of the France/Norway. Only the bow-wave breaker is newer technology.

Here's the word from the good people at Maritime Matters (maritimematters.com) as attributed to NCL head Colin Veitch:

Before the former SS FRANCE was sold for scrap, the art from her two dining rooms, children's playroom, stairtower, and library were removed. These important works are currently in storage and may be utilized on board a revitalized SS UNITED STATES or another ship in the NCL fleet.

Read more of this story at Maritime Matters.com (opens in new window)

Norway no more...

While the Foundation has very little access these days to information about the ship, we can confirm that she has been renamed "S/S Blue Lady" in anticipation of scrapping. Reports indicate that a sale agreement had been reached with a breaker in Bangladesh, however that sale has been stalled amid concerns of potential legal action by environmental groups. Environmentalists fear the asbestos used to insulate & help protect the ship from fire would likely be mishandled during demolition.