SS Constitution in the 1950s
History
United States
Name
  • 1951–1974: Constitution
  • 1974–1982: Oceanic Constitution
  • 1982–1997: Constitution
Owner
  • 1951–1974: American Export Lines
  • 1974–1979: Atlantic Far East Lines
  • 1980-1982: American Hawaii Cruises
  • 1982–1996: American Global Line
  • 1996-1997: American Hawaii Cruises
BuilderBethlehem Steel Corporation's Fore River Shipyard, Quincy, Massachusetts, USA
Yard number1619[1]
Laid down1950
LaunchedSeptember 16, 1950[1]
Completed1951
Maiden voyageJune 25, 1951[1]
In service1951
Out of service1997
IdentificationIMO number: 5078882
FateSank while under tow to shipbreakers, 1997
General characteristics (as built)[1]
TypeOcean liner
Tonnage
Length208.01 m (682.45 ft)
Beam27.18 m (89.17 ft)
Draft9.20 m (30.18 ft)
Installed power2 × Bethlehem Steel Corporation steam turbines; 40456 kW
Speed23 knots (43 km/h; 26 mph)
Capacity1000 passengers
General characteristics (after 1959 refit)[1]
TypeCruise ship
Tonnage23,754 GRT
Capacity395 passengers
General characteristics (after 1974 refit)[1]
Capacity950 passengers
General characteristics (after 1980 refit)[1]
Tonnage20,221 GRT
Capacity1073 passengers

The SS Constitution was an ocean liner owned by American Export Lines, sister ship of the SS Independence. Both were constructed in the United States and made their maiden voyages in 1951.

History

SS Constitution on a visit to Haifa on March 10, 1953

Commissioned in 1951, she started her long career sailing on the New York City-Genoa-Naples-Gibraltar route to Europe.

Following service on American Export's "Sunlane" cruise to Europe in the 1950s and 1960s the two ships sailed for American Hawaii Cruises and American Global Line for many years in the 1980s and 1990s; as U.S. ships with U.S. crews meeting the criteria of the Passenger Services Act they were able to cruise the Islands without sailing to a foreign port.

SS Constitution in Hawaii
SS Constitution in Hawaii, August 1986
SS Constitution in Hawaii, August 1986

SS Constitution was retired in 1995; while under tow to be scrapped, the liner sank 700 nautical miles (1,300 km) north of the Hawaiian Islands on November 17, 1997. The exact location of the wreck has yet to be discovered.[2]

SS Constitution was featured in several episodes of the situation comedy I Love Lucy starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, starting with episode, "Bon Voyage," aired January 16, 1956. Lucy Ricardo missed the ship and had to be ferried by air by a then-novel helicopter.

American movie actress Grace Kelly sailed aboard SS Constitution from New York to Monaco for her wedding to Prince Rainier in 1956.

SS Constitution was featured in the 1957 film, An Affair to Remember starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr. Former President Harry S. Truman and his wife Bess sailed back to New York from Europe on the Constitution in the summer of 1958. The ship was also featured in the beginning and end of an episode of the Naked City TV series titled "No Naked Ladies in Front of Giovanni's House!" aired April 17, 1963. The ship also featured prominently in the Magnum, P.I. television series episode titled "All Thieves on Deck" aired January 30, 1986.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Micke Asklander. "T/S Constitution (1951)". Fakta om Fartyg (in Swedish). Retrieved 2010-01-24.
  2. ↑ Klages, Karen (18 January 1998). "SUNKEN CRUISE SHIP'S STASH RESURFACES AT AREA SHOP". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
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