The current owner of the SS UNITED STATES has informed the SS United States Conservancy that important conditions have been imposed on the terms of the ship's sale.  Star Cruises, parent company of Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), has disclosed that the ship will only be sold to a U.S. buyer and will not be sold for scrap. The vessel has now officially been listed with the Florida-based ship brokerage, Southport Atlantic (contact information:  ships@Southportatlantic.com) with these terms of sale in place.  SS United States Conservancy board member Greg Norris met today with Southport Atlantic principals to discuss the Conservancy's interest in ensuring a dignified future for our national flagship.
 
Since NCL's purchase of the SS UNITED STATES in 2003, the Conservancy has maintained a working relationship with the company, and has continued to emphasize the special and irreplaceable nature of this national icon. In the wake of last month's news that NCL had abandoned plans for the ship's refurbishment and that ownership had reverted back to a holding company controlled by Star Cruises, the Conservancy initiated its "SOS: Save Our Ship" Campaign.  This contributed to national media coverage in USA Today, the Philadelphia Inquirer, WHYY, the Los Angeles Times, Lloyd's List, Professional Mariner, Popular Mechanics and other print and online publications and outlets.  In addition, the Conservancy helped found the new "Coalition to Save the SS United States," and continues to participate actively in this new group of 30 organizations and individuals dedicated to preserving the SS UNITED STATES.  The Coalition currently includes members in the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom.
 
The latest news of the vessel's terms of sale gives cause for cautious optimism that there may still be time to save the ship, widely considered the crowning maritime achievement of the 20th century.  However, given the current state of the economy, the Conservancy remains realistic about the probability of selling a 57-year-old, 990-foot-long vessel for any purpose other than scrap.

"This announcement is a ray of hope amidst a period of widespread gloom and anxiety," said SS United States Conservancy President Susan Gibbs, whose grandfather, William Francis Gibbs, designed the ship.  "We are grateful that Star Cruises and NCL appear to appreciate the ship's historic importance and national symbolism.  We look forward to continuing to partner with a wide array of stakeholders to ensure that a dignified and self-sustaining future for the SS UNITED STATES emerges."
 
"We're not out of the woods yet," said Dan McSweeney, Conservancy Vice President.  "But this announcement from NCL/Star is reason to take heart and keep the momentum growing.  We have heard from hundreds of people via our online petition and we will continue to work to save our ship," he said.

The SS United States Conservancy is working to help establish a public-private partnership to acquire the ship, perhaps as a job and revenue-generating stationary attraction in a major U.S. city.

Photo courtesy of the Sculley Family

In our ongoing mission to preserve both the SS UNITED STATES and her legacy for future generations, the Conservancy is once again calling for submissions to our Archive Project.  We have been collecting stories, photographs, and home movies from those who experienced the ship first hand since our inception.  The Archive Project was an invaluable resource to filmmakers Mark Perry and Robert Radler during production of the documentary film, "SS United States: Lady in Waiting."  A selection from the Conservancy's archives will also be on display at the forthcoming maritime exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution.  We seek donated submissions of photos, slides, and home movies taken aboard the ship.  In exchange for granting the Conservancy permission to use these materials to promote the cause of saving, revitalizing, and preserving the history of the SS UNITED STATES, the Conservancy will pay for the scanning of still images (both prints and slides) as well as for the transfer of original 8mm, Super 8mm, or 16mm film to digital video.  Those who provide the Conservancy with these materials will have their original prints, slides or films returned to them along with a CD-ROM of their digitized images, and/or a DVD or VHS copy of their home movie.  The digital format will preserve the donated images for many years to come in the highest quality format now available, preventing the loss of such images through the inevitable deterioration of photographs, slides, and especially home movies.  Each contributor will also be acknowledged with a credit such as "photo (or film) courtesy of" whenever and wherever their images are used. Of course, if you already have scanned files of your images or your home movies in digital format, the Conservancy would welcome copies of those contributions as well. 


The Conservancy's Oral Histories Project is seeking written submissions by former passengers, crew, and those who helped build our nation's flagship.  Written "memoirs" may be as brief of as long as you like, and may be submitted to stories@ssunitedstatesconservancy.org.