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Star Cruises, parent
company of Norwegian Cruise Line, told the SS United States
Conservancy 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, with these terms of sale in place. SS United
States Conservancy board member Greg Norris met 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
relationship with the company and has emphasized 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. 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 vessel. The coalition
currently includes members in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.
“The 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,” the conservancy said in a
statement. “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 amid a period of widespread
gloom and anxiety,” said 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.” 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. For more information, visit
www.ssunitedstatesconservancy.org. |
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