The obvious question industry observers and cruise passengers alike have been asking is: Why buy two old ships (SS United States ans SS Independence) when you could build a new one for the same cost -- or less? NCL President Colin Veitch is ready for that question, noting in an interview with Cruise Critic that the decision to make what amounts these days to two rather unusual acquisitions was both sentimental -- and practical. "It was an opportunistic purchase because the future of both ships looked shaky," Veitch says. "As the [industry's] designated U.S. flagged carrier, we felt we had to act to save both of these ships." Another appeal -- a major one at that -- according to the NCL chief is that both ships were built in the U.S. and are eligible to operate as domestic vessels under existing American laws.

Company leaders, he said, have been pondering the issue of how to continue expanding its "Homeland Cruising" strategy. By "Homeland Cruising," he's talking about the relatively new development in which a federal law was passed that allows NCL to complete the stalled Project America (which failed when its owner, U.S. Lines, went out of business after September 11) and revitalize its original plan to operate U.S. flagged and manned ships for inter-island Hawaii itineraries. NCL had purchased the unfinished Project America ships and parts and is in the process of completing them (the first is planned for launch in July 2004). This legislation, in addition to the two partially completed Project America ships, was also expanded to include one existing NCL vessel.

But, says Veitch, "The 'Homeland Cruising' strategy is to bring ships close to population centers. We want to have as many different itineraries as possible for people to choose from." To achieve that growth, there were basically just two options: build from scratch in a U.S. shipyard or buy existing American-built vessels (from which there is a very, very limited supply).

NCL plans, though still evolving, most likely call for a hull refurbish (several sources from other companies said the hulls on both ships were in amazingly good shape) and then send the ship over to a European shipyard for a complete rebuild. "It's not a cosmetic refurbishment," Veitch says, "but tantamount to a new build. And when they're finished they are not going to be 1950s recreations but modern, appealing cruise ships with a long life ahead of them."

Veitch declined to reveal what NCL paid for S/S United States but, interestingly, the company, which spent just over $4 million in purchasing Independence, did say it made that purchase amidst much secrecy, in February from the U.S. Maritime Association. Practically speaking, Veitch says, the bottom line is that, once rebuilding is complete and the vessels launch, the purchases allow the company to expand "Homeland Cruising" itinerary options beyond Hawaii. "We are not proposing to put them in Hawaii," he says. "We think there is a lot of potential on the mainland on coastal itineraries."

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This is a cheap way to get additional "American-tonnage"

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Originally posted by Keitaro1:
I think NCL should take both ships to an American yard for rebuliding. This is a cheap way to get additional "American-tonnage" plus wouldn't it be nice to have a full-American-built ship?

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NCL has no choice. Both INDY and SSUS must be rebuilt at an American shipyard (by current Maritime law) in order to retain their US registry. Once the hulls are rebuilt in the US, they can then be sent to Europe for fitting out, which will be much cheaper then in the US, and the ships will still be eligible for US registry.

They may just piss everyone off and cut down the superstructures, saving only the hulls, and rebuild new superstructures on top. Tune it tomorrow.

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They may just **** everyone off and cut down the superstructures

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I hope not, in one comment they said refurbish the hulls and superstructures, but most of the time they just say hulls. Maybe they ment hull as in the entire ship...

[ 04-18-2003: Message edited by: Ðraikar ]

Once they get done added all those balconies and new engines here in the US, the can sail the ship over to Europe for fitting out.

As was stated in several press releases, when finished, the SSUS will essentially be a new ship with the life span of a new ship. NCL is not interested in operating another "NORWAY" or transforming SSUS back to her original state.

Ernie

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Originally posted by CGT:
[i]They may just **** everyone off and cut down the superstructures, saving only the hulls, and rebuild new superstructures on top.

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They might, but it would be a very foolish move indeed.

Why not retain the classic liner profile externally, after all it's there already, and create a new ship inside! After all, I'm sure that NCL will want to use the heritage of the SSUS for marketing purposes.

By modern ship standards she probably does not have a lot of deck space or superstructure for veranda cabins etc. My fear is that they might do a Norway and add extra deck space for pools, and even an extra deck!

I hope that Joe Fracus does not start freelancing for NCL!

[ 04-18-2003: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

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Originally posted by Commodore:
As sad as that might be, it's not too bad. I'd live with it.

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As far as I'm concerned, if she does not look anything like the SS United States externally, when NCL has finished, that would be just as bad as a one way trip to Alang!

And since she is already stripped, she would be very easy to build into a cruise ship interiorwise! And NCL could add whatever they wanted from scratch. She would be built to SOLAS 2010 requirements for sure and would essentially be just like building a new United States without constructing the Hull and most exterior!

I believe she will look very good as NCL is no dummy, I'm sure they have done their homeowork as has Star!! NCL under Star did not get to where they are now by making mistakes, you dont just buy the Independence and SSUS if you dont have your facts in place!!

I am sure NCL and Star had their plans thought out quite some time before they bought both ships, and I am sure that they have since summer 2002 or they would not have bought the Independence. They probably took a little longer for the SSUS to make sure they had everything in place to take on such a project!

I think an ideal itinerary would be to sail the Independence first from Los Angeles-San Fransisco to say 2-3 Islands ending in Honolulu and then reverse,except sailing 2-3 different islands before heading back to San Fransisco and L.A.!

Sailing every 14 days from Los Angeles she could reverse sailings every 2 weeks visiting 2-3 islands in reverse itinerary the 2nd week, then giving people to experience the best both ways!!

Or she could say sail one way to L.A. ending the round trip in San Fransisco every 14 days and then reverse the trip starting in San Fransisco to Hawaii ending in L.A. !

Or she could sail from alternating U.S. ports San Fransisco,L.A.,San Diego??

CGT

[ 04-18-2003: Message edited by: CGT ]