Triple play! Another news story on the Big U this week!
rhwest...@yahoo.com
Philadelphia Business Journal - March 10, 2006by Diana HuynhSpecial to
the Business Journal
On its 1952 maiden voyage, the S.S. United States became a symbol of
American ingenuity, setting a speed record that has yet to be broken.
Built by the U.S. government as an ocean liner that could be converted
for war usage, its technologically advanced design made it the ultimate
trans-Atlantic ship. In its heyday its high-status passengers included
Marilyn Monroe and John F. Kennedy.
Challenged by financial issues and aircraft competition, the S.S.
United States was shut down in 1969 and sold to several owners. After
failed attempts at making it into a cruise liner, it ended up in
Philadelphia in 1996.
Today, its past glory is relatively unknown. What was once an emblem of
luxury travel is now rusting at its dock on the Delaware River.
In April 2003, Norwegian Cruise Lines bought the S.S. United States and
announced a plan to refurbish it into a cruise liner for use in the
Hawaiian Islands. But, nearly three years after the announcement, the
ship is still sitting on the Delaware, and many of the ship's
enthusiasts are questioning if NCL intends to keep its word.
NCL representatives said that they are still in the process of testing
the ship for feasibility as a cruise liner.
"When we first bought the ship, we received e-mails and calls and we
told them the same thing we are telling them now, this is a long-term
plan," said Susan Robison, a public relations representative for NCL.
Robison said the ship's hull has been tested to be in excellent
condition and the engine is being tested to see if it meets current
standards. But in actuality, she said, the decision to make the S.S.
United States into a cruise liner lies in the success of another ship.
NCL's new fleet of U.S. flagships serving the Hawaiian Islands already
includes the Pride of America and the Pride of Aloha and will add the
Pride of Hawai'i in April, exactly three years after NCL announced its
intentions for the S.S. United States. Robison said that whether or not
the S.S. United States joins the fleet depends on the success of the
Hawai'i.
"We're reviving the flagship," said Robison. "And United States is part
of that long-term plan to add more ships."
But to many who are monitoring the status of the United States, it is
not whether or not NCL will come through with its plans, it's what
should happen to the ship. Some fans would like to see the ship turned
into something that will honor its place in history.
"I think NCL has approached it with good intentions," said Robert
Hudson Westover, chairman of the S.S. United States Foundation, a
nonprofit organization he created in 1998 to garner support to protect
and restore the ship. "But NCL is for profit and they need to make
money. If they make it into a cruise ship, history will be
annihilated."
Westover, a public affairs specialist for the U.S. Department of
Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service, gained interest
in the ship and launched an Internet campaign.
Since then, 1,500 members have joined the foundation. Their first
victory came in 1999, when they successfully petitioned for the United
States to be on the National Register of Historic Places.
Despite having its interiors destroyed or removed from previous owners,
the United States can still become an impressive museum, Westover said.
He proposes a maritime museum that showcases America's history at sea.
He also believes that creating the museum at the United State's current
location off of Columbus Boulevard would be a great tourist attraction
for Philadelphia, citing similar success for the British Queen Mary,
which attracts 2 million visitors to Long Beach, Calif., a year.
However, the foundation has a long way to go. Westover said that
members are still in the phase of raising awareness. He recently filed
an application that made the S.S. United States a candidate for the
National Trust's America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list.
"We want to work with Congress to regulate [what happens to the ship].
The NCL brought a lot of attention on the ship and that's good," said
Westover. But he wants to be more careful with his strategy. "We can't
just haphazardly storm into Congress, we have to go in with support."
Westover hopes that if the United States is selected for the Most
Endangered Historic Places list, it will encourage Congress to pass
legislation to historically preserve the United States.
"I don't know anything about boats," said Westover. "If it was any
other ship, I would not be fighting for it. This is ship is very
significant. I will fight for it until the very end."