June 15, 2019
The SS United States at her current berth on the Delaware River in Philadelphia.
Photograph courtesy of Patrick Murphy.
Attention former SS  United States  passengers, crew, and family members! We have a unique opportunity for you!

In honor of the 67th anniversary of the Big U's record-breaking maiden voyage, we're rechristening July 2019 as Blue Riband Month . In the coming weeks, we'll be celebrating the unforgettable early days of this magnificent vessel in our e-newsletters and social media posts. We'll also be lighting up the ship in patriotic red, white, and blue on the night of Saturday, July 13. But the highlight of this month-long celebration will be a tour open exclusively to former passengers, crew, and family members (as well as their guests).

On Saturday, July 20, from 9:00am to 11:00am, we invite you to join the Conservancy's curatorial team on a special, limited-access tour of the SS  United States , where we will (belatedly) commemorate the 67th anniversary of the Big U winning the coveted Blue Riband.

General public access to the SS  United States  is  highly restricted . While limited vessel tours are offered as a Conservancy membership benefit at the  Captain’s Quarters membership level  and above, we are offering this special opportunity to those with a personal connection to America’s Flagship, to assist in our ongoing  Legacy  and oral history projects. Tour attendees will be invited to share their recollections with Conservancy staff and contribute to our permanent archive.

Tour participants are asked to make a donation to the Conservancy of $150 per person, with all funds supporting the Conservancy's efforts to save America's Flagship and honor the ship's legacy. As a national 501(c)(3), all contributions to save America’s Flagship are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.

The opportunity is reserved for 10 individuals and their guests. Must be 18 years or older. This tour is extremely limited, so be sure to reserve your space now .
Use the hashtag: #whyilovetheunitedstates
While the July 20 tour is intended to give former passengers, crew, and their families a chance to reconnect with the ship, we'd also like to extend the opportunity for one additional SS United States fan (and their guest) to join this special, limited tour.

In order to be eligible, all you need to do is:

  • Create a Facebook post, tweet, or Instagram post explaining why the SS United States means so much to you.
  • Use the hashtag #whyilovetheunitedstates.

Winning entries must be public posts — read: searchable and viewable to the general public and not protected or private — made between June 29, 2019 and July 12, 2019 at 11:59 p.m. EST. On July 13, 2019, the Conservancy will select our favorite entry and notify the winner via direct message or social media tag.

*Public access to the SS  United States  is highly restricted. Please be advised that all tour participants must be at least 18 years of age and sign waivers. The tour involves extensive walking, including a climb up a narrow spiral staircase. Also, since having been stripped down to her bare structural essentials, the ship poses numerous tripping hazards. Finally, because the ship is docked at a working pier, the Conservancy must submit identification credentials to pier security in advance for each person who will be accessing the pier and boarding the ship.
"After the loud and fantastic claims made in advance for the liner United States , it comes as something of a disappointment to find them all true."   — Punch magazine (UK), 1952.
Former passenger Laura Embrey returns to the Big U with her son Robert (left) and brother Gary (right).
Photo courtesy of Laura Embrey.
Speaking of former passengers reconnecting with the ship...

In the most recent issue of this newsletter, we shared photos and stories from our member appreciation event, in which Crossing on Time author David Macaulay led a special tour of the SS United States for a select group of Conservancy members. The group featured Big U supporters of all ages, each of whom had a unique connection to the ship.

For Laura Embrey, this tour meant stepping aboard the SS United States for the first time in 50 years, after having traveled on the ship at age 4 to join her father (a Department of Defense employee) in Germany. She told the Baltimore Sun :

"It was unbelievable, beyond any expectation I had [...] My whole life, this ship has been part of our family history."

CLICK HERE to read the full story on the Baltimore Sun 's website.
A still from Ocean Giants , showing the SS United States at her current berth in South Philadelphia.
Image courtesy of Mathias Haentjes.
Though she is America's Flagship, the SS United States has long been admired by citizens the world over. This week, we're delighted to share the news of the Big U's upcoming appearance in episode of the European documentary series, Ozeanriesen (Ocean Giants).

The program takes an in-depth look at the most iconic ocean liners of the 20th century, including Germany's SS Imperator, France's SS Normandie, and England's RMS Titanic. The SS United States is featured in episode two of the series, with beautiful new footage shot aboard the ship last year.

Both episodes will air the night of Saturday, July 6 on ARTE TV in Germany and France. Here are the air times:

Germany
  • Episode 1: 8:15 p.m.
  • Episode 2: 9:10 p.m.
France
  • Episode 1: 8:50 p.m.
  • Episode 2: 9:45 p.m.

To watch a brief trailer for the series' second episode, CLICK HERE.
Help Us Save America's Flagship!
Did you know that SS United States supporters have donated over $2,000 to the Conservancy, simply by visiting a special link before they shop on Amazon?

For those of you who shop using the internet retailer Amazon,  AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support the SS  United States  every time you shop online. For each purchase that you make through AmazonSmile, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price to the SS United States Conservancy, no matter what you're buying. Even better — there's no extra cost to you!

Click here to learn how you can get started.

P.S. If you have an Amazon Prime membership, you can still watch the critically acclaimed 2008 documentary, SS United States : Lady in Waiting , for free.
"[The SS United States ] was built at a time when 'made in America’ really meant something, and that is a legacy that cannot be lost."  — H.F. “Gerry” Lenfest (1930-2018)