End of the line for the S.S. United States?
The S.S. United States – once the flagship of the U.S. Merchant Marine, and one of the grandest ships ever constructed in the U.S. is now closer to what many fear to be her final days. The ship is reportedly being shown to potential scrappers by the ship’s current owner, Norwegian Cruise Lines, a subsidiary of Genting Hong Kong, Ltd. Although the ship is still for sale, the news that the owner is accepting bids from scrap yards indicates that after a year of languishing for sale, the owners have little patience left for maintaining the ship in its current state.
The SS United States as she appears today in Philly. (Flickr/Rudpolph Van Graan)
The ship has been laid-up in Philadelphia since 1996 after being towed back from Turkey and the Ukraine following asbestos removal. The ship’s interior has been stripped and gutted. Norwegian Cruise Lines purchased the ship in 2003 with the intent to restore her and enter her into passenger cruise service in Hawaii as an American flagged cruise ship. By 2009, the project was no longer financially feasible, and NCL put the vessel up for sale.
In an effort to spread public awareness, a Public Television documentary titled “SS United States – Lady in Waiting” was produced and aired on several major public television stations across the country. A 3 minute preview of the documentary is available below.
The SS United States Conservancy produced this one minute video posted below on the effort to save the SS United States -
What’s your opinion?
Is this the end of the line for this storied ship? What do you think of the attempt to save the S.S. United States? Is it in our vital interest to preserve this historic part of the U.S. Merchant Marine? Leave your opinion in a comment at the bottom of this post.
Read More
S.S. United States Conservancy
S.S. United States Conservancy News Blog
The Daily Press – Newport News, VA “SS United States the next Newport News-built ship headed for the scrap yard?”
Preservation – The magazine of the National Trust for Historic Preservation “SS United States Conservancy Fears Ship’s Demolition”
The Baltimore Sun – Chills at end of the United States’ voyage home (Interesting story from the tow across the Atlantic)
