Historic Ocean Liner SS United States Could Be Turned Into Luxury Cruise Ship
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- An iconic ocean liner bigger than the Titanic that once carried celebrities across the Atlantic at record speeds may one day sail again.
Officials of the Crystal Cruises luxury travel company held a news conference Thursday to announce plans to overhaul the SS United States at a cost of at least $700 million.
The 990-foot ship has been docked in Philadelphia for two decades, gutted and rusting.
Before it can be turned into a state-of-the-art commercial vessel, the SS United States must undergo a nine-month feasibility study.
"The ship, going forward, will still sport her iconic funnels and retain her soaring name," Susan Gibbs, head of the SS United States Conservancy, said. "She'll keep her unique razor sharp bow and battleship bones and sleek racing hull."
In its glory days in the 1950s, the SS United States carried everyone from royalty to immigrants across the Atlantic, accompanied by three on-board orchestras.
On its maiden voyage in 1952, the liner's 268,000-horsepower engines propelled it across the Atlantic in three days, 10 hours, 42 minutes. That record stood until 1990.
The ship last sailed in 1969, WCBS 880's Rich Lamb reported.
It is now owned by a conservation group, with a purchase option signed by Crystal Cruises.
"First and foremost, environmental issues are paramount," Crystal Cruises President and CEO Edie Rodriguez told CBS2's Vanessa Murdock.
Big plans for the vessel are well in the works. Artist renderings reveal what the ship might look like upon completion, including luxurious suites to host up to 800 people and fine dining, which is expected to look quite different from the menu of kangaroo tail soup and caviar served back in the ships heyday.
Once the vessel is seaworthy again, it's possible she'll be back in New York City. It could happen as soon as 2018.
This is not the first time that plans were in the works for refurbishment. In 2003, the Norwegian Cruise Lines said it planned an overhaul that did not materialize.
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