What Is the Old Cruise Ship in Philadelphia?

By Anna Duncan

The old cruise ship in Philadelphia is a relic of the city’s past. The vessel, known as SS United States, was built in 1952 by the United States Lines, a company that operated passenger ships between Europe and the U.S. The ship was designed to be the fastest passenger liner ever built, and its goal was to transport passengers between New York and England in just five days.

At 990 feet long, SS United States was a giant of the seas. It featured 17 decks, 900 staterooms, four restaurants and a 1500-seat theater.

During its heyday, it was considered one of the most luxurious ships in existence. It hosted famous passengers such as John F. Kennedy and Bob Hope during its time at sea.

In 1969, after 17 years of service to passengers across the world, SS United States was retired from service due to declining passenger numbers and increasing costs associated with running such a large vessel. After being sold several times, it eventually ended up at Pier 82 on the Delaware River in Philadelphia where it has remained since 1996.

The ship is now owned by Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) who announced plans to restore her and turn her into a modern-day cruise ship once again back in 2018. Unfortunately these plans have not yet come to fruition due to the high cost of restoration and other financial considerations that need to be taken into account before work can begin on such an ambitious project.

The SS United States is an important part of Philadelphia’s maritime history and many local residents remain hopeful that NCL will still find a way to bring her back into service one day soon so that she can once again sail around the world as she did during her heyday in the 1950s and 60s.

Conclusion:

The old cruise ship in Philadelphia is an important part of the city’s maritime history. The vessel known as SS United States was originally built in 1952 by US Lines for luxury transatlantic voyages but has been sitting idle at Pier 82 on the Delaware River since 1996 due to financial considerations for its restoration. Although plans were made by Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) back in 2018 to restore it back into service as a modern-day cruise ship, they have not yet come to fruition due to high costs associated with such an ambitious project.