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| SS United States: Crystal Cruises Planning Return of Historic Transatlantic Liner | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: 4 Feb 2016, 11:26 PM (22 Views) | |
| skibboy | 4 Feb 2016, 11:26 PM Post #1 |
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SS United States: Crystal Cruises Planning Return of Historic Transatlantic Liner February 4, 2016 by Mike Schuler ![]() SS United States. Photo credit: SS United States Conservancy A major development today in the ongoing saga to save the SS United States from a trip the scrapyard. Los Angeles-based Crystal Cruises says it has signed a purchase option for the historic – yet weathered – transatlantic steam ship and plans to refurbish the vessel and return it to oceangoing service as a modern luxury cruise ship. The announcement was made Thursday by Crystal Cruises together with the SS United States Conservancy preservation group at a press conference at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal in New York City. Crystal says its goal is to bring the ship into compliance with the latest environmental and safety standards, and returning her to full oceangoing service. In doing so, the company has agreed to cover all costs associated with preserving the ship while undertaking a technical feasibility study, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2016. The SS United States, aka “America’s Flagship”, has faced an uncertain future over the years and especially in recent months. In October 2015, the SS United States Conservancy, faced with the challenge covering the vessel’s monthly expenses each month, began exploring options for the potential sale and scrapping of the ship. The news ignited an outpouring of public support, which helped the Conservancy raise an additional $600,000 in funds to continue its preservation efforts and negotiations with potential investors, ultimately saving it from the scrapyard. The Conservancy alluded to today’s good news in late January following a story by the AP that said a deal had been struck to save the ship. “The prospect of revitalizing the SS United States and reestablishing her as ‘America’s Flagship’ once again is a thrilling one. It will be a very challenging undertaking, but we are determined to apply the dedication and innovation that has always been the ship’s hallmark,” said Crystal President and CEO Edie Rodriguez at Thursday press conference. “We are honored to work with the SS United States Conservancy and government agencies in exploring the technical feasibility study so we can ultimately embark on the journey of transforming her into a sophisticated luxury cruise liner for the modern era.” ![]() Rendering of the restored SS United States. Image credit: Crystal Cruises Crystal Cruises says that in order to meet modern demands and be in full regulatory compliance, the SS United States will have to be extensively re-built to meet over 60 years of new maritime rules and shipbuilding practices. During the process, the ship will be transformed into an 800-guest-capacity vessel, featuring 400 luxurious suites with dining, entertainment, spa and other luxury guest amenities that are true to the ship’s history. Features of the original SS United States such as the Promenade and Navajo Lounge will be retained, while new engines and sophisticated marine technology will be installed to maintain her title as the fastest cruise vessel in the world, according to Crystal Cruises. Crystal Cruises says it will be examining exciting new itineraries for the 60,000-gross-ton SS United States, including traditional transatlantic voyages from New York City as well as key U.S. ports and on international voyages around the globe. Despite today’s announcement, critics have questioned the condition of the ship and whether or not it can be restored at all. "To facilitate the technical feasibility study and ensure execution of the project, Crystal has hired retired U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral Tim Sullivan to build and lead a team with a wide range of cruise line technical, legal and regulatory expertise. With 36 years of active service, Admiral Sullivan has extensive experience in ship operations as a Commanding Officer of numerous Coast Guard cutters, and over the years has engaged in high level of interaction with a myriad of U.S. government agencies and international regulatory entities. “Tim’s integrity and leadership will help ensure the feasibility study is conducted with appropriately wide consultation, and rigorous adherence to both safety and environmental awareness,” said Rodriguez. ![]() Photo credit: SS United States Conservation Society The SS United States was launched in 1952 for United States Lines at Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company. The ship quickly made a name for itself, capturing the transatlantic speed record on her maiden voyage – a record that still holds to this day. Not only was the vessel designed for luxurious transatlantic service, the steam ship was built so that it could easily be re-purposed into a naval troop transport in the event of a war, with the ability to carry 15,000 troops and a 240,000 shaft horsepower propulsion plant capable of traveling 10,000 nautical miles without refueling. The ship was taken out of service suddenly in 1969, but remained part of the U.S. Navy’s reserve fleet until 1978 when the Navy decided to sell the vessel to a private owner. Since then, the SS United States has passed from owner to owner. In 2003, the ship ended up in the hands of Norwegian Cruise Lines, which had plans refurbish the ship and return her to service with the company’ American-flagged cruise service. But the plans eventually fell through, and the vessel was again listed for sale in 2009. Wen NCL failed to receive any offers, NCL began looking towards scrapyards, leading the SS United States Conservancy group to launch its “Save Our Ship” Campaign, which helped rally public support and raise the funds needed to purchase the ship. “Crystal’s ambitious vision for the SS United States will ensure our nation’s flagship is once again a global ambassador for the highest standards of American innovation, quality and design,” said Susan Gibbs, executive director of the SS United States Conservancy and granddaughter of the ship’s designer, William Francis Gibbs. “We are thrilled that the SS United States is now poised to make a triumphant return to sea and that the ship’s historical legacy will continue to intrigue and inspire a new generation.” “The Conservancy could never have reached this momentous milestone without the lifeline provided by our supporters from across the country and around the world. Thousands responded to our SOS last October and they refused to give up the fight for America’s Flagship,” continued Gibbs. Source: gCaptain
Edited by skibboy, 4 Feb 2016, 11:27 PM.
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| skibboy | 5 Feb 2016, 02:10 AM Post #2 |
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04 February 2016 Plan aims to revive historic US ocean liner © AFP | Susan Gibbs (L), executive director of SS United States Conservancy, and Edie Rodriguez, President and CEO of Crystal Cruises and granddaughter of the ship's designer, pose with an artist's rendering of the ship February 4, 2016 in New York NEW YORK (AFP) - A historic luxury ocean liner that has languished for decades and seemed destined for the scrap heap could again take to the seas, under a proposal unveiled Thursday in New York. Crystal Cruises announced an exclusive purchase option for the SS United States, valid for nine months and pending a feasibility study, to restore the ship to its former grandeur at an estimated cost of $700-800 million. "It will be a very challenging undertaking," the cruise line's CEO Edie Rodriguez said at a press conference, calling it a "monumental project" for an "important symbol of America." The SS United States was the fastest, most luxurious ocean liner of its day, with a capacity of 2,000 passengers who were entertained by three orchestras, two cinemas and a swimming pool. On its maiden voyage on July 3, 1952, the 990-foot (301-meter) ocean liner crossed the Atlantic in a record three days, 10 hours and 40 minutes. The record still stands. During its lifetime, the boat ferried one million passengers between the US and Europe, including celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe, Coco Chanel, Marlon Brando and four US presidents. But it was decommissioned in 1969 due to the growing popularity of air travel. The SS United States has changed hands several times since then with various ideas of turning it into a casino, a cruise liner or a hospital ship, but none came to fruition. Five years ago, the empty rusty boat with peeling paint was bought by the non-profit group SS United States Conservancy. That group warned in October that the ship would have to be sold to a scrapyard unless new funds or investors came forward to cover the $60,000 a month it cost to dock the ship in the Delaware River in Philadelphia. Rodriguez said if the feasibility study is successful, then the goal is for the renovated SS United States to begin ocean cruises again in 2018. The proposal presented Thursday would maintain some of the ship's features of yore, such as its red smokestacks and the promenade, but it will be completely transformed to accommodate 400 luxury suites for 800 passengers. Susan Gibbs, director of the SS United States Conservancy and granddaughter of the boat's architect, expressed her approval of the Crystal Cruises plan. "We believe this is the best way to save the ship," she said. Source:
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| skibboy | 6 Aug 2016, 10:19 PM Post #3 |
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Cruise Line Cancels Plan to Return SS United States to Sea August 5, 2016 by Mike Schuler ![]() A rendering of the restored SS United States. Image credit: Crystal Cruises 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. Crystal Cruises instead will be donating $350,000 to help secure a future for the famed transatlantic liner. In February, Crystal announced it had reached an exclusive agreement with the SS United States Conservancy to purchase the ship with the goal of converting the iconic 1950s-era vessel into a modern, luxury cruise ship in compliance with all modern safety, environmental, and technical standards. The deal however was dependent on the results of a comprehensive feasibility led by retired U.S. Coast Guard Rear Admiral Tim Sullivan. Crystal revealed the disappointing news on Friday, saying that the study determined that although the ship was structurally sound, a number of technical challenges would prevent her return to modern seagoing service. “Regrettably, the technical feasibility study concluded that while the ship is remarkably intact and structurally sound, modifying the ship for today’s standards for oceangoing service (SOLAS) would require significant changes to the hull that would pose stability challenges,” said Crystal Cruises and the Conservancy in a joint press statement. “Additionally, the installation of a modern, state-of-the-art diesel electric propulsion plant would have necessitated altering of the existing shaft lines and rebuilding about 25 percent of the hull to reconfigure the ship to a twin shaft-twin rudder arrangement. While it was known that the vessel would need to have been essentially rebuilt from the inside out, these specific challenges, among others, collectively posed significant risk to the success of the project. Instead of advancing the purchase option, Crystal will be donating $350,000 to aid in the Conservancy’s ongoing mission to save the ship, which will help the Conservancy “immediately restart its aggressive outreach to qualified developers and investors to secure the ship’s future.” The SS United States, aka “America’s Flagship”, has faced an uncertain future over the years. Last October, the Conservancy, faced with the challenge covering the vessel’s monthly expenses, began exploring options for the potential sale and scrapping of the ship. The news ignited an outpouring of public support, which helped the Conservancy raise an additional $600,000 in funds to continue its preservation efforts and negotiations with potential investors, ultimately saving the vessel from the scrapyard and lead to the agreement with Crystal Cruises. Unfortunately with the agreement now sunk, what’s in store for the SS United States is once again unknown. “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,” said Susan Gibbs, Executive Director of the SS United States Conservancy. “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.” Source: gCaptain
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3:54 PM Jul 11