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Crystal Cruises drops SS United States revival plans

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Crystal Cruises has dropped plans to revive historic transatlantic liner SS United States after a six-month evaluation.

The luxury line said that while the vessel is structurally sound “the technical and commercial challenges associated with returning the historic liner to service as a modern cruise ship have unfortunately proven insurmountable”.

Crystal and the SS United States Conservancy announced in February that they had entered into an exclusive option agreement to convert the iconic 1950’s-era vessel into a modern, luxury cruise ship that would comply with all modern safety and technical standards.

A $1 million feasibility study and professional evaluation was instituted using world-class team of engineers and experts.

The line’s president and chief executive Edie Rodriguez said: “Over the past six months, Crystal has conducted an extensive feasibility study to restore ‘America’s Flagship’ to oceangoing service.

“Unfortunately, the hurdles that would face us when trying to bring a 65-year-old vessel up to modern safety, design and international regulatory compliance have proven just too great to clear in both a technically and commercially responsible manner.”

Susan Gibbs, executive director of the SS United States Conservancy, added: “While it has been determined that Crystal’s exciting vision for the ship would have required overcoming various technical hurdles and major changes to her historic design, the studies performed have confirmed the ship is structurally sound.

“America’s Flagship continues to hold enormous potential as a stationary mixed-use development and museum in New York or another urban waterfront setting.

“The SS United States Conservancy remains deeply committed to saving this unique and powerful symbol of the nation’s strength, history, and innovation.”

Crystal will make a donation of $350,000 to aid in the Conservancy’s ongoing mission to save the ship.

Crystal’s latest project: Restore the SS United States

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Crystal’s rendering of a restored SS United States.

NEW YORK — Crystal Cruises on Thursday revealed a grand plan to transform the SS United States — a mothballed, 65-year-old ocean liner — into a modern, luxury cruise vessel.

The ship has been docked in Philadelphia since 1996.

Edie Rodriguez, Crystal’s CEO, revealed the company’s plans today along with the ship’s current owner, the SS United States Conservancy, at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal here. Rodriguez said Crystal would cover all costs associated with preserving the ship while it undergoes a technical feasibility study to determine if it can be revitalized.

Edie Rodriguez said Crystal would cover all costs associated with preserving the ship while it undergoes a technical feasibility study. Photo Credit: Arnie Weissmann
Edie Rodriguez said Crystal would cover all costs associated with preserving the ship while it undergoes a technical feasibility study.Photo Credit: Arnie Weissmann

 

Crystal plans to transform the liner into an 800-passenger, 400-suite vessel called the United States by Crystal Cruises, preserving historical elements of the original United States, such as its promenade and Navajo Lounge. Crystal said it would be rebuilt extensively to meet current standards and would be in full regulatory compliance.

“Our goal is that it reemerge as a modern luxury vessel,” Rodriguez said, adding that the vessel would have the same 1.6 passenger-to-crew ratio as the 1,070-passenger Crystal Serenity. “It is our aspiration that it emerges as America’s flagship again.”

Susan Gibbs, executive director of the SS United States Conservancy and granddaughter the ship’s designer, William Francis Gibbs, said the conservancy planned to develop a land-based museum dedicated to the United States, and hoped to anchor it in New York.

She conceded that the liner “obviously needs upgrades” in order to “adhere to 60 years of rules and regulations.”

“Change is both exhilarating and challenging,” she said.

This is the second time that Crystal’s owner, Genting Hong Kong, will own the storied ocean liner, long known as the Big U.

Genting’s Star Cruises purchased the United States in 2003, intending to operate the ship as part of NCL America, Norwegian’s U.S.-flagged fleet operating in Hawaii. (Star Cruises owned 100% of Norwegian Cruise Line at the time.)

NCL’s U.S.-flagged operations did not grow as planned, and the SS United States Conservancy purchased the United States from Norwegian/Genting in order to save it from being sent to a scrapyard.

The United States still holds the “Blue Riband” record for fastest transatlantic speed, set in 1952 on its maiden voyage from New York to England.