When the S.S. UNITED STATES was christened in June of 1951 the 990 foot, 53,000 ton liner would be a symbol of American shipbuilding might. Designed by William Francis Gibbs she was built to the highest standards of the day. Gibbs was so obsessed with the ship being completely fire proof that he even asked Steinway to build an aluminum piano, Steinway said no. It was said that the only wood onboard was in the pianos and in the butcher blocks used in the kitchen. The S.S. UNITED STATES would start her triumphant maiden voyage from New York to Southampton on July 3, 1952, crossing the Atlantic in just 3 days, 10 hours, and 40 minutes. She would break all speed records and take the Blue Riband from the Cunard Liner QUEEN MARY. Mothballed and cared for by the Navy the S.S. UNITED STATES would finally be sold to Richard Hadley a Seattle real estate developer in 1979. Hadley hoped of returning the once proud trans-Atlantic liner to service as a floating time-share condominium cruising the Hawaiian Islands and around the world. On April 1, 2003 in news that stunned the maritime world, Miami based Norwegian Cruise Lines announced that they had purchased the ship for possible cruise service. Only time will tell if this great ship will ever sail again.
In a press statement given by NCL on March 4, 2004 says impart. "Recently, NCL sent a team to Philadelphia to conduct an extensive technical review of the venerable ship. We would like to report that she is in good shape and we are taking very good care of her. We have cataloged over a hundred boxes of blueprints that we received from the previous owners. Although not a complete set, the drawings will be a real help to our technical team with their work."
When we announced the purchase of the S/S United States in April last year, we talked about her potential to become a start-of-the-art modern cruise ship in our U.S. Flagged fleet. Only with the success of these U.S. flagged ships in Hawaii and our new U.S. flag operation will we be able to succeed with the more complex challenge of bringing back the S/S United States.
The S/S United States has a great maritime heritage, and we believe that she has a great maritime future as well. We urge you to join with us in supporting the return of U.S. flag passenger/cruise ship to the oceans of the world.
The love for the S/S United States is real. To you, she has always been more than a steel hull." Susan Robinson
TIME Magazine September 28, 1942
Advertising from January 1960.
"Gala Dinner" Menu from Saturday, August 1, 1953.
On February 28, 2004 Commodore Leroy Alexanderson last Captain of the S.S. UNITED STATES died at the age of 93.
In 1955 he would serve as Captain of the S.S. AMERICA. In 1964, he became Captain of the S.S. UNITED STATES. In 1966 he was appointed Commodore of the United States Lines Fleet. He would serve as the Master of the S.S. United States until her retirement in November 1969.
S.S. UNITED STATES in New York. Post Card Dated 1956.
PRIDE OF HAWAI’I CELEBRATES STORY OF AMERICAN MARITIME ICON IN SS UNITED STATES LIBRARY
NCL America Dedicates Onboard Library to United States’ Flagship Vessel
Aerial view of the S.S. UNITED STATES docked in Philadelphia, PA.
S.S. UNITED STATES departing Southampton.
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During her 17 years of service the S.S. UNITED STATES would play host to England's Duke and Duchess of York and to many Hollywood celebrities, Katherine Hepburn, John Wayne, Bob Hope, and Carry Grant to name a few. Presidents Truman, Eisenhower, and Kennedy woud sail aboard America's Flag Ship. In November 1969 the S.S. UNITED STATES would leave her New York pier for an annual dry docking at her birthplace, Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, she would never sail again.
This and many other plans to return her to service would come and go. To raise money to pay some of her mounting debts her fittings and furnishings where stripped in 1984 and sold at an auction that took 7 days. She would be towed to Turkey in 1992 to have her interiors further gutted with the asbestos removel, leaving her a virtual shell; her lifeboats and davits would also be removed during this time. It was rumered that the ship would be rebuilt and join the fleet of former trans-Atlantic liners operated by Regency Cruises with the name REGENT STATES, again the venture failed. The S.S. UNITED STATES would return to American waters in 1996 only to be tied to a Philadelphia dock left again to sit waiting.
Director, Public Relations
Norwegian Cruise Line
James R. Ducker collection
James R. Ducker collection
MIAMI, March 8, 2006 Honoring the fastest ocean liner ever built, NCL America is proud to announce today that the library onboard its newest ship, Pride of Hawai`i will be named the SS UNITED STATES Library. This library will not only be a peaceful, relaxing sanctuary for passengers, it will also pay tribute to the history of this great American beauty, thanks to special assistance from the SS UNITED STATES Conservancy.
"As one of the country's most venerable ships from the glory days of trans-Atlantic sea travel, the SS UNITED STATES was revolutionary, faster and more technologically advanced than anything else afloat at the time,” said Colin Veitch, president and CEO of NCL Corporation. “As the proud owners of the SS UNITED STATES, NCL America is privileged to dedicate a library to this American icon on board our newest and now largest U.S-flagged ship, Pride of Hawai`i.”
The SS UNITED STATES Library will feature original photography, vintage advertisements and original lithographs from renowned marine artists, as well as wall-hanging annotations from Conservancy experts to help educate passengers about the vessel's great significance and her place in maritime history.
"The SS UNITED STATES embodied in one single creation the best of American marine engineering, advanced technology, and artistic style; she was our nation's most visible and best known national symbol in the 1950's and beyond," said Greg Norris, vice president and board member of the SS UNITED STATES Conservancy. "I sailed in the SS UNITED STATES eight times during my youth and have always been in awe of her incredible presence and grandeur.”
"It's truly a pleasure to share my knowledge and experience with NCL America, and I hope the Conservancy and NCL can continue to breathe new life into this American icon,” Norris added.
NCL America welcomes the new Pride of Hawai`i to its U.S. Flagged fleet in April 2006. She’s the largest US flagged passenger ship ever built, and joins Pride of Aloha and Pride of America offering seven-day, inter-island cruises visiting the beautiful 50th state's four main islands. Pride of Hawai`i, departing Honolulu on Mondays, features the line's extremely popular itinerary with a full day in Hilo, Hawai`i; two days in Kahului, Maui; a day in Kona, Hawai`i and two days in Nâwiliwili, Kaua`i.
Purpose built for NCL's signature Freestyle Cruising, Pride of Hawai`i features a vast array of accommodations including two luxurious Garden Villas with their own private gardens and sun decks, 10 Courtyard Villas sharing a private courtyard, pool and sundeck on deck 14, and a spectacular top-of-the-ship Owner's Suite. The ship also features multiple lively public rooms, 10 restaurants and impressive onboard amenities.
NCL Corporation ("NCL") is an innovative cruise company headquartered in Miami, Florida, with a fleet of 15 ships in service and under construction. The corporation oversees the operations of Norwegian Cruise Line, NCL America, and Orient Lines. In addition to Pride of Hawai’i, the company is currently building two more ships, Norwegian Pearl and Norwegian Gem for delivery in 2007.
For further information, please contact NCL in the U.S. and Canada at (800) 327-7030; visit NCL’s website at www.ncl.com or on AOL at keyword: NCL; or to download high-resolution photography, visit www.ncl.com/hires.
The SS UNITED STATES Conservancy is dedicated to preserving the legacy of our national flagship, the SS UNITED STATES. The Conservancy is a national nonprofit organization founded in 1992 and has thousands of members and supporters nationwide. For more information, please visit www.ssunitedstatesconservancy.org.
Courtesy: Mapquset.
Courtesy Richard Rabbett: SS UNITED STATES CONSERVANCY
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