April 13, 2020
This extravagant chocolate egg was designed by an SS United States First Class Chef and sent to Eric James by his aunt and uncle, crew members aboard the ship who met while working in the First Class gift shop and lounge.
Seeking Your Input on Future Exhibits
Dear Supporters,

We'd like to extend Passover and belated Easter greetings to our Conservancy family. Happy Easter and Chag Pesach Sameach to all who celebrate during this powerful season of remembrance and hope. 

As you already know, RXR Realty is proceeding with its next phase of design development and is embarking on a nation-wide search for an optimal location for the ship. You can read more about these plans in RXR's latest press release, which we've made available in full on   our website .

As RXR's plans advance, the Conservancy is focusing our efforts on creating a one-of-a-kind shipboard museum and visitor center that will celebrate the SS  United States . The museum will honor the ship's storied history as a pinnacle of technological and artistic achievement and explore broader themes of mid-century design, art, and innovation.

We could never have come this far without your enthusiastic and unwavering support. As we begin this hopeful next chapter, we are eager to receive your ideas, suggestions, and advice.

In about a week, we will be sending you a survey via email, asking for your input on the world-class museum we intend to create aboard the redeveloped SS United States . Your responses will help guide us as we work to give the Big U her long-awaited second act — and preserve her incredible legacy for future generations.

As we endure the profound health and economic disruptions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, the SS United States remains a beacon. She symbolizes the resilience and innovation we need now more than ever. My grandfather once said of the SS United States : "This great ship is the embodiment of the force and power of a free people working with individual initiative, coming together and cooperating to produce a result which is far beyond the capacity of any one." This is the collective spirit and ambition we hope to explore in our future museum, and which will also help the world navigate through the current storm.

My many thanks for your continued support. We look forward to reading your responses to our upcoming survey and to continue in partnership as our curatorial plans advance!
Susan Gibbs
President
SS United States Conservancy
"For me, the SS United States is hallowed ground. She is the crowning achievement of American maritime ingenuity and resolve. She wears her rust and peeling paint like scars from an ongoing battle against the elements, one that she has thus far endured."  —  Peter Knego, Cruise Journalist & Ship Historian
Rescheduled Maritime History & Stewardship Cruise Announced for August 2021
A group photo taken during the Conservancy's 2017 Legacy Cruise to Bermuda.
Due to the global health pandemic, the the SS United States Conservancy and the  Pollin Group   have postponed our  Saving Our Maritime History  Cruise . This voyage aboard  Royal Caribbean 's "Brilliance of the Seas" was set to depart from Boston on October 11, 2020 and visit New England and Canada. 

We have now confirmed an exciting new itinerary: We will be traveling on the Norwegian Breakaway for a five-night sailing — August 24 to August 29, 2021 — departing from New York. The ship will sail to Bar Harbor, Maine and Halifax, Nova Scotia, and include two days at sea. We will have a very special send-off event in Manhattan on August 23rd. The cruise will honor the legacy of the Big U and explore broader cultural, historical, and environmental topics through onboard film screenings, festive social gatherings, exciting shore excursions, and fascinating maritime history and stewardship presentations. Each cruise booking will generate a generous donation to the Conservancy, and we are deeply grateful for the generosity of the Pollin Group. For those of you already booked on this October's cruise, the Pollin Group will be reaching out to discuss next steps.

In the meantime, please don't hesitate to contact Mary Davis, Senior Director of Client and Management Services. She can be reached by email at  mdavis@pollingroup.com,  or by cell: 443/878-4393. Thank you so much for your support, and we hope you'll be able to join us for a fantastic cruise in August 2021!
Flashback: The Big U in Playboy Magazine
Hugh Hefner and Art Paul examine LeRoy Neiman's painting of the SS United States for a then-upcoming issue of Playboy magazine.
April 9 would have marked the 94th birthday of the late Hugh Hefner, entrepreneur and founder of Playboy magazine. In the heyday of America's Flagship's service career, Hefner's  Playboy  served as an important — albeit controversial — cultural and sociopolitical touchstone. However, there was nothing divisive about the magazine's decision to showcase a brilliant, full-color painting of the SS United States by the esteemed American artist LeRoy Neiman.

Neiman was interviewed for Lady in Waiting — Mark Perry and Bob Radler's 2008 documentary about the SS United States . (If you're an Amazon Prime member, you can watch this documentary for free .)

Our many thanks to Conservancy New York Chapter Co-Chair Paul Stipkovich for finding, scanning, and sharing this iconic magazine spread spotlighting the Big U.
Your generosity helps us spread the word about the magnificent SS United States, while supporting our crucial, ongoing curatorial mission.
Help Us Preserve the Legacy of America's Flagship!