Pride of America
Encyclopedia
MS
Pride of America is a cruise ship
partly built in the United States, now a member of the Norwegian Cruise Line
(NCL) fleet. Inaugurated during the 2005-2006 cruise season, she is the first new U.S. flagged cruise ship in nearly fifty years, Pride of America was designed to pay homage to the spirit and many wonderful regions of the United States
, from the patriotic artwork on the hull to the American themed public spaces.
with heavy federal subsidies
. Project America was intended as a means of improving the competitiveness of American shipyards in performing commercial (non-military) construction, as well as creating the first American-registered
passenger ships of any real size in decades. The Project America program collapsed in 2001, when American Classic Voyages Inc., the company that was to operate the ships under its United States Lines
division, filed for bankruptcy
.
Norwegian Cruise Line Ltd acquired the unfinished ship and had her towed to Germany for completion as Pride of America for their newly launched NCL America division. In the process, the ship was lengthened considerably, from 850 ft. to 920, growing from 72,000 gross tons to more than 80,000. Under NCL America, the ship was initially slated for completion in 2004, but the delivery date was pushed back to 2005 after a major storm hit the Lloyd Werft
shipyard and caused considerable damage to the vessel, partially sinking her at its berth. A special exemption on the part of the US Government allowed the largely foreign built ship to attain US registry.
After the transfer of Pride of Aloha
and Pride of Hawaii
, she is currently the only American registered major cruise ship serving the Hawaiian market from Honolulu.
. Project America was originally to have two ships in the class.
.
Ship prefix
A ship prefix is a combination of letters, usually abbreviations, used in front of the name of a civilian or naval ship.Prefixes for civilian vessels may either identify the type of propulsion, such as "SS" for steamship, or purpose, such as "RV" for research vessel. Civilian prefixes are often...
Pride of America is a cruise ship
Cruise ship
A cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way...
partly built in the United States, now a member of the Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Cruise Line is a company operating cruise ships, headquartered in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida. It began operations in 1966 under the name Norwegian Caribbean Line. The company is best known for its Freestyle Cruising concept, which means that there are no set times or...
(NCL) fleet. Inaugurated during the 2005-2006 cruise season, she is the first new U.S. flagged cruise ship in nearly fifty years, Pride of America was designed to pay homage to the spirit and many wonderful regions of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, from the patriotic artwork on the hull to the American themed public spaces.
History
For much of its early (pre-commissioning) history, Pride of America was known as "Project America 1"; the first of a pair of 70,000 ton cruise ships to be built at the Litton-Ingalls shipyard in MississippiMississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
with heavy federal subsidies
Subsidy
A subsidy is an assistance paid to a business or economic sector. Most subsidies are made by the government to producers or distributors in an industry to prevent the decline of that industry or an increase in the prices of its products or simply to encourage it to hire more labor A subsidy (also...
. Project America was intended as a means of improving the competitiveness of American shipyards in performing commercial (non-military) construction, as well as creating the first American-registered
United States Merchant Marine
The United States Merchant Marine refers to the fleet of U.S. civilian-owned merchant vessels, operated by either the government or the private sector, that engage in commerce or transportation of goods and services in and out of the navigable waters of the United States. The Merchant Marine is...
passenger ships of any real size in decades. The Project America program collapsed in 2001, when American Classic Voyages Inc., the company that was to operate the ships under its United States Lines
United States Lines
United States Lines was a transatlantic shipping company that operated cargo services from 1921 to 1989, and ocean liners until 1969—most famously the SS United States.-1920s:...
division, filed for bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
.
Norwegian Cruise Line Ltd acquired the unfinished ship and had her towed to Germany for completion as Pride of America for their newly launched NCL America division. In the process, the ship was lengthened considerably, from 850 ft. to 920, growing from 72,000 gross tons to more than 80,000. Under NCL America, the ship was initially slated for completion in 2004, but the delivery date was pushed back to 2005 after a major storm hit the Lloyd Werft
Lloyd Werft
Lloyd Werft Bremerhaven GmbH is a dockyard in Bremerhaven, established in 1857 by Norddeutscher Lloyd. The yard employs 500 workers in an area of 260. 000 m². Ships with a draught down to 11,5 m can be accommodated.-External links:* website...
shipyard and caused considerable damage to the vessel, partially sinking her at its berth. A special exemption on the part of the US Government allowed the largely foreign built ship to attain US registry.
After the transfer of Pride of Aloha
Pride of Aloha
Norwegian Sky is a Sky class cruise ship owned and operated by Norwegian Cruise Line. She was originally ordered by Costa Cruises as Costa Olympia from the Bremer Vulkan shipyard in Germany, but she was completed in 1999 by the Lloyd Werft shipyard in Bremerhaven, Germany for the Norwegian Cruise...
and Pride of Hawaii
Pride of Hawaii
Norwegian Jade is a cruise ship for Norwegian Cruise Line, originally built as the Pride of Hawaii for their NCL America division. She was christened in a ceremony at the San Pedro Pier in Los Angeles, California on May 22, 2006...
, she is currently the only American registered major cruise ship serving the Hawaiian market from Honolulu.
Vessel Class
The Pride of America is a unique, one-off ship design. The ship was originally designed for United States Lines under the class name Project AmericaProject America
Project America was the designation for a contract between American Classic Voyages and the Litton Ingalls Shipyard of Pascagoula, Mississippi. The contract was to build two cruise ships, with a each, with an option for a third vessel. The contract had the initial potential value of $1.4...
. Project America was originally to have two ships in the class.
Hull Art
Pride of America's hull art consists of red, white, and blue stars and stripes and a stylized bald eagleBald Eagle
The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
.