The Good Old Days When cruise ships were Liners

[Salacia]

Thank you for that informative link.... and for the song that will now play in my head for the rest of the day :)

 

Interesting it was the same year as Neil Armstrong walking on the moon.... I didn't realize the significance when I made my earlier analogy.

 

FYI- regarding the reference to "Midnight Cowboy", it would go on to be the first X-rated movie to win an Oscar for best picture.

 

If you like current movies that take place in the 1960's, check out Pirate Radio, about a ship that broadcasts rock and roll off the coast of Britain to avoid censorship laws... good cast and awesome soundtrack. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1131729/

 

Also, Men in Black III had some really good retro scenes from the 1960's.... the clothing, the hair, the cars... all spot on.

 

Midnight Cowboy - great flic! Pirate Radio - had to buy the soundtrack after I saw the movie! Haven't seen MIB III yet - thanks for the recommendation. :)

[Germancruiser]

Very interesting Thread- I liked the United States story though! What I don´t get is why she is still rotting at a pier, instead of going to be scrapped. Well if anyone would buy the ship and bring her back to whatever purpose. " she" doesn´t get any better there.

As ship buff every since I once sailed with the QE2 and found the experience not to be missed, it was like sailing in a floading museum. The ship got so many updates but still looked totaly outdated and the cabins- I had a single cabin outside with a porthole- well the cabin was a relict from the 60´s or 70´s as well- great kept, clean and all- but still OLD and WORN. ( How could she not after almost 40 years in service. Each ship has it´s time- and when these times are over- they are over!

Michael

[glojo]

You make excellent points Germancruiser but to make the United States viable would she have to under go a refit to end all refits?? All her cabins would need either updating or replacing, both suites and cabins needing balconies. The boilers + turbines would have to come out and replaced with more a more efficient power train diesel electric?? That alone is a mind boggling thought and probably would not see change from tens million of dollars it was done on the QE2 but at what cost?? Bulbous bow is now a standard feature on most modern ships and whilst this ship had stabilisers (and NO she was NOT the first) that equipment is antiquated and would also need replacing. Total cost of refit for a ship of that size would be probably hundreds of millions and is her shape the most cost effective shape??? The QE2 was designed/built in an era when cruising was the recognised way for survival and was she the first of the new cruise ship?

 

Rather than rip all this old, tired, worthless equipment out, modify, alter the work space... Would it not be cheaper to start with a clean sheet of paper and build a new ship? Please note this is a question and not a statement.

 

I take my hat off to the American Government, they want that Blue Riband and no expense was spared in getting it, to cross the Atlantic in under four days in a ship of that size is something I doubt would ever be repeated unless...... The Nimitz class carrier or possibly the new Ford class wanted to do it!! Submarines don't count :eek:;) and I accept military ships do not qualify for the Blue Riband but could they cross that gap in under four days..

[Rotterdam]

There is an organiztion dedicated to bringing back The SS US. She is an engineering fete and also was built to aid the US Armed Services as a troup ship if ever necessary.

 

Some things are worth maintaing for historical & general interest purposes....the United States is one of them along w/ the Rotterdam & Queen Mary.

 

http://www.ssusc.org/

[Germancruiser]

Your right of course, glojo- maybe the guy who built´s the second Titanic can take United States under his golden wing! Rotterdam I agree - but I don´t see any maintaining going on at the United States- one of these days the hull may give in and she sinks to the ground.

The Celebrity ship Infinity has wonderful Specialty Restaurant I am sure you all know- it is called the United States- with original artefacts ( chairs , tables and glas ) of the ship. Very interesting. Their other Millenium Class ships are also dedicated to old ships - Summit has the Normandie - Restaurant- withe paneling and the statue of the original ship. Millenium the paneling of the Al´a Carte Restaurant of the Olympic and finaly Constellation has some memorabilia from the Ile de France.

Very interesting to dine there and an experience in itself.

[glojo]

The Americans preserve their mechanical type history in a far better way than we have ever done and MUCH respect to them for that BUT... From what I am reading it is all sadly becoming too expensive to maintain. Warships corroding and in dire need of major refits just to keep them afloat and in a condition suitable for visitors. Battling against corrosion is an endless war that will ALWAYS need feeding with copious amounts of greenbacks.

 

The British public sadly lack the interest to visit ships that have served their country and without proper funding these vessels are doomed. No doubt we might have more preserved ships but I can only recall from the Second World war era just two warships that have been preserved, the Belfast and the Cavalier, no battleships, no carriers, no corvettes. The latter were what were really responsible for protecting the lifeline that allowed our great country to survive. Sad, very, very sad.

 

HMS Plymouth a small frigate that gave so much during the Falklands and not a single warship preserved to commerate an unparrelled victory!! Who cares what happens to those ships that were all prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice and most of which were victims of some amazing flying by a competant foe.

 

Preserving large passenger ships is going to be mega expensive and that is just the upkeep of the hull. If we want to convert these ships into floating hotels then they will have to somehow offer a certain amount of value for money and that would mean HUGE conversion work to bring their living accommodation into the 21st century :o:o Is that financially possible? is there any organisation wealthy enough to do this and will their be enough income to keep them in the required condition?

 

The United States has iconic lines that everyone INSTANTLY recognised although I can never recall seeing her.:( (I would love to have seen that ship roaring by, making us look like we were stationary). No way could we keep pace with the very fast Cunard liners, it would have been an amazing experience to witness the SS United States with its 'pedal to the metal'

 

To me it is only worth attempting to preserve something that has a history but my brain tells me this might never happen with any of the post war liners??:(

 

Apologies for the ramble

 

Regards

John