Retirement and Layup
Decades of Decay
The initial lay up was well conceived. The ship was hermetically sealed by the United States Navy to ensure a minimum of degradation while laid up in the Reserve Fleet. By 1978 the military had determined that it had no use for the huge ship and MARAD offered the vessel for sale. Because of previously classified engineering features, developed in conjunction with the U.S. military, the stipulation was made that the ship could not be sold to foreign interests. The vessel was purchased by developer Richard Hadley of Seattle, who intended to restore it to active cruise service in U.S. waters under a condominium time-sharing arrangement. When financing collapsed, the ship's interiors and fittings were auctioned off in 1984 to pay creditors. The ship would change hands into a consortium owned by Fred Mayer, and several companies expressed an interest in acquiring the liner and returning it to active sea service. The United States was towed to Europe where removal of significant quantities of asbestos was undertaken.
Shipyard authorities eventually seized the ship for non-payment related to the hazardous materials removal, and Philadelphia businessman Edward Cantor stepped in and brokered a deal to resolve the ship's outstanding debt. Cantor arranged for the ship to be towed back to its home country where the faded SS United States arrived in Philadelphia in July 1996 and has remained docked. In 2003 Edward Cantor died, leaving the future of the ship in seemingly uncertain straits.
Purchase by Norwegian Cruise Lines
After years of speculation, including considerable talk of the vessel's sale for scrapping late in 2002, it was announced in the spring of 2003 that Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) had purchased the ship as part of a multi-ship plan to create an American-flagged cruise service. In June 2004, NCL reflagged the Pride of Aloha cruise ship as an American vessel and has stated that the SS United States, due to the extensive nature of the refit required, would be the last vessel to be rehabilitated into their cruise itinerary by 2010.
During this time, extensive feasability studies were made, each which found the SS United States to be in remarkable structural condition despite her deteriorated outward appearance. However the late-2000s recession greatly hurt the cruise industry, and in January 2009 NCL announced that it would no longer pursue a refit of the SS United States and that it was offering the vessel for sale.
Save Our Ship
After the ship had been listed for sale for a year, in early 2010 NCL announced that it would be accepting bids from scrappers. After this announcement the SS United States Conservancy launched a major campaign, "Save Our Ship", to raise funds and awareness in support of the vessel.
In July of 2010, the Conservancy announced that it had received a $5.8 million pledge from Philadelphia philanthropist H.F. "Gerry" Lenfest, allowing the Conservancy to buy the ship outright and maintain her at her current berth for 20 months while redevelopment plans are made and funds for her restoration are raised. This marks the first time in the history of the SS United States that a group concerned primarily with the vessel's historical significance and preservation has owned her.
While this great ship is safe for now, she has not yet been "saved". Funds must yet be raised for her restoration and redevelopment. Once this significant task is completed, the Conservancy envisions a future where the SS United States is a sustainable waterfront attraction, providing jobs and important public amenities, while educating and inspiring future generations.
Top photo courtesy Maurice Polak. Bottom photo courtesy Greg Shutters.