Norwegian America Line

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Norwegian American Line
IndustryCargo and passenger shipping
Founded1910
Defunct1995
FateDefunct
HeadquartersOslo
Key people
Gustav Henriksen
SubsidiariesNorwegian East Africa Line
File:MS Skiensfjord 1962 (1).jpg
Passenger's car being loaded onto the MS Skiensfjord in New York in 1962

The Norwegian America Line (Norwegian: Den Norske Amerikalinje), was a shipping line, originally an operator of ocean liners and cargo ships. Founded in 1910, the company ran a regular transatlantic service between Norway and the United States, and later included a route to East Africa as well. Primarily due to competition from air travel, transatlantic passenger voyages were slowly discontinued during the years.

After the Great War, the company was one of Norway's largest shipping lines, owning a fleet that included 19 vessels, several of which were for commercial cargo transport. After the Second World War heavy ships losses were overcome by the building of new vessels, however the reduction in the passengers’ traffic by sea shifted the company’s focus mainly to the cargo business, including container and bulk shipping from the 1970s.

In 1980 the last two passenger liners were handed over into a new joint venture company (Norwegian American Cruises) with Leif Höegh & Co, and finally sold to Cunard Line in 1984.

During the 1990s NAL main business were the Roll-on/roll-off operations and sea carriage of cars, through the NOSAC brand (Norwegian Specialised Autocarcarriers), with a fleet of nearly 20 vessels, then acquired by Wilh. Wilhelmsen in 1995.[1]

Ships

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List sourced from[2][3]

Passenger ships

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Ship Built In service for NAL Shipyard Tonnage Notes
File:SS Kristianinafjord.jpg SS Kristianiafjord 1913 1913–17 Cammell Laird in Birkenhead UK. 10,699 GRT Sunk 1917.
File:SS Bergensfjord in 1927.jpg SS Bergensfjord 1913 1913–40 Cammell Laird in Birkenhead UK. 10,666 GRT Reused by Britain in 1940.
File:DS-Stavangerfjord.jpg SS Stavangerfjord 1917 1917–40
1945–64 		Cammell Laird in Birkenhead UK. 12,977 GRT Captured by Germany in 1940, returned to NAL in 1945. Scrapped 1964.
File:Oslofjord (1938) Sjöhistoriska museet Fo10669C.jpg MS Oslofjord (1937) 1938 1938–40 Deutsche Schiff- und MaschinenbauGermany 18,673 GRT Sunk after hitting a mine on the River Tyne, 1940.[4]
File:MS Oslofjord (1949) i Oslo havn.jpg MS Oslofjord (1949) 1949 1949–67 Netherlands Dock and Shipbuilding Company 16,844 GRT Chartered to Greek Line 1967. From 1968 onwards sailed for Costa Cruises.Caught fire and sank 1970 off Tenerife, Canary Islands.
File:Aankomst van het ms. Bergensfjord in de Amsterdamse haven, Bestanddeelnr 910-5543.jpg MS Bergensfjord (1955) 1956 1956–71 Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson Ltd, UK 18,739 GRT Sold to French Line as De Grasse, 1971. Caught fire, and sank in 1980. Wreck still visible at Pireaus, Greece.[5]
File:Sagafjord IMO 6416043 P Hamburg 1969 (3).JPG MS Sagafjord 1965 1965–83 Société Nouvelle des Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée, France 24,002 GRT Sold to Cunard Line 1983. Sold to Saga Cruises 1997 and renamed Saga Rose. Scrapped 2009.
File:Vistafjord IMO 7214715 P Hamburg 07-1973 (3).jpg MS Vistafjord 1973 1973–83 Swan Hunter, Tyne and Wear, United Kingdom 24,292 GRT Sold to Cunard Line in 1983. Renamed Caronia in 1999. Sold in 2004, renamed Saga Ruby for Saga Cruises. Scrapped 2017.

Other ships

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Ship Built In service for NAL Type Tonnage Notes
SS Trondhjemsfjord 1911 1914–15 ocean liner 4,248 GRT Sunk 28 July 1915 by torpedo.
SS Norefjord 1919 1921–49 cargo ship 3,082 GRT Ran aground, captured and beached by rebels, shelled by the Indonesian Navy and burnt out 1958. Scrapped 1966.
SS Foldenfjord 1921 1921–28 tanker ship 7,038 GRT Sunk by Japanese submarine I-25 on October 5, 1942.
SS Mari
SS Oslofjord		 1923 1923
1923–30		 215 GRT
MS Skiensfjord 1958 1958–77 freighter, few passengers 3,787 GRT Sold to Southalnd Maritime Inc. v/Diamantides Maritime Co. Ltd, Pireus, Greece 1977 and renamned Diamant. Sold to Jebel Ali National Marine, Dubai, UAE 1980 and renamed Jebel Ali 2. Sold to Mohammed Khalifa Bin Salama Al-Hamaly, Dubai, UAE 1983 and renamed Salamah 5. Renamed Al Qasim 1987 & scrapped that year.[6]

Managing directors

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Chairmen of the Board

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Boutique hotel

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File:Den norske Amerikalinje.JPG
The former headquarters is now a boutique hotel.

The former headquarters of the shipping company (1919 – 1983) with ticket office and administration is still an iconic building in central Oslo. It was rebuilt inside and opened in March 2019 as a boutique hotel. The hotel took the name Amerikalinjen.[7]

See also

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References

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