# SS United States



## Alan Hill (Jun 21, 2005)

Big article in the Philadelphia Inquirer on 9 May 07 about putting the UNITED STATES back into service. More on this I guess. Alan Hill Bridgeport, Pa. USA (Thumb)


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## James_C (Feb 17, 2005)

From the Philadelphia Inquirier:

Owner says SS United States to sail again
The Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA - The SS United States, which sits at a pier, its paint flaking and its engines silent since 1969, will be refurbished and carry passengers again, and at top fares, the head of the cruise line that owns the ship said.

Colin Veitch, chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Lines, said Monday he is not giving up on the 55-year-old vessel. He said he has drafts of plans to add one or two decks and other amenities, and thinks renovating the United States would be "a fantastic project."

Rebuilding the gutted ship would cost about $500 million, more than the cost of new ship. But the nearly 41 mph average speed on the United States' maiden voyage in 1952 still stands as the trans-Atlantic speed record, and Veitch said the ship would command premium fares because of its history.

It would sail worldwide, make trips through the Panama Canal to California, cruise the Hawaiian Islands and possibly make an occasional trans-Atlantic run, Veitch said.

The ship was scheduled to be the fourth in the cruise line's NCL America Inc. unit, though that is not expected to happen this year or next. Veitch said he had no interest in selling the ship, however, and has hired a caretaker to "look after her."

http://www.philly.com/philly/wires/...09_ap_ownersaysssunitedstatestosailagain.html


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## Tony Breach (Jun 15, 2005)

I wish they would give it back the Hales' trophy but I doubt that he'll be keeping the machinery that produced the 41mph!


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## Bruce Carson (Jun 14, 2005)

And he probably said it all with his hand on a Bible.

Bruce C


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## Paul UK (Jun 13, 2005)

Is this story about the ss United States or the Blue Lady the story from NCL sound very similar is the man speaking with forked tongue.

Paul

Ps US Members dont let her out of your sight even for refit in Bremerhaven.


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## Jeff Taylor (Oct 13, 2006)

If Veitch or anyone else at NCL said the sun was shining at noon I'd still hedge my bet. They are not to be trusted. The only consolation is that their Hawaiian service is losing them a fortune.


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## Lksimcoe (Oct 30, 2006)

They had also bought an old liner that is currently laid up in San Francisco, (one of her names was Monterey I think). Well, a couple of months ago, after completely ignoring her for a few years, they said that she was now in too bad a shape to bring back, so they hired a firm to strip her interiors out.

Of COURSE it was too late. If they'd done their job properly, and maintained her, then she wouldn''t be headed for razor blades. Nothing NCL does is to be trusted.


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## Bruce Carson (Jun 14, 2005)

Hi Lksimcoe:
You may be thinking of the 'Independence', built in 1950 for American Export's Mediterranean service.
I would think she is possibly the best looking liner afloat today, but under NCL's tender loving care, her active career is certainly over.

http://www.ssmaritime.com/ss-independence-constitution.htm

Bruce C


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## Lksimcoe (Oct 30, 2006)

Bruce

Yes, that's the one I was thinking of. Given the way they let the Independance go completely to hell, what makes anyone think that the United States will fare any better.
So they've hired "a man" to take care of her. Will they do anything to stop the rusting? Will they paint her to slow down the decay? Probably not. They need to get her into drydock and stop the degradation now, or even if they wanted to, wouldn't be able to bring her back. Given their history with the independance, which didn't need a lot of work, I won't hold my breath.


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## Alan Hill (Jun 21, 2005)

Thank you Jim for tacking on the applicable article. I had to chuckle on the comment by Tony about the original machinery. Maybe if they retain it they would come out and solicit the elder engineers in this organization for a return to the machinery spaces huh? ;- ) 

Alan Hill Bridgeport, Pa. USA


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## Jeff Taylor (Oct 13, 2006)

Ditto everyone's pessimistic comments about "Indy's" future, but from what I heard they have temporarily put off stripping her out. I wouldn't read anything positive into that, however.


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## makko (Jul 20, 2006)

Let's not be too nostalgic. I saw United States laid up in the mid 80's in Norfolk - a rust bucket then. If you had an old dog who was suffering..........Just razor blade her!


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## meechingman (Feb 20, 2005)

Nearly 40 years of neglect? I can't see the ship coming back from that. Too expensive to preserve or rebuild, let the poor girl go with some element of dignity, please.


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## John Campbell (Aug 30, 2005)

The dreaded word ASBESTOS has not yet appeared here. That is the reason why no one can afford to touch her


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## makko (Jul 20, 2006)

John C, 
See my gallery - photo of the United States in mid 80's. As we would say in Wallasey - Give 'er the shovel!

Rgds.

Dave


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## flyer682 (Nov 20, 2004)

John Campbell said:


> The dreaded word ASBESTOS has not yet appeared here. That is the reason why no one can afford to touch her


Hasn't that already gone? I recall she was towed to Turkey a few years back and it was removed there.


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## Jeff Taylor (Oct 13, 2006)

Correct--United States has been completely abated (albeit at the cost of her entire interiors package). Go to the official website and you can see photos of her today. Nothing but steel bulkheads.


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## flyer682 (Nov 20, 2004)

I've seen those photos Jeff and she does look very sad.


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## Peter Eccleson (Jan 16, 2006)

I am sure that the United States won't see any kind of passenger carrying service again! NCL are just playing the U.S political game. They are taking a ship off the Hawaiian service now and re-registering from the U.S flag to the Bahamas. 

Once the 'asbestos' issues are addressed I am sure that the Alang beaches await her! (if she doesn't sink on the way)


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## SeaStoryWriter (Dec 31, 2006)

Almost better if she does "deep six" along the way, as long as she doesn't take any company. Seems a more fitting place somehow; all ships are special to someone, but she's special to many, like the Victory or the Arizona. WILL


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## Paul UK (Jun 13, 2005)

SeaStoryWriter said:


> Almost better if she does "deep six" along the way, as long as she doesn't take any company. Seems a more fitting place somehow; all ships are special to someone, but she's special to many, like the Victory or the Arizona. WILL




I agree will let her go gracefully with out loss of life or injury.

Paul


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## needadditionalinformation (Jan 30, 2006)

> I am sure that the United States won't see any kind of passenger carrying service again! NCL are just playing the U.S political game. They are taking a ship off the Hawaiian service now and re-registering from the U.S flag to the Bahamas...
> I am sure that the Alang beaches await her! (if she doesn't sink on the way)


While I don't doubt what you say, the SS United States is an actual national historic landmark. If they send her to Alang they will regret it even more than with SS France / Norway I believe.

Also, there is a great update on this website (http://www.ssmaritime.com/newsupdates2.htm#_What_will_happen) there is a quote from Susan Robison the Vice President, Corporate Communications, NCL Corporation, saying, as you'll see, that the SS United States project was / is only conditional upon success of the rest of the U.S. flag operation, and as you may know, they are having to transfer ships out of that operation to other markets, as the U.S. Flag operation is so in the red.

And in the Philly newspaper article, the CEO says that nothing will happen this year or next, and that _*a*_ _*caretaker*_ has been hired. Even if she she were fresh from the shipyard, one person couldn't begin to maintain her for at least two more years. Her (_planned_!) continued neglect, combined with a best case scenario of gutting at least half her historic power plant of 241,000shp, (still the most powerful ever installed in a merchant ship) and rearrangement of her superstructure (and it won't be an aesthetic improvement) is all enough to make me sick. This poor ship has been, for 38 years now, nothing but gradually destroyed by supposed good intentions. A further example of what the road to hell is paved with!

Also, as for the SS Independence, they are supposed to be putting her back into service, but despite assurances, they are currently allowing people to remove misc. parts from her at her lay up berth, and she has been renamed "Oceanic", which doesn't exactly recall her days as an American classic. 

And does anybody remember what the SS Constitution was renamed as she was towed off to be scrapped 10 years ago? I seem to remember that it was some variation of "Oceanic"...


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## Jeff Taylor (Oct 13, 2006)

Can't remember her scrapping name, but the Connie cheated the hangman and sunk under tow to Alang.


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## needadditionalinformation (Jan 30, 2006)

needadditionalinformation said:


> And does anybody remember what the SS Constitution was renamed as she was towed off to be scrapped 10 years ago? I seem to remember that it was some variation of "Oceanic"...


The name wasn't a variation of Oceanic, it was Oceanic. Some "Seattle based intermediary" had actually bought & resold her to scrappers. See: SS Independence SS Constitution Great American Ocean Liners, by William H. Miller.

This is a strange re-naming choice for Independence on the part of NCL considering their claims that they are going to restore her to service. I Hope they don't try to claim they're going to send her overseas to make a casino/hotel ship, etc. out of as a way of sneaking her out to the scrappers. After the way they handled the SS Norway/France, who could put anything past them?


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## mrcanoehead (Sep 15, 2007)

*The bIg U what next....*

The big U too bad all the lies, but let us see what happens to her in the end, true it should be a ststic display, but it might be still a hazzard to human health, so better now than later she head for alang, but sink on the way somewhere...For a power plant, same as the american navy's carriers, forrestal, america, Kennedy, constalation. very powerfull & maintence heavy, for economic reasons should be a diesel electric with pods driving it, more effective with the same hull will delive a faster fuel effecient ship, look what they've done when they built the QM2...Says it all, but we'll see what happens.

Bill Shaver


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## billyboy (Jul 6, 2005)

Might be better if she was moored with pride...alongside Titanic.


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## SeaStoryWriter (Dec 31, 2006)

I think they'd be excellent company for one another. If we can't keep our history, then the sea should-some ships deserve that peacceful dignity, including some that have long since gone to the scrapper instead.


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## billyboy (Jul 6, 2005)

Its also deep enough there for her not to be a problem and to be out of reach of divers. failing that how about the Mindanao trench, Even deeper there


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