List of passenger ships built in the United States
SS United States , the largest passenger ship built in the U.S.
As a result of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920 , only ships built and registered in the United States are permitted to sail solely between ports in the United States.[ 1] [ 2] The Merchant Marine Act of 1928 would continue to incentivize and spur the construction of U.S. built ships through government loans, which would lead the International Mercantile Marine Company and along with other U.S. run shipping lines to order new ships up through World War II.[ 2]
The largest passenger liner built in the United States to date is the SS United States , completed in 1952.[ 3] The last large passenger liner to be completed in the United States was Moore-McCormack Lines' SS Argentina in 1958.[ 4]
The only US-built deep water passenger ships still in existence today are the SS United States (laid up), former converted cargo liner SS Medina (hotel ship), cargo/passenger liner NS Savannah (museum ship), and the partly US-built Pride of America (still in service). Today, only small coastal and river passenger ships are still built in the U.S. and fly the American flag.
Shipyards
The primary yards that were building passenger ships in the 20th century include:
Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co ., Ltd., Newport News, Virginia [ 5]
Ingalls Shipyards , Pascagoula, Mississippi [ 6]
Fore River Shipyard , Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation , Quincy, Massachusetts [ 7]
William Cramp & Sons , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania [ 8]
New York Shipbuilding of Camden, New Jersey [ 9]
Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company , Kearny, NJ
List
U.S. Built Passenger Ships
Name
Entered Service
Line Built/Rebuilt For
Shipyard
Designer
Status
Notes
SS Morro Castle
1900
Ward Line
William Cramp & Sons , Philadelphia [ 10]
Scrapped 1926
Laid down for Plant Line in 1899
SS Kroonland
1902
Red Star Line
William Cramp & Sons , Philadelphia
Scrapped 1927
SS Finland
1902
Red Star Line
William Cramp & Sons , Philadelphia
Scrapped 1928
SS Minnesota
1905
Great Northern Steamship Company
Eastern Shipbuilding Co., New London, Connecticut
Scrapped 1923
SS Dakota
1905
Great Northern Steamship Company
Eastern Shipbuilding Co., New London, Connecticut [ 11]
Wrecked & sank 1907
SS Saratoga
1907
Ward Line
William Cramp & Sons , Philadelphia
Scrapped 1939
1910s
SS Great Northern
1914
Great Northern Pacific Steam Ship Company
William Cramp & Sons , Philadelphia
Scrapped 1948
SS Northern Pacific
1915
Great Northern Pacific Steam Ship Company
William Cramp & Sons , Philadelphia
Burned and sank 1922
SS Oriente
1917
Ward Line
William Cramp & Sons , Philadelphia
Scrapped 1957
Renamed SS Siboney for Ward Line after World War I
SS Orizaba
1917
Ward Line
William Cramp & Sons , Philadelphia
Scrapped 1963
Commandeered by US Navy prior to launch for World War I, entered passenger service in 1920
1920s
SS President Roosevelt
1922
United States Line
New York Shipbuilding of Camden, New Jersey
Scrapped 1948
Originally built as a Harris -classattack transport towards the end of World War I, as Peninsula State, entered commercial service after her completion.
SS Coamo
1925
New York and Porto Rico Steamship Company
Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Newport News, Virginia
Torpedoed & Sank 1942[ 12]
SS Malolo
1927
Matson Line [ 13]
William Cramp & Sons , Philadelphia
Gibbs & Cox [ 2]
Scrapped 1977
SS Iroquois
1927
Clyde Steamship Line
Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Newport News, Virginia
Scrapped 1981[ 14]
SS Shawnee
July 1927
Clyde Steamship Line
Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Newport News, Virginia
Burned 1949
SS Yarmouth
September 1927
Eastern Steamship Line
William Cramp & Sons , Philadelphia
Theodore E. Ferris [ 15]
Scrapped 1979[ 16]
SS Evangeline
October 1927
Eastern Steamship Line
William Cramp & Sons , Philadelphia
Theodore E. Ferris [ 15]
Burned & Sank 1965
SS California
1928
Panama Pacific Lines
Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Newport News, Virginia
Scrapped 1964
SS Virginia
1928
Panama Pacific Lines
Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Newport News, Virginia
Scrapped 1964
SS Pennsylvania
1929
Panama Pacific Lines
Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Newport News, Virginia
Scrapped 1964
1930s
SS Morro Castle
1930
Ward Line
Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Newport News, Virginia
Theodore E. Ferris [ 2]
Burned 1934
SS Oriente
1930
Ward Line
Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Newport News, Virginia
Theodore E. Ferris [ 2]
Scrapped 1957
SS President Hoover
1930
Dollar Steamship Lines
Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Newport News, Virginia
Wrecked in storm 1937
SS Borinquen
1931
New York and Porto Rico Steamship Company
Fore River Shipyard , Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation , Quincy, Massachusetts[ 18]
Theodore E. Ferris
Wrecked 1970
SS President Coolidge
1931
Dollar Steamship Lines
Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Newport News, Virginia
Sunk by Mine 1942
SS St John
1932
Eastern Steamship Line
Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Newport News, Virginia
Theodore E. Ferris [ 15]
Scrapped 1959
SS Mariposa
1932
Matson Line
Fore River Shipyard , Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation , Quincy, Massachusetts[ 19]
Gibbs & Cox
Scrapped 1974
SS Monterey
1932
Matson Line
Fore River Shipyard , Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation , Quincy, Massachusetts[ 20]
Gibbs & Cox
Sank on way to Scrapyard 2000
SS Acadia
1932
Eastern Steamship Line
Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Newport News, Virginia
Theodore E. Ferris [ 15]
Sold 1955
SS Manhattan
1932
United States Lines
New York Shipbuilding of Camden, New Jersey
Scrapped 1965
Originally ordered for the Transatlantic Steamship Company
SS Santa Rosa
1932
Grace Line
Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company Kearny, NJ
Gibbs & Cox
Scrapped 1989
SS Santa Paula
1933
Grace Line
Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company Kearny, NJ
Gibbs & Cox
Scrapped 1971
SS Santa Lucia
1933
Grace Line
Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company Kearny, NJ
Gibbs & Cox
Torpedoed & Sank 1942
SS Lurline
1933
Matson Line
Fore River Shipyard , Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation , Quincy, Massachusetts[ 19]
Gibbs & Cox
Scrapped 1987
SS Santa Elena
1933
Grace Line
Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company Kearny, NJ
Gibbs & Cox
Torpedoed & Sank 1943[ 21]
SS Washington
1933
United States Lines
New York Shipbuilding of Camden, New Jersey
Scrapped 1965
Originally ordered for the Transatlantic Steamship Company
1940s
SS America
1940
United States Lines
Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Newport News, Virginia [ 22] [ 23]
Gibbs & Cox
Wrecked in Canary Islands 1994[ 22] [ 24]
SS La Guardia
1944/1948
American Export Lines
Scrapped in 2005
Converted from USS General W. P. Richardson (AP-118), a troopship that served with the United States Navy in World War II
SS President Cleveland
1947
American President Lines
Bethlehem Shipbuilding Co , Alameda, California
Scrapped in 1974
Originally ordered by the Maritime Commission during World War II, as one of the Admiral-class Type P2-SE2-R1 transport ships , completed instead as passenger ship.
SS President Wilson
1948
American President Lines
Bethlehem Shipbuilding Co , Alameda, California
Scrapped in 1984
Originally ordered by the Maritime Commission (MC hull 687) during World War II, as one of the Admiral W. S. Benson -class Type P2-SE2-R1 transport ships, completed instead as passenger ship.
1950s
SS Independence
February 1951
American Export Lines
Fore River Shipyard , Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation , Quincy, Massachusetts[ 26]
Henry Dreyfuss[ 27]
Wrecked on way to scrap yard 2011
SS Constitution
June 1951
American Export Lines
Fore River Shipyard , Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation , Quincy, Massachusetts[ 26]
Henry Dreyfuss[ 27]
Sank while under tow to shipbreakers, 1997
SS United States
1952
United States Lines
Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Newport News, Virginia [ 28]
Gibbs & Cox [ 29]
Out of Service since 1969, Laid Up
SS Monterey
1952/1955
Matson Line
Bethlehem Shipbuilding Co , at Sparrow's Point, Maryland[ 19]
Scrapped 2006
Ordered by the U.S. Maritime Administration as cargo vessel SS Free State Mariner, completed 1952.[ 30] Converted to passenger ship by Matson Line in 1955.
SS Mariposa
1953/1955
Matson Line
Fore River Shipyard , Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation , Quincy, Massachusetts
Burned & Scrapped 1996
Ordered by the U.S. Maritime Administration as cargo vessel SS Pine Tree Mariner, completed 1953.[ 30] Converted to passenger ship by Matson Line in 1955.
SS Atlantic
1953/1958
American Export Lines
Sun Ship Building & Dry Dock Co. , in Chester, Pennsylvania
Scrapped 1996
Built as “Break Bulk Cargo Ship” for the “US Maritime Commission” in 1953 as the Badger Mariner . Converted to passenger ship by American Export Line in 1958.
SS Santa Rosa
June
1958
Grace Line
Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Newport News, Virginia
Gibbs & Cox
Scrapped 2012
SS Santa Paula
October 1958
Grace Line
Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Newport News, Virginia
Gibbs & Cox
Bombed as Hotel ship 1990, Scrapped 2002
SS Brasil
September 1958
Moore-McCormack Lines
Ingalls Shipyards , Pascagoula, Mississippi[ 4]
Scrapped 2004
SS Argentina
December 1958
Moore-McCormack Lines
Ingalls Shipyards , Pascagoula, Mississippi[ 4]
Scrapped 2005
Last deep water passenger liner to be completed in the United States
2000s
Pride of America
2005
American Classic Voyages /NCL America
Ingalls Shipyards , Pascagoula, Mississippi & Lloyd Werft , Bremerhaven, Germany
In Service
Ordered for American Classic Voyages [ 31]
References
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^ "S.S. Morro Castle, Cramps Shipyards, Philadelphia" . Library of Congress . Retrieved 2021-01-04 .
^ "Vast Steamship Launched" . The Boston Globe . February 6, 1904. p. 11.
^ "Coamo (American Steam passenger ship) - Ships hit by German U-boats during WWII - uboat.net" . uboat.net . Retrieved 2021-01-20 .
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^ "S/S Iroquois - USS Solace - S/S Ankara : A ship that has a lot to tell" . FreeShipPlans.com . 2013-09-18. Retrieved 2021-01-17 .
^ a b c d Crockett, David. (1997). Eastern Steamship . Dunbaugh, Edwin., Steamship Historical Society of America. Providence, R.I.: Steamship Historical Society of America, Inc. ISBN 0-913423-11-4 . OCLC 41174827 .
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^ "Large or Otherwise Significant Shipbuilders" . 2014-06-25. Archived from the original on 2014-06-25. Retrieved 2021-01-20 .
^ a b c O'Brien, Duncan (October 2014). The grand manner of Matson . Pier 10 Media. ISBN 978-0968673430 . OCLC 881138788 .
^ O'Brien, Duncan (2008). The white ships : Matson Line to Hawaii, New Zealand, Australia via Samoa, Fiji, 1927-1978 . Victoria, B.C.: Pier 10 Media. ISBN 978-0-9686734-1-6 . OCLC 1029646221 .
^ "Harvey Station, New Brunswick - Genealogy - Lt. Margaret A. Briggs" . history.earthsci.carleton.ca . Retrieved 2020-12-31 .
^ a b Driscoll, Lawrence (2003). S.S. America, U.S.S. West Point, S.S. Australis : the many lives of a great ship (1st ed.). Palo Alto, Calif.: Glencannon Press. ISBN 1-889901-30-X . OCLC 52239668 .
^ "AMERICA" . vesselhistory.marad.dot.gov . Retrieved 2021-05-04 .
^ "SS America | MARAD" . www.maritime.dot.gov . Retrieved 2021-05-04 .
^ Plowman, Peter (2006). The Chandris liners and celebrity cruises . Dural, N.S.W.: Rosenberg. ISBN 978-1-877058-47-9 . OCLC 162119399 .
^ a b Miller, William H. (2001). SS Independence, SS Constitution : great American ocean liners (1st ed.). Fleischmanns, N.Y.: Purple Mountain Press. ISBN 1-930098-31-6 . OCLC 48039110 .
^ a b Roden, Christian T. (2015-12-01). "Henry Dreyfuss Designs the Postwar Ocean Liner" . Winterthur Portfolio . 49 (4): 137–173. doi :10.1086/686143 . ISSN 0084-0416 . S2CID 111640066 .
^ Maxtone-Graham, John (2014). SS United States : Red, White & Blue Ribband, Forever (First ed.). New York. ISBN 978-0-393-24170-9 . OCLC 890377082 . {{cite book }}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link )
^ "Naval Architecture & Engineering Firm | Mission & History" . Gibbs & Cox, Inc . Retrieved 2020-12-31 .
^ a b "SS Monterey (3)" . ssmaritime.com . Retrieved 2020-12-31 .
^ "AMERICAN CLASSIC VOYAGES CO. (AMCV) SIGNS MAJOR CONTRACT WITH INGALLS FOR LUXURY CRUISE SHIP CONSTRUCTION" . 2007-08-14. Archived from the original on 2007-08-14. Retrieved 2020-12-31 .
External links
Bibliography
Harnack, Edwin P (1938) [1903]. All About Ships & Shipping (7th ed.). London: Faber and Faber . p. 549.