Comments on: The Life and Death of America’s Last Cruise Ship the SS Independence

By: Beavis Malone

Beavis Malone — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:22:06 +0000

@sstraveler

no one cares except you, so shut it troll.

anyways

SS Independence will likely end up like SS American Star if they leave it on the sandbar were it sits right now. I read theres already been structural cracking resulting in a hull breach that they have welded a patch over.

By: Scott Hardie

Scott Hardie — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 01:06:40 +0000

I also stayed on deck 5 as I believe it was where the movie theatre was. Again, good times and memories.

By: Scott Hardie

Scott Hardie — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 01:02:36 +0000

I sailed on her in Aug 1995. She was a time capsule in a way(clipper stern) and had a history to her that you don’t see anymore. She was my first liner/cruise ship I travelled on, MS Veendam(sept 2001), MS Norwiegian Dawn(July 2006) and RMS Queen Mary 2(aug 2009) being the others. Sad to see goe this way. R.I.P. Indy.

By: Bill Shea

Bill Shea — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 16:29:37 +0000

My wife and I spent a week sailing the islands in 1999 on the Indy with a number of relatives when my nephew was married onboard by the captain.. The intimacy of the smallish ship was wonderful. Seeing how she ended is heartbreaking.

By: Larry Carlso

Larry Carlso — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 23:34:02 +0000

I had the distinct priviledge of sailing on the Independence while it was in Hawaii on 13 occassions. I loved the ship more than I can express. Just being on it or even near it was incredibly satisfying.
Honestly, even seeing photos of it now still makes me long for another chance to sail her again. The people who I met and the wonderful crew have a very special place in my lheart. It was an experience that simply cannot be replicated!

By: Ned Crouch

Ned Crouch — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 23:52:39 +0000

I sailed on the SS Independence twice. Once from Naples to NY in 1952, and again from Cannes (or Genoa?) in 1954. I had seven major ocean voyages (SS United States, SS America, Cape Rain, Santa Rosa and SS Excalibur.) The Independence was without doubt the best. Right size. Great experiences. I miss the formality and luxury. Good old days, eh?

By: Randy

Randy — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 01:00:45 +0000

My wife and I enjoyed the New Year’s Cruise on the Independence the week of December 28, 1991. It was an awesome week traveling to the various islands. We enjoyed serving as the Protestant Chaplain on board that week. My father, Captain Donald D. Bennett served as Relief Captain on both the Independence and the Constitution. Sadly, my father died a few months later of an unexpected heart attack. Our whole family has a special love for the twin cruise ships since our dad loved them both so much. It grieves me to think of the Constitution sinking and the Independence being torn apart for scrap metal. If anyone from the Hawaiian Cruise lines reads these messages, Thanks from our family for your wonderful response when our dad died. You are a class act!

By: tom

tom — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:10:49 +0000

if i hit the lottery,i would buy her,a great steamship…

By: tom

tom — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:06:38 +0000

if i hit the lottery, I would buy her, a GREAT STEAMSHIP!!!!

By: Mark Miller

Mark Miller — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 07:33:42 +0000

The Indy’s marvelous design was no accident. Henry Dreyfuss, the industrial designer responsible for such things as the Hoover vacuum cleaner, the Princess telephone, the Polaroid SX-70 camera, and the rotary dial telephone (among other things) designed the Indy and her sister ship, the Constitution. Her original decor was a blend of pre-World War II Streamline Moderne and post-war industrial or “fire-proof” design. Dreyfuss specified polarized glass for the original portholes, two to a porthole, one capable of being revolved so passengers could “dial” sunlight up or down, with need of cloth curtains or shutters. Subsequent remodeling removed or obscured Dreyfuss’ elegant styles, but when I sailed aboard the Indy in the summer of 1999, there were still many touches that retained that marvelous Postwar “swank” style.