Crystal Cruises CANNOT DO IT

Posted on 08/12/2016 | About United States

In February, Crystal Cruises announced an exclusive agreement to purchase the SS United States as long as a comprehensive study determined the feasibility of converting the 1950s vessel into a modern, luxury cruise line in compliance with all modern safety, environmental, and technical standards. It was not to be.

Last week the cruise line and the SS United States Conservancy released a joint press release which said, "Unfortunately, transforming America's Flagship into a modern, commercial cruise ship in compliance with current international regulations proved too challenging and would have imposed major changes to the ship's historic design well beyond those initially envisioned."The feasibility study was conducted by retired US Coast Guard Rear Admiral Tim Sullivan and resulted in a cancellation by Crystal Cruises to restore the vessel.Crystal Cruises' technical team "comprehensive" assessment of the ship included underwater inspections by divers; digital scans of the entire ship and preparing a tow plan from its dock along the Delaware River.
The statement added, "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.
"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."
The initial plan was to transform the ship into an 800-guest, 400-suite cruiser.
Results of the research were given to the Conservancy as well as a $350,000 donation from the cruise line to assist in the ongoing mission to save the ship.
The SS United States Conservancy stated that the ship is "in remarkably strong structural condition, as the conservancy has long contended." They added, "We will immediately resume our aggressive outreach to qualified developers and investors to secure the ship's future."
Presently, the ship is in South Philadelphia positioned across from IKEA. Its last trip to sea was in 1969 and it has been in the city since 1996.
Susan Gibbs, Executive Director of the SS United States Conservancy said, "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."