SS United States Visit (2016)

[@painterpip4531]

Thanks for that, it was fun. I was 8 years old, in February 1961, when I crossed the Atlantic, from Southampton to New York (via Le Havre) on the S.S. United States. I recall running all over those green decks, and up to the base of those gigantic funnels. I hope somebody restores her one day. I remember a restaurant, with the chairs strapped to the tables, the cinema, and some table tennis tables in a housing on the (windy) top decks. In 1962, I travelled back home to England on her.

[@tostentwo]

Nice to once again see a cruise ship that isn't a decorated buffet barge. Looking forward to seeing the finished product.

[@1940limited]

Sorry, but the deal fell through.

[@conveyor2]

An ocean liner isn't a cruise ship. When will people learn?

[@stevefranklin8052]

wp r yup.

[@akosilolo]

Awesome video, Barry! Thank you for giving us the opportunity to visit the SS United States and to have a glimpse at her interiors. Very professional video document of a great ship.

[@porkchop1343]

Old Ships are awesome 😎

[@JayyB]

Thanks Barry for an update on this magnificent ship. These liners are truly monuments to human achievement that sadly very few people today appreciate. I've been a fan since I was a kid and read everything I could get my hands on about the great transatlantic liners. I had the good fortune to take the trip of a lifetime in 1984 on the SS Norway for 3 1/2 weeks, going transatlantic from Philadelphia to Southampton, Amsterdam, then on to the North Cape of Norway, going down several fjords along the way. A particularly thrilling moment was when we left Southampton the afternoon after we'd arrived. The QE2 had pulled in that morning shortly after we had, maybe 3/4 mile down the "Southampton Water" as the Brits called it. There was a color photo of both ships in the paper that day with headline: "The Glory Days are Back!" as the two then largest liners in the world were in town. As we approached the QE2 the ships began saluting each other w/ their horns, the Norway first w/ her brash and extremely loud electric "typhons" (as the control on the bridge wings were labeled) followed by the much more polite traditional steam whistle of the QE2. It was one of those moments that made everyone's spine tingle. There were thousands of people on the riverbanks watching this bit of history. I will never forget how exciting it was to see those two great ships side by side and be lucky enough to be on board one of them. Unless the Big U gets a multibillionaire benefactor I don't see how she'll ever be restored. She would certainly be a fantastic national monument, especially if she were kept seaworthy. The timing was right in the late 70s for NCL to acquire the SS France, then only several years out of service and in remarkably good shape, to convert & update her for Caribbean service. The Big U, nearly 50 years out of service and neglected for most of that time is a far far bigger undertaking.

[@prmeth3utempet339]

awesome work barry

[@toaster______7930]

I just wish i have money to fix this beauty...

[@ekrestoration]

wish you

[@studiodevelopers2467]

@@ekrestoration i wanna do it. and were talking to DONALD TRUMP about restoring HER !

[@bjornstaverfelt2078]

Hi! I made a trip from New York to Bremerhaven i november 1969. A fantastic trip!

[@farber442]

The Big U is awesome, can't wait till I can Book a cruise on her, and I will. She is a true American Achievement in Shipbuilding, and we should ALL be proud of that Wonderful Ship:)😃

[@conveyor2]

You can't "book a cruise" on an ocean liner.

[@benmackarel295]

wp r queen marry would like to know your location

[@porpoisedrivenlife8474]

Thanks for this! I recommend looking at the 1991 video of the entire ship when it was still fitted out. I watched the entire 3hrs. mesmerizing. I wonder what they will use to power it for it's new life as a cruiser? Surely the original boilers and turbines are shot, and there is no need for a 40-knot speed now.

[@MarkWick]

In May of 1958 my family and I boarded the United States to sail from Scotland to the U.S. Just last week I posted photos of our voyage on Facebook. I hope she can be saved so that at least the exterior will be restored to what it once was.

[@qe2836]

I think the problems with the current situation are the huge docking fees and the fact that nobody is allowed to work on the ship. All the donations are spent to keep her docked. Let's say I want to donate $1000, that money would only be used to keep her docked for 12 more hours. If something really would happen and money actually would be used to restore her, a lot more people would show their interest in the ship.

[@1940limited]

Why is no one allowed to work on the ship? I'd like to see just a cosmetic restoration to it's exterior including replacing the lifeboats. One of its propellers has been sold to keep up with the docking fees. That why the handrails on the stern are damaged. Someone goofed up removing one of the propellers sitting on the poop deck. It's a dire situation.

[@williamharper6458]

That ship sure is a beauty, and they sure do not make them like that any more. I hope that it is restored back to its former glory.

[@javamann1000]

Here's HOPING! Wonderful Project!

[@ekrestoration]

yes

[@johnbockelie3899]

Of course it never happened.

[@nitinkanals5087]

please save it. 😭

[@richardschindler8822]

Indeed it's a shame that Crystal lines didn't take it. Didn't really think it was feasible but one can only hope. Just got a message from the conservancy today saying they are still working on trying to find a way to turn it into a multi use project. Stores, office and such. I wish them all the best. It would be a shame to see this classic beauty wind up in the scrap heap.

[@WaterWorld1]

Nice work as usual Barry, but I hear Crystal have got cold feet and abandoned the renovation project - sad!

[@PreservationEnthusiast]

This ship will be cut for scrap soon.

[@kitt2000car]

Only when the Conservancy is unable to find enough gullible people to donate money for ship docking fees and whoever is on their payroll.

[@Drakelx55]

SteamLocoScrapper it’s been a year now and she’s still with us, so fuck off with your negativity

[@johnfranklin5277]

@@Drakelx55 Watch your mouth, punk kid.

[@Drakelx55]

John Franklin how about I don’t 😂

[@prowordsmith]

If my aged memory serves me, I seem to recall seeing the launching of the USS America, the United States sister ship. I would have been about 9 years old; I don't remember where the launching occurred - somewhere in the northeast. My Dad was a Cape Cod lad and was always interested in ships and the sea. He liked the steam ships but his heart was with the square riggers.

[@PepperandPine]

Another fascinating exploration. Thanks for sharing. I hope you'll do a special when this one is fully restored. -Hana

[@danielsterling7673]

huh that's news to me

[@sailorx72]

It would be nice to see it restored and made into a dock side attraction just like the Queen Mary. That way she can get you majesty back and bring a profit in.

[@nachtjager77]

She is a national treasure and needs to be restored, but I highly doubt she'll ever sail again for anyone. Sad shame this much damage was done just because of "asbestos" - kind of like cutting off somebody's arm because they've got a bruise.

[@qe2836]

The removal of asbestos shouldn't have "destroyed" the interior. They did almost the same with the SS Rotterdam but they did a sensitive restoring and many things were refitted. The problem with the SS US was that they ran out of money and sold almost everything from the ship, including the equipment on the bridge.

[@1940limited]

Typical story of under funding vs. grand dreams. How many times have we seen it? The object at hand pays the price. I'd like to know how it was towed to Turkey and back. That must have been some operation. Why was it sent over there? Why not to its original builders?

[@sealover5861]

+g bridgman It will be interesting to see if the new plans for the QE2 in Dubai will work this time. After years of decay she's actually undergoing work to become a centerpiece of a new marina for luxury yachts in Port Rashid, Dubai. A sad story of failed plans is the former NAL (Norwegian America Line) liner Vistafjord (1973), later renamed Caronia, Saga Ruby and Oasia. She was probably the last built classic styled liner. She was properly converted to a still seaworthy hotel ship, but her owners went bankrupt and, after they couldn't find a buyer, she was sold for scrap and arrived in Alang in April this year. I'm not American, but I have a great passion for ocean liners and I really hope that "The Big U" could be saved somehow or other.

[@sealover5861]

+nachtjager77 I personally don't support making the ship to sail again. It would need too much changes, a hotel/museum ship would be a lot better. You can just look at the former Swedish ocean liner MS Stockholm, 1946, ("famous" for the Andrea Doria disaster in 1956), still sailing as MV Astoria. There isn't more left of the original ship than the hull, and even it is modified. She has lost a lot of her historical value.

[@joemancini327]

@@sealover5861 The Stockholm was refitted to be a cruise ship because Ocean Liners really aren't profitable anymore. The reason? Air planes. They've been dominating the transatlantic passenger routes since October, 1958 when Pan-American made the first public jet air liner crossing. For that reason, besides the Queen Mary 2 there is no need for Ocean Liners anymore. People will just take an air plane because it's faster. It'd be interesting if Ocean Liners could go up to a speed to compete with Jet air liners, however I don't see that happening.

[@sir_canister7075]

the ship was going to be use as a hotel when it's restored

[@Phil-ud2vv]

Great video Barry , I live in Australia and absolutely love these grand old ladies of the seas . I agree and would love to see her restored to some form of her former glory , but I’ve been watching closely for a few years and I’m not so positive that she will see that day the $$ would be staggering and unless we could find someone with nothing better to do with lots and lots of money it won’t happen . It is sad but in reality it’s only enthusiastic maritime historians like us that would like to see this grand ship shine again 👍👍🇳🇿🇳🇿

[@xavierlauzac5922]

🇦🇺

[@xavierlauzac5922]

The flag you used was the New Zealand flag.

[@timdekleijn8910]

In Holland they've got the ss Rotterdam, and they did the same thing, as with the Queen Mary, they've turned it into a hotel and museum.

[@qe2836]

+TimdeKleijn Holland made a better work, they restored the SS Rotterdam to her original condition. From the Queen Mary they removed all boilers and 3 of 4 turbines. That was a "rape" of a grand old lady.

[@mikemancini313]

@@qe2836 It was also part of the contract that the Queen Mary could never sail again because she could be a rival to her original owners Cunard. Now she's technically classified as a piece of land and not actually a ship as far as I know. Kind of strange.

[@qe2836]

​@@mikemancini313 I don't think the contract obligated Long Beach to "destroy" these parts of the ship. It wasn't done to RMS Queen Elizabeth either. QE was planned to continue sailing, but we know what happened. There were other reasons to remove QM's machinery. And even if the contract didn't allow QM to sail again, there wouldn't have been much chance that this would've happened either, at least not as an ocean liner. Remember that Atlantic traveling by ships was a dying business. Cunard had reasons to sell QM: - She wasn't profitable anymore, with an outdated technology and an enormous fuel consumption. - After almost 32 years of active service she was pretty worn out too. This is the reason why QE2 was built, to be more efficient and cheaper to operate - and new. I don't find it strange at all. If QM had continued to be classified as a ship, she would still have to be fully seaworthy and follow today's strict maritime safety and environmental laws. That would cost a huge amount of money and would also caused a lot of changes to the ship like, for example, modern life boats. It's much easier and cheaper to have a museum ship classified as a building.

[@moz1953]

she is a true indictment of our throwaway society and lack of foresight

[@joemancini327]

it's gonna be hard when it takes 1,000 dollars to keep this ship on the dock for 12 hours

[@sonnypruitt6639]

SS United States is the perfect metaphor for the country who's name she bares.

[@finsfan90]

Yea America is dead, empty inside, and rusted over right now after 8 years of Obama. But now with Trump, we will be refurbished and will rule the seas once again!

[@SteveInScotland]

finsfan90 Ha!!!!!

[@ronaldmiller2740]

HI BARRY I thought that the SS UNITED STATES ship sank some company bought it Korea ???

[@denniscostabile4264]

Thanks for this! Sadly the deal fell through with Chrystal Cruises, so she is still just sitting there as she was when you visited.

[@alejandrochavez9893]

why can't the ship be turned into a museum and a hotel like the queen mary at long beach, California

[@walterharp1773]

must be a high cost factor keeping investors away

[@maxkoll118]

Because is too expensive . Usa is not china !

[@johnfranklin5277]

Because the queen mary was not GUTTED. like the ss United states. Gutting the ship out. Removed all the history, and what made her what she was. It's just an empty shell now, and that is why no one wants it.

[@brettdemauna36]

@@maxkoll118. Shitty CHINA. It doesn't even had a single ocean liner. Should they build 1... I assure you it'll be essentially be built out of cardboard.

[@studiodevelopers2467]

@@brettdemauna36 www.ssusc.org/

[@peteacher52]

The most famous passenger liner to sail the seas? No. That was the Queen Mary with an unblemished WW2 troop ship record and as a highly popular peace-time liner. The SS United States was built for one reason only; national pride in claiming the Blue Riband from Great Britain. Which it did. Many people see the SS United States as the best-looking of all the liners and it would be difficult to gainsay that, except to point out that a 1952 Chevrolet looks vastly different from a 1936 Chevrolet. Same with vessels. It will be wonderful to see her rejuvenated if the spondoolicks can be raised - I'd be among the many seeking a berth if the opportunity arose.

[@chappye7]

Save the United States

[@TheCarnivalguy]

This just now showed up in my feed. As an ocean liner enthusiast (and I don’t mean cruise ship 🙄) it’s always a pleasure to see anything on the remarkable SS United States. Of course, we now know that Crystal decided not to pursue the endeavor. More is the pity. To restore the flagship of the US is a noble but highly daunting task. We have so many billionaires in this country, it should be their patriotic duty to save the ship. But who am I to tell them what to do with their money. I have researched nothing of late on The Big U, but I’m afraid the results would still find her survival precarious. I would be shocked if more than a few million Americans even knew the ship existed, and it’s place in our history.

[@selmateacher7]

Thank you for the video. It too bad about the recent news of the ship. The plan was formally dropped on August 5, 2016, citing too many technical and commercial challenges. Crystal Cruises then made a donation of $350,000 to help with preservation through the end of the year. It was too expensive to place new, modern engines in the SS United States. The cost was near 800 million according to their study. Also, they wanted to go from US port to US port, but they can not do that because Crystal Cruise Line is not an American owned venture. The ship will probably be sold for scrap, unless some serious money comes to the SS United States Conservancy. They are receiving donations, but it costs $60,000 just to have the ship docked there a month!

[@Kirayamatoplay]

ya well at that point i was say they would just fully rebuild and reuse the old engines sense they did do a great job back in the day i betting that those engines would be rebuilt fully and then the ship can be born again like new but it does suck that it will end in scrapped its a amazing ship for sure

[@CruiseTalkShow]

It is not realistic to rebuild the existing engines, as they have been inactive far too long and the intricate mechanics are rusted out and shot. The steam turbine engines are old technology that few engineers today would be able to operate......the old engines are to costly to run and she gustled fuel oil massively, with very little consideration for today's environmental exhaust restrictions.

[@Kirayamatoplay]

well sadly then i guess to say its time for the ship to rest in peace as scrap

[@caseywagner8656]

Hopefully in 2019 she gets restored as a hotel and museum like the Queen Mary.She came out in 1952 and the United States and the Queen Mary are the last of the classic liners.Sadly the ships from the 30's 40's and 50's were sold for scrapp in the 60's.The United States was also the sister ship of the SS America.

[@johnduran8102]

if I won the lottery id buy it and turn it into a booze cruise and party boat for millennials and a ''prom'' cruise for ANY ONE OF ANY AGE who missed out on their senior prom,,,id feature music from the 50's to 2000's a different theme every night.

[@chrissycarter2029]

unfortunately spending time with your family on an adventure crossing the Atlantic means nothing to anyone in 2016 all that people care about is being completely selfish while ignoring eachother on thier i phones

[@mitchellgreen6478]

last year my parents (i was fourteen) took me on a cruise but snuck our phones/devices and left them it home and it was one of the best times of my life i agree with you thoroulghy

[@1940limited]

Sad but true.

[@erikpaul5847]

The ship is a metaphor for the country. Very sad.

[@Jermaine842]

Hi Barry, any plans to visit the SS Rotterdam in Holland? It's the only other ship in recent times that has joined the Queen Mary as a Hotel ship. I hope that the Big U could follow by the SS Rotterdam's example.

[@kevinknoop1790]

The RMS Queen Mary arrived in California in 1967 fully operational with her interiors intact. Sadly the SS United States was stripped of her interiors and the cost to turn her into a museum or floating hotel would run into the hundreds of millions of dollars. There has never been a vessel like her nor will there ever be another like her. She is unique in all the world and represents the pinnacle of American merchant marine supremacy. Even more sad is that todays cultural in America does not seem to care about our rich maritime history

[@CruiseTalkShow]

Kevin, You're right...times have changed. The Big U is a gutted shell of what she use to be. It would cost a fortune to make her into some sort of stationary multi-purpose site.

[@danielsterling7673]

yeah man I totally agree I mean they just build ships like that anymore( ocean liners)

[@danielsterling7673]

I agree but I'm so excited that the big u may be restored and sail the seas once again

[@bertwilson8937]

Kevin Knoop on

[@matthewcox6615]

Kevin Knoop She wasn't the only one of her kind, she did have a similar sister called the S.S. America. Although they're not exactly identical, they do look very similar in design.

[@xavierlauzac5922]

The ship won’t be scrapped, period.

[@carloangelovitamog7731]

the music is like the intro of Swedish Homestead

[@1940limited]

The Crystal Cruise deal fell through. The United States remains in limbo with an uncertain future. It's a national disgrace that this ship was allowed to deteriorate into the condition it is in now. It should have been kept under the US Navy umbrella and maintained in operating condition. I'm glad no one's stolen the builder's plate from it. That's amazing. What a treasure we would have have today if decision makers in 1969 had a little more foresight. Those interested in the ship remain hopeful its fortunes will turn around one day. In the meantime we remain grateful at least it's still extant. Renovating the ship would have to include new motive power. I don't know if anyone would know how to operate its steam engines today and they are now illegal on cruise ships. I've often thought about taking a tour of the ship. How does one arrange that? Thank you for your video.

[@CruiseTalkShow]

When the ship was first mothballed in Norfolk in 1969, great measures were taken to insure she was preserved, however; when the ship was purchased by Richard Hadley in 1979 to be turned into a timeshare cruise product out of Hawaii, her out of style furnishings had to be replaced with more up-to-date furniture and a more modern décor. Hadley decided not to continue to pursue the project after he had sold-off or discarded most of her interior fittings. Then a new potential buyer had plans for the ship, but her interior was full of asbestos which had to be removed before the ship could be reinstated....so she was towed to the Baltic and her interiors were gutted completely to make way for completely new interior fittings...a clean slate. Unfortunately that owner decided not to continue to pursue their plans to operate the ship and she remains a gutted mess. So it was a number events that lead to her current condition.

[@1940limited]

It sounds to me like the navy abandoned its plan to preserve the ship, thus is was sold in 1979. Subsequent owners, obviously both jerks, destroyed it. How many times have we seen this happen? It's a shame. I had read that the navy "wanted to get the ship off their books." That was the beginning of the end. Thanks for the information. It's all sad but true.

[@MultiDonard]

I am praying that this ship be saved, It would be disgusting to see it being scrapped

[@studiodevelopers2467]

Nothing a little scrapers and paint cant fix !

[@scalemodelsandfigurines5098]

looks like she was a freat ship i will be building a model of her soon on my channel.

[@travelinben1966]

Too bad Crystal didn’t go ahead with the refit.I hope somebody does.😩

[@johnfranklin5277]

Sadly, it will never happen. It's just a fact. Cost too much. It's too old. If it was still intact, possibly. But gutted, no.

[@emnhw1comcastnet]

What's the latest on the crystal cruise acquisition ?????

[@selmateacher7]

The crystal cruise acquisition fell out. It was too expensive to place new, modern engines in the SS United States. The cost was near 800 million according to their study. The ship will probably be sold for scrap, unless some serious money comes to the SS United States Conservancy. They are receiving donations, but it costs $60,000 just to have the ship docked there a month!

[@CruiseTalkShow]

Crystal has pulled out of restoring the ship as it is too costly and I'm assuming it would be too great a risk for investors when it comes to ROi. Crystal was very generous by offering $350,000 donation to the conservancy.

[@Titan52berg]

How in the world did you ever gain access to board the ship at all? To this very day, I own a small die-cast replica along with a few of the original menus from the 'S.S. United States' and one of her actual, orange life vests, actually stamped with her name.

[@CruiseTalkShow]

I happen to have the right connections. It is not easy to make arrangements to board the ship because of insurance, and there are hazardous areas of the ship.

[@qe2836]

At 0:08 "Out of service" - No way !

[@joemancini327]

Hahaha 50 years later and SHE STILL DOESN'T HAVE A HOME..........Ironic that in no time at all the Queen Mary was sold to Long Beach and she has a purpose now as a hotel and she has been one for nearly 50 years. I'd be great if Long Beach could buy and restore this vessel. Just imagine........Even the Duke of Lancaster deserves to be saved.

[@metalman4141]

Just wish I could have see her for real 🇬🇧

[@serpentine1084]

Its her last year of life RIP

[@ecioliuzaraujogordianoluiz9152]

O que estao esperando para revitalizar um navio tao belo e importante na historia dos estados unidos???

[@erlendo6556]

queen mary is the most famous ocean liner taht not sink.

[@johnfalstaff2270]

If US still thinks to reintroduce this William Francis Gibbs dream effect then why Norway/France got rid off famous Norway ex France? England is not sentimental anymore about QE2.

[@walterharp1773]

Now just a floating rust bucket that no one wants to invest in.

[@ekrestoration]

so old now

[@bjornstaverfelt2078]

We brought a Camaro with us back home to Sweden .

[@johnnieves8719]

THE QUEEN OF SPEED AWAITS!

[@kyron9622]

Why did we take care of the Queen Mary, and not the SS United States???

[@sealover5861]

+Kyron Poullard Because the SS US was still in active service in 1967 when the QM was for sale. If they had been for sale at the same time maybe Long Beach had bought the SS US instead.

[@davidboydell6418]

I think she's gonna be scrapped. Unfortunately you can't save everything.

[@sealover5861]

If we had a billionaire with the right interests so.... It would be pocket money for Bill Gates. If I had that money I would restore this ship into her original condition. Of course she wouldn't be able to meet the regulations of today so she would be permanently moored and I would also take the other decaying ocean liner, the QE2 away from Dubai and refurbish her into a seagoing ship again. A little more changes on that ship wouldn't hurt.

[@robertlslaughter]

It is so tragic that the SS UNITED STATES is going to be altered to such a degree with the exceptions of the smoke stacks just managing to stick up from all new construction, that there will be nothing left of the original historic design. Also considering all the newly designed interiors, this won’t be authentic to the original interior design which now could be any hotel ship that’s floating on the waters today. The whole idea was to save the SS UNITED STATES as a historic unique marker in the magnificent ocean liners of the past not a ubiquitous cruise ship of today. BLA OK…….So they saved the ship from the metal scrap yards…….. Instead they just used the old ship as the metal base to create a newly designed ship. I thought the whole idea was to save this historical monument of that era. So sad the SS UNITED STATES WILL EXIST NO MORE.

[@ronacosta2903]

How about she's not being put back to sea. Keep up with the news..

[@bertwilson8937]

Ron Acosta

[@kawanbrownlee9724]

Robert Slaughter crystal cruises backed out of it they are not going to save her they did a study and she would be too expensive to restore so the conservancy has to find another buyer

[@PreservationEnthusiast]

There won't be another buyer. This sucker will be cut for scrap.

[@davidlafleche1142]

It had to be done, to get rid of the asbestos.

[@nooffense.7107]

The ship should be made a historic object by the US

[@davidmcgee3883]

Oh I see you like the big u

[@jontibloom]

How is the rehabilitation of the ship going?

[@CruiseTalkShow]

Rehabilitation is not moving ahead yet sorry to say.

[@jontibloom]

thats a pity. Hopefully there is a White Knight out there

[@maxkoll118]

1:31 is good for ebay

[@yalyubluiry]

The asbestos were removed in Sevastopol , Ukraine .. not in Turkey .

[@ItsSamHussey]

I wonder if the queen Mary is bigger than the SS United States??

[@CruiseTalkShow]

Queen Mary is 81,000 tons and the SS United States is 52,000.

[@ItsSamHussey]

Thanks Barry

[@mx3144]

How did you get in

[@michaelhoran407]

6 March, 2024 No one is going to repair her and operate her as an ocean liner. Mega cruise ships at Port Miami, Florida are much cheaper and more profitable to operate.

[@thatww2nerd81]

It's too bad crystal cruises abandoned the project. It's so sad to see the flagship of America rotting away. I don't think she will ever be restored or be a museum ship. Here are the reasons why: First off her Interiors were made of asbestos which gives you cancer and second she was gutted and it would take millions, possibly billions of dollars to restore her. Even if she was restored it would take a lot just to keep her in good shape. Just look at the Queen Mary or the USS Texas both are in some sort of disrepair and need a few million to repair them. To prevent this you could dry more them but that requires a lot of earth moving and a couple more millions. Though it may be sad the best option for the big U is to become a artificial reef. Believe me I want to see her restored to but I dont think it ls possible.

[@sunchaser026]

Go see ss.Nomadic

[@davidboydell6418]

I can't help but think if her name wasn't United States if Americans would give a shit about saving her?

[@waynelee1912]

How to cross to isarel

[@benemikeandreas5059]

The Queen Mary sank but they rebuilt her.

[@CruiseTalkShow]

Queen Mary sank? that's news to me??

[@qe2836]

Queen Elizabeth sank. Queen Mary is still around.

[@danielsterling7673]

yeah (pal) it was the queen Mary's sister ship queen elizabeth that sank in Hong Cong after catching fire

[@danielsterling7673]

yeah the 2 Cunard Queen were similar except queen mary sported 3 funnels while queen elizabeth had 2

[@qe2836]

+Daniel Sterling They had many small differences, for instance the foredeck. QE was more modern and she was also a little bigger than QM, more tonnage and longer but a little less draft.

[@TLO129]

I'm kind of glad that the plan failed, I don't want her to go back in service. I believe we should respect the history of the ship and renovate it to its original state and treat it like the RMS Queen Mary was

[@CruiseTalkShow]

I'd like to see the ship repurposed, but to make her look exactly like she did when she was in service would be difficult and costly, since her interiors are ripped out. I can see that perhaps a few rooms could be restored to look like they did, but the $$ would be in offering hotel accommodations, shops, restaurants and museum.

[@TLO129]

I don't think remodeling it to its former glory is going to cost more that 800 million dollars

[@johnfranklin5277]

@@TLO129 lol, think again. This ship is an ENORMOUS, RUSTY MESS, AN EMPTY SHELL,NEEDS completely new electrical SYSTEM, plumbing, walls, ceilings, floors. It goes on and on.

[@TLO129]

John Franklin I’m not talking about the entire ship. Rust isn’t that big of a problem. Put her in dry rock, sand blast her, repaint and boom. Done. Renovate a couple rooms, maybe an hotel if you feel like it, or just make her a museum. There are so any possibilities here. I know renovate the whole thing is essentially impossible. I’m not that oblivious to her condition

[@tbp1256]

i was under the assumption the United States was beached of the coast of africa???

[@tbp1256]

sorry, that was the SsAmerica

[@mariosanagnostou5674]

Is this the real one

[@markmitchell1274]

Why spend 800 million to rebuild? It's all strip and ready to be sunk for a diver reef off the coast of Florida.

[@MrJeep75]

To bad it fell through

[@connorburns8915]

Whose here after Crystal cruises pulled out of the deal :(

[@cruiseshipexplorer2702]

what about the Queen Mary it has large funnel too

[@guidomatrulli1687]

wow

[@RichardBrennan]

Look, I love ocean liners - but there is a natural life cycle for these ships. If they don't end up at the bottom of the sea, they end up at the breakers. Only the Queen Mary has escaped this fate. (Though the SS France/Norway beat all the odds with an extraordinarily long career by redefining the cruise business.) Since this video was recorded, Crystal Cruises decided that the conversion plans weren't feasible. They dropped their option on the ship, but also donated an additional $350,000 to pay for upkeep for the rest of last year. So far, the only plan that keeps her intact is to sink her as a man-made reef. But that costs money - in the end if the foundation goes in to debt the only choice will be to sell her for scrap. The SS United States has been kept on life support for decades because some enthusiasts can't bear to let her go. Please - it's time to do the humane thing and let her cross that Rainbow Canal to the other side where she can live with the memory of her great sisters. If you want a new modern ocean liner / cruise ship then build one, like the Queen Mary 2. It will be cheaper and much more effective and profitable than trying to work around all the limitations of the ravaged United States. I get it - people don't want to let it go because it was a great ship. But the important word in that sentence is "was". It is no longer a liner - just a rusting steel hull. There was a time in the 1970s when her fate could have been that of the SS France - when there were still furnishings and mechanics that could be maintained and upgraded. But that is long gone. Don't be selfish - let her end her life in peace and live on in history as a speedy luxurious icon of the North Atlantic rather than a dilapidated shell in Philadelphia harbor.

[@1ManInASuit]

I've watched a few videos now about this ship - sad sooo very sad that they /we've allowed this ship to go to crap- I guess you can say the ship truly represents the way our country currently is- a big pile of crap = In one video article mentioned 70 million to get it back to it's former glory.. something about adding diesel engines - no need for all that - restore it or even modernize the inside - then tug pull it to a better more public accessible place then a shipyard - build a pier going out to it-- turn it into a permanent docked hotel-casino -

[@robertoalexandre4250]

The ship was retired in the late 1960s. 45 + years go by before a restoration project and proposal appear? Unfortunately, this former magnificent ship has been dead for a long time, neglected for decades. Its no longer the liner that it was: it´s become a mummy and keeping in its present state is hardly conservancy. Conservancy of what? What should have been done, should have been done decades ago. From what I see, all that´s left if an empty shell that no one in their right mind would spend money to refurbish; it´s simple unfeasible. And to prolong this agony in the name of what? Hope for what? How long can one conserve her? The best to do is give her the burial she deserves and remove her from the public eye. Let fond memory take the place of all the useless belated campaigns. Those initially who should have thought of her, did nothing. It´s only a matter of time before she sinks even anchored at the pier. Time for the physical presence (which has become an eye sore and a reminder of negligence of a true maritime treasure) to be replaced by memories. Erect a museum in place of the ship, but the empty shell is only painful to look at.

[@kitt2000car]

As long as the conservancy can raise money for docking fees and their salaries not going to happen.

[@jonnyindianajd]

For hope & vision. John from Noblesville.

[@FreedomsNurse]

@@kitt2000car Yup, it's just propaganda so they can have salaries.

[@berniebernie4728]

my dream is to buy her then make her into a hotel like the queen mary and make her safer and ad lifeboats

[@travisclark4905]

Dumb

[@travisclark4905]

Make it a moving cruiship all original be alot of people payin money to ride on a old ship

[@jonnyindianajd]

Let's do it. John from Noblesville.

[@RMSOlympic-xx1rs]

@@travisclark4905 she or he said a DREAM

[@johnfranklin5277]

If it's a non moving hotel ship, why would it need LIFEBOATS?? LOL.

[@motaz1975]

at this point all i can see is maybe making her an artificial reef. i would hate to see her scrapped.

[@xavierlauzac5922]

That’s actually the plan.

[@motaz1975]

@@xavierlauzac5922 how do you know this?

[@xavierlauzac5922]

motaz1975 they said so themselves.

[@anuragbose2622]

British ocean liners are best.

[@walterharp1773]

Sorry ,dont think it will be sea worthy ever again.

[@OrnumCR]

You say she's the 'most famous liner that didn't sink'. I'd actually say that honour goes to Queen Mary or even Queen Elizabeth 2 myself, and both are in far better condition. No disrespect, but outside of the United States, not many know of this ship or her designer to be fair. Ask which ship currently holds the Blue Riband and I dare say it will be the few and not the many who answer correctly! I personally always see the great duel between the 'Mary' and the Normandie as a famed moment. Just a viewpoint from someone outside North America with a differing perspective on the great liners. I do however hope she is saved, and saved more or less as she looks now, not a pastiche of what was.

[@sealover5861]

+RCBM I agree. But I've heard that the hull of QM under the waterline is actually in a worse condition than the SS US. The QM hasn't been in a drydock since she arrived in Long Beach 50 years ago and not directly before that either. After years of decay the QE2 is actually undergoing work to become a centerpiece of a new marina in Dubai.

[@bartsch7]

Queen Mary did not sink

[@davidswales720]

This SHIP should not be there is cause it is not safe at all to go inside, is because it is dangerous and slippy with rusty floor boards and a weak deck on top

[@qe2836]

The area is strictly controlled. Nobody is allowed to go onboard without special permission.

[@CruiseTalkShow]

It can be dangerous, that's why people cannot just wander around the ship without a guide.

[@kitt2000car]

Won't be long before the conservancy starts begging and pleading to the general public. For donations to pay for ship moorage and board members bloated salaries

[@sonnypruitt6639]

Nobody is going to catch the Coronavirus on this boat!

[@michaelhoran407]

The ship should be scrapped in the United States and not towed as an environmental hazard to another country.

[@phoenixzilla07]

Scrapped? Are you sure to be mentally healthy? Bro?

[@ashleypurviance5984]

dont die s.s.united states

[@matthewsteele6666]

Not sure about the biggest funnels comment

[@f2animaciones546]

Dude this ship has been dead for almost 30 years. America doesn't care about it's ocean liner's legacy, neither britain nor france anymore. They already let her sister SS America die in the most humiliating way. Just sell this rusty skeleton to some asian scrapeyard. It's just painfull to watch.

[@kitt2000car]

As of next year it will be 50 years since she was taken out of service.

[@matrixbix415]

donted 200$ to save her. :)

[@jacobwilliams4903]

Bary that ship is a mess

[@sealover5861]

Actually an old car in a similar condition is a good restoration object. The difference is just the size...