MIAMI Norwegian Cruise Line’s surprise purchase of two vintage
ocean liners, the United States and the Independence, has delighted
many fans of the legendary ships.
“I don’t think there’s anything we’ve done in the last three
years that’s got as much attention,” NCL President and CEO Colin
Veitch told TravelAge West.
“The United States is not some old forgotten relic. It has a
place in the hearts and minds of many people.”
During its 1952 maiden voyage, the United States set a North
Atlantic crossing record of three days, 10 hours and 42 minutes,
shaving 10 hours off the Queen Mary’s time, and running at speeds
averaging almost 36 knots.
Like other liners, it fell victim to the jumbo-jet era, was
mothballed in 1969, and lately has been languishing in
Philadelphia.
The 1951-built Independence sailed the Hawaiian islands for many
years under the American Hawaii Cruises banner, most recently as
part of the American Classic Voyages fleet.
The ship sold for $4 million at a bankruptcy auction in
February.
The purchaser, who was not identified at the time, turned out to
be a shell company acting on behalf of NCL. The “Indy” remains tied
up in San Francisco.
NCL snapped up the liners “when it became apparent we would be
able to build a U.S.-flag initiative,” Veitch said.
Recent federal legislation gave NCL the right to complete two
Project America ships which were intended for American Classic
Voyages, until its post-9/11 collapse and register them, along with
a third NCL ship, in the United States. The trio will then sail in
Hawaii without being required to visit a foreign port.
The vintage liners aren’t expected to enter service for several
years. The plan, Veitch said, is to focus on completing the Project
America ships and then have the United States and the Independence
come in on the heels of that success.
Veitch said the vintage vessels probably will be used for
mainland itineraries.
“The idea with these two additional ships is to put them where
there isn’t any cruising at the moment,” Veitch said. “They are
U.S.-flag, so they can go from U.S. port to U.S. port without
calling at a foreign port in between.”
Asked if either might operate from California where cities such
as San Diego and San Francisco have lobbied for federal exemptions
so foreign-flag ships could cruise the coast legally Veitch
declined to give specifics.
He did suggest that the United States and the Independence would
offer varied routes rather than fixed, year-round deployments.
The cost of updating the aging, steam-turbine liners could run
into the hundreds of millions of dollars.
“It’s a large number,” Veitch acknowledged. “We’re really
talking about a newbuild in an existing hull.”
American yards will work on the hulls and the superstructures,
with interiors to be completed in Europe.
