The S.S. United States currently sits in the waters of the Delaware River off South Philadelphia.
PHILADELPHIA -- The S.S. United States, which has been docked in South Philadelphia since the late 1990s, will sail the seas once again, the new owners of "America's Flagship" announced Thursday.
Crystal Cruises, a nationally-recognized luxury cruise line, put months of speculation to rest at a press conference in New York City. The company has signed an exclusive purchase option to secure the record-setting passenger liner and will bring it up to modern standards.
"The prospect of revitalizing the S.S. United States and reestablishing her as 'America's Flagship' once again is a thrilling one. It will be a very challenging undertaking, but we are determined to apply the dedication and innovation that has always been the ship's hallmark," Crystal Cruises President and CEO Edie Rodriguez said in a statement.
While the price of the transaction wasn't disclosed, the new owners of the record-setting ship launched in 1952 will cover all preservation costs and conduct a technical feasibility study that should be finished by the end of this year.
The SS United States Conservancy -- which late last year received more than $100,000 in donations from across the globe to keep restoration efforts afloat -- previously said that the vessel presently moored in the waters of the Delaware River would be sold for scrap if it couldn't keep up with the cost of maintenance.
"We are thrilled that the SS United States is now poised to make a triumphant return to sea and that the ship's historical legacy will continue to intrigue and inspire a new generation," Susan Gibbs, executive director of the SS United States Conservancy and granddaughter of the ship's designer, William Francis Gibbs, added.
"The Conservancy could never have reached this momentous milestone without the lifeline provided by our supporters from across the country and around the world. Thousands responded to our SOS last October and they refused to give up the fight for America's Flagship," Gibbs said of the donations.
According to the new owners, the ship will have to be "extensively re-built" to be in compliance with modern maritime rules and shipbuilding practices while maintaining some famed features of the original. Once finished with the "enormous undertaking," the United States will become an 800-guest, 400-suite cruiser.
Greg Adomaitis may be reached at gadomaitis@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregAdomaitis. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.