U.S. Luxury Liner Slated to Sail Again

By KARI FORD

At a riverside press conference Thursday shipbuilders announced that the historic ocean liner SS United States would make a grand comeback with the help of the SSUS Conservancy, Crystal Cruises, and many generous donors around the world.

The cruise line, backers said, has committed $700 million to restoring the liner to a fully functional luxury cruise ship. She will essentially need to be re-built in order to comply with current regulations, including new engines and marine technology, while popular features of the original liner, such as the Promenade and Navajo Lounge, would remain.

The ship also needs to undergo a technical feasibility study, led by retired U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral Tim Sullivan, who has 36 years of active service and extensive experience in ship operations as a commanding officer. This study will determine what changes need to occur for the United States to comply with all current environmental and safety standards set by the government and is set to be completed by the end of 2016.

“Change is both exhilarating and challenging,” starts Susan Gibbs, executive director of the SSUS Conservancy and granddaughter of the ship’s designer, William Francis Gibbs, comparing these changes to some going on in her own life. “As the mother of three children with a newly empty nest, this transition strikes a deeply personal chord.” She quotes W. Hodding Carter as saying, “there are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One of these is roots; the other, wings,” and says that Crystal will give the ship wings, while the Conservancy will tend to the roots.

When finished, the liner will make her traditional transatlantic trips from New York City to Europe, as well as cruises from ports all over the U.S. and international voyages around the world. Crystal also aims to preserve the speed record that the vessel already holds from its maiden voyage in 1952 when it sailed from New York City to England and back, organizers noted.

“It is our aspiration that the ship returns to the sea as America’s Flagship once again, bringing her beauty of the past into the present,” Edie Rodriguez, President and CEO of Crystal Cruises, declared. “In her heyday, the ship was a destination in itself. More than a ship or mode of transportation, it was the way to travel. We aim to make her that way again. Glamour and sophistication will set the stage for the ship’s stars of today.

The ship will hold 800 guests in “stylish luxury.” Rodriguez described their mission to, “ultimately see that the United States by Crystal Cruises allows guests to relish a bygone era of luxury travel while indulging in the modern extravagances that Crystal offers the worlds’ travelers.”