Crystal Cruises, the luxury cruise line owned by Genting Hong Kong, may reintroduce the 1952 built United States to the sea, the company said in a statement.
Should the plans be realised, the 60,000 gross ton vessel would be transformed into an 800-guest-capacity vessel, featuring 400 suites measuring about 350 square feet with dining, entertainment, spa and other luxury guest amenities that are true to the ship’s storied 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,” Crystal Cruises said, adding that the vessel would operate trans-Atlantic voyages from New York and long cruises from other US ports.
However, as Crystal President and CEO Edie Rodriguez said in the statement, it is not sure that the company will proceed with the plans: “We are honoured 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.”
The company also committed to covering all costs associated with preserving the ship while undertaking a technical feasibility study, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2016.
United States was built in 1952 and it was the fastest ever passenger ship to operate on any ocean liner service. However, the introduction of jet airliners soon rendered this merit worthless and due to mounting losses, the ship was laid up in 1969. Several attempts to revitalise it, including one by Norwegian Cruise Line when it was owned by what is Genting Hong Kong now early in the millennium, were introduced, but so far none of them have been resulted in reactivation of the ship.
