Norwegian America Line


The Norwegian America Line, was a cruise ship line, originally an operator of passenger 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 cruise ships were handed over into a new joint venture company 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, with a fleet of nearly 20 vessels, then acquired by Wilh. Wilhelmsen in 1995.

Ships

List sourced from

Passenger ships

ShipBuiltIn service for NALTypeTonnageNotes
19131913–17ocean linerSunk 1917.
19131913–40ocean linerTaken over by British authorities and converted to a troopship, 1940.
SS Stavangerfjord19171917–40
1945–64		ocean linerTaken over by German authorities as a troopship in 1940, returned to NAL in 1945. Scrapped 1964.
19381938–40ocean linerSunk after hitting a mine on the River Tyne, 1940.
19491949–67ocean linerChartered to Greek Line 1967. Caught fire and sank 1970.
19561956–71ocean linerSold to French Line as De Grasse, 1971.
19581958–77frieghter, few passengersSold 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.
19651965–83ocean liner / cruise shipSold to Cunard Line 1983. Sold to Saga Cruises 1997 and renamed Saga Rose. Scrapped 2009.
MS Vistafjord19731973–83cruise shipSold to Cunard Line 1983. Since 2004 Saga Ruby for Saga. Scrapped 2017.

Other ships

ShipBuiltIn service for NALTypeTonnageNotes
19111914–15ocean linerSunk 28 July 1915 by torpedo.
19191921–49cargo shipRan aground, captured and beached by rebels, shelled by the Indonesian Navy and burnt out 1958. Scrapped 1966.
19211921–28tanker shipSunk by Japanese submarine I-25 on October 5, 1942.

19231923
1923–30

Managing directors

The former headquarters of the shipping company 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.