""The Indy will be sold as of 7:30am today Thursday July 26. This time I'm told for sure... Sold to a group from India, I seen where they just sail the ships on to the beach and start breaking her up. they can scrap without safty eviormental rules etc no concern with lead paint asbestos etc....
The indy will still be here for about 2 month or so, the shipkeepers that were working for NCL were hired by the new owners and will continue busines as usual tile the indy leaves..
.

Looks like it might be really happening. in reality this is properly best. Her mechanical condition had be deteriorating for years before being laid up. I will pass on any more news i hear about the Indy,,, of confermation she is sold,

[ 07-26-2007: Message edited by: GregSFBayArea ]

quote:

---

Originally posted by LeBarryboat:
I recently received a letter from NCL regarding NCL's interest in the ss United States. The letter stated that they have been working on "engineering studies" and the feasibility of rebuilding the ship to "today's safety and stability standards". These "studies" are near the end and the results are "encouraging".
.

---

Hmmmm, better check the date on that letter. Sounds like it could have been lost in the mail for several years!

quote:

---

Originally posted by mec1:
Hear, hear Rex. If "France" and "QE2" are at the end of their lives, what hope is there for the "United States"?

---

None....and I've been saying that since it was posted that it would take a BILLION dollars to refurbish her and put her back into service. THAT aint going to happen, and as sorry as it is to see them all go, and as much as we would love to keep them around as museums or hotels, that time has passed. Let them go. Dont drag them out for another 5 years on CPR and Life Support.

In 2010, will anyone really still want to go on them?

quote:

---

Originally posted by steeplechase:
Could Indy be fired up for the trp to India like they did with the big red boat???

---

There is some formula to determine the cost per berth and revenue variable.

If the BigU is properly rebuilt and deployed as an American Hurtigruten, she could succeed if they get the American crew personnel problems rectified.

quote:

---

Originally posted by dmwnc1:

None....and I've been saying that since it was posted that it would take a BILLION dollars to refurbish her and put her back into service. THAT aint going to happen,

Nope, probably not.

---

[ 07-30-2007: Message edited by: BigUFan ]

quote:

---

Originally posted by desirod7:
It was noted on this board that to pay back the billion the BigU would need to be an 1800 passenger ship running full for 5 years.

There is some formula to determine the cost per berth and revenue variable.

If the BigU is properly rebuilt and deployed as an American Hurtigruten, she could succeed if they get the American crew personnel problems rectified.

---

2000 berths at 1 billion dollars means the ship will cost 500,000 $ per berth.

Lets compare that cost to a selection of current newbuilds currently on order:

Cunard Queen Victoria $232,373 per berth

NCL F3 Aker Yards France $223,810 per berth

Oceania Cruises unnamed $420,635 per berth

RCI Project Genesis 2 $259,259 per berth

When NCL first announced the purchase of the SSUnitedStates the phones rang off the hook for people wanting to book the next voyage.

I think they would need Orient staff to run the ship.
NCL said specifically that the BigU will be a premium ship on American itineraries that a foriegn ship cannot do. If BigU transports cars, they will get the US East Coast snowbird crowd from NYC to Miami. NCL is not a bunch of dummies and know that BigU cannot be another boxboat in the Caribbean catering to the shopping mall amusement park crowd.

NCL America is floundering not so much for bad hardware or cruise itineraries, but human resource problems with American crew.

PS: If Knut Kloster had not overvalued the SSNorway at 100 mil, she would have been gone to Pullmantour long before the boiler explosion.

quote:

---

Originally posted by mike sa:
In other words who would e prepared to pay just below Seabourne money to sail in an interior cabin and to pay more than average Seabourne money to sail in a standard balcony cabin (one of relatively few on board).

Once the novelty wore off - probably very few. Of course if though her refurb they were truely able to transform her into a true luxury ship with accommodations, service, food and facilities to match and if they can design her in a way that all the accommodations meet that standard then maybe just maybe it is a possibility. Is NCL capable of doing so ?

---

One can offer a luxury product without balconies etc. - and one can charge prime fares for that - whether there is a market to sustain a ship of the size of United States is another story.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Ernst:
To have cars aboard the United States would make a complicated situation only even more complicated.

---

Ernst,

To my knowledge cars on Ocean Liners had to have the gas tanks drained. Today with the threat of terrorism, I would guess that bomb sniffing dogs would search the cars for explosives and contraband?

storage for 2 cars = 1 cabin

quote:

---

Originally posted by desirod7:

Ernst,

To my knowledge cars on Ocean Liners had to have the gas tanks drained. Today with the threat of terrorism, I would guess that bomb sniffing dogs would search the cars for explosives and contraband?

Can you elaborate?

---

The terrorist threat and the fire hazard are probably the prime reasons not to do this. Strange enough, cars going aboard U.S. ferries are usually not searched at all.

A snowbird is a northerner who spends summers in the upper United States or Canada and winters in warm Florida or Arizona.

Many would like to have their own car for the 6 months in either place. Older people do not want to make a 2000 mile drive. The Amtrak Autotrain is booked a year in advance.

The BigU held 50 cars I believe and that could be an untapped market from NYC to Miami.

quote:

---

Originally posted by cruisemole:
cars arent economic

storage for 2 cars = 1 cabin

and the cars dont buy drinks or go to the art auctions...

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by viking109:
Would have been good if NCL were to have relaunched a completely refurbed and modernised Big U to coincide with the retirement of the QE2. Think of the PR generated.
What the ship may lack in terms of accomodation could be made up for in style, luxury, speed and itineries ( maybe the odd transatlantic). As pointed out not everyone insists on a balcony.
Would it really be that difficult to find 1800 people worldwide each week who would like to try something different.

---

That kind of timing would have been real tricky considering the captain or officers of QE2 didn't know it was coming until the end