Cruise Line Cancels Plan to Return SS United States to Sea

gcaptain ^ | August 5, 2016 | Mike Schuler

[rockinqsranch]

Any hope of the SS United States returning to the high seas as a modern luxury cruise ship has now faded with Los Angeles-based Crystal Cruises cancelling its plan to restore the vessel after a feasibility study determined that the project was just a bit too ambitious.

[rockinqsranch]

It did seem a bit too much to expect.

[headstamp 2]

Dollar for dollar it would probably be cheaper in the long run to start new.

[headstamp 2]

http://gcaptain.com/vlcc-collides-with-giant-msc-boxship-in-singapore-strait/#at_pco=smlwn-1.0&at_si=57a55466b1c4529c&at_ab=per-2&at_pos=0&at_tot=1

[Robert A Cook PE]

The row of containers stacked neatly on the bow of the supertanker are like that passenger from the Andrea Doria who woke up on the deck of the Stockholm after the two ships collided right below her stateroom during their collision off of New York Harbor.

[bamapreacher]

Kind of sad, although perhaps prophetic. The United States was the pride of the United States, now it rots its life away on the Philadelphia waterfront while the country rots its life away under democrat’s rule.

[867V309]

They should just put it in the atrium of one of the new super cruiser mega-toilets.

[rottndog]

Dollar for dollar it would probably be cheaper in the long run to start new.

This is why the US Navy is constantly replacing ships...they have a limited lifespan. At a certain point, it just becomes uneconomical to repair/refurbish/upgrade existing ships. So much maintenance is required to keep a ship operational in such a corrosive environment...and it will always be a losing battle.

And then as technology changes and improves...it's easier and cheaper to adapt it to new construction than retrofit to existing platforms...

Same reason the Iowa class battleships will never sail again. Wonderful ships, but the cost of bringing them out of obsolescence would be ludicrously high.

[gigster]

A boat is a hole in the water that you pour money into.

[Riley]

It did, a shame though. Wanted to see her blasting across the Atlantic again.

[rockinqsranch]

Yes it would have been nice, but..................

[gigster]

...one of the new super cruiser mega-toilets. Good one. I refer to them as floating Petri Dishes.

[Blue Jays]

It was a super cool-looking ship, yet wowza is that a seriously ambitious project to bring to completion.

[kvanbrunt2]

i see this great ship about 5 days a week. what a shame. There is a good video on the current condition of the ship.

[blueplum]

It’s structurally sound, so why can’t it be a floating bed and breakfast museum somewhere?

[867V309]

...one of the new super cruiser mega-toilets. Good one. I refer to them as floating Petri Dishes.

===================================

Why would anybody?

Middle of nowhere, nothing but water. Close confines with diseased strangers. 3rd world boat and crew, disaster waiting to happen. A garbage basket fire and you're stranded without AC or flushing toilets.

And if you're lucky enough to survive, the cruise line will give you a discount on another boat to hell.

[ROCKLOBSTER]

So much maintenance is required to keep a ship operational in such a corrosive environment.

They should make them out of plastic.

[Noob1999]

That seals her fate!

Time for scrapping on the Benglidesh beaches!

[chrisinoc]

Let’s hope the SS United States has a better future than its rival in the 1950s and 1960s, the RMS Queen Mary. The ship has been a financial disaster since 1967 and no hope of getting better.

[SoCal Pubbie]

At least it still exists. The RMS Queen Elizabeth, SS France, and countless others are long gone. Another poster stated it precisely. Saving these old ships just isn’t practical. That being said, if the City of Long Beach had cooperated with Disney, there would be a huge theme park there and plenty of money today.

I worked on the ship for a short time during college. I believe a sure fire way to make the ship viable would be to expand the adjacent shopping area and add a casino. There would be plenty of traffic coming in with that draw to carry the load.

[GunsAndBibles]

901 feet long overall
101 feet broad
4 sets steam turbines
36 knot service speed
1,956 passenger capacity
53,329 gross tonnage
268,800 shaft horsepower
45+ knots maximum
Record crossing New York to England in 1952, 3 days and 10 hours, which still stands.