Norwegian beauty

[Doc Vernon]

Saga Ruby Docked.jpg

She was rightfully praised – indeed, she was one of the most beautiful passenger liners of time. And the new pride of the Norwegian fleet and Norwegian America Line to boot. The Vistafjord was commissioned in spring 1973 after being built in the UK, by Swan Hunter on the Tyne. The 24,000-tonner was a slightly larger version of the superb Sagafjord, introduced eight years before.



The 700-bed Vistafjord went on to a have a good life – mostly on two- and three-week cruises. She joined Cunard in 1983 and later developed a huge German following, especially with her summer cruises from Hamburg. We did the Around the British Isles trips aboard her in Aug '85 and then again in Jul '90 (the latter coincided with Cunard's 150th and a gala rendezvous with the QE2, Britannia & Her Majesty the Queen off Portsmouth). Renamed Caronia in '99 (Paul McCartney was supposed to do the renaming honors at Liverpool), she joined Saga Cruises in '05 and became the Saga Ruby (and joining the Saga Rose, ex-Sagafjord).



But by 2014, in maritime old age and with seriously mounting mechanical problems, her Saga days came to an end. At forty-one, she managed to escape the breakers and became the Oasia but for future use as a moored hotel out in far-away Burma. She sailed off to Thailand for conversion work, but then nothing happened – she sat waiting (and rusting) for three years.



Her final chapter seems to have come last month – the ex-Vistafjord was sold to Indian scrap merchants. Her last voyage, under tow, will be to the busy beaches at Alang, where she will be run aground and cut-up by small armies of demolition crews.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi Vernon.
It makes me want to ask you not to post these lovely pics of the beautiful ships of the past, it wants to make me weep for the days when our world was filled with lovely vessels whether Cargo, Tanker or Passenger ship, but keep them coming, I would rather weep than miss them.
Cheers Des