List of passenger ships built in the United States

Shipyards in the United States built dozens of deepwater passenger ships from 1900 to 1958.

Their construction was spurred by the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, which says that only ships built and registered in the United States may sail solely between the country's ports, and by the Merchant Marine Act of 1928, whose government loans led the International Mercantile Marine Company and other U.S. shipping lines to order new ships through World War II.

The largest passenger liner ever built in the United States was the SS United States, completed in 1952. The last large passenger liner to be completed was Moore-McCormack Lines' SS Argentina in 1958.

The only U.S.-built deepwater passenger ships still in existence are the United States (laid up), former converted cargo liner SS Medina (hotel ship), cargo/passenger liner NS Savannah (museum ship), and the partly US-built Pride of America (still in service).

Today, only small coastal and river passenger ships are still built in the U.S. and fly the American flag.

Shipyards The primary yards that built passenger ships in the 20th century include:

Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co., Ltd., Newport News, Virginia Ingalls Shipyards, Pascagoula, Mississippi Fore River Shipyard, Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, Quincy, Massachusetts William Cramp & Sons, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania New York Shipbuilding of Camden, New Jersey Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, Kearny, NJ

List +NameEntered serviceLine built or rebuilt ForShipyardDesignerStatusNotesSS Morro Castle1900Ward LineWilliam Cramp & Sons, PhiladelphiaScrapped 1926Laid down for Plant Line in 1899SS Kroonland1902Red Star LineWilliam Cramp & Sons, PhiladelphiaScrapped 1927SS Finland1902Red Star LineWilliam Cramp & Sons, PhiladelphiaScrapped 1928SS Minnesota 1905Great Northern Steamship Company Eastern Shipbuilding Co., New London, ConnecticutScrapped 1923SS Dakota1905Great Northern Steamship Company Eastern Shipbuilding Co., New London, ConnecticutWrecked & sank 1907SS Saratoga 1907Ward LineWilliam Cramp & Sons, PhiladelphiaScrapped 19391910sSS Great Northern1914Great Northern Pacific Steam Ship CompanyWilliam Cramp & Sons, PhiladelphiaScrapped 1948SS Northern Pacific1915Great Northern Pacific Steam Ship CompanyWilliam Cramp & Sons, PhiladelphiaBurned and sank 1922SS Oriente1917Ward LineWilliam Cramp & Sons, PhiladelphiaScrapped 1957Renamed SS Siboney for Ward Line after World War ISS Orizaba1917Ward LineWilliam Cramp & Sons, PhiladelphiaScrapped 1963Commandeered by US Navy prior to launch for World War I, entered passenger service in 19201920sSS President Roosevelt1922United States LineNew York Shipbuilding of Camden, New JerseyScrapped 1948 Originally built as a Harris-classattack transport towards the end of World War I, as Peninsula State, entered commercial service after her completion.SS Coamo1925New York and Porto Rico Steamship Company Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Newport News, VirginiaTorpedoed & Sank 1942SS Malolo1927Matson LineWilliam Cramp & Sons, PhiladelphiaGibbs & CoxScrapped 19771927Clyde Steamship LineNewport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Newport News, VirginiaScrapped 1981SS ShawneeJuly 1927Clyde Steamship LineNewport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Newport News, VirginiaBurned 1949SS YarmouthSeptember 1927Eastern Steamship LineWilliam Cramp & Sons, PhiladelphiaTheodore E. FerrisScrapped 1979SS EvangelineOctober 1927Eastern Steamship LineWilliam Cramp & Sons, PhiladelphiaTheodore E. FerrisBurned & Sank 1965SS California 1928Panama Pacific LinesNewport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Newport News, VirginiaScrapped 1964 First major ocean liner built with turbo-electric transmission. SS Virginia 1928Panama Pacific LinesNewport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Newport News, VirginiaScrapped 1964SS Pennsylvania 1929Panama Pacific LinesNewport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Newport News, VirginiaScrapped 19641930sSS Morro Castle1930Ward LineNewport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Newport News, VirginiaTheodore E. FerrisBurned 1934SS Oriente1930Ward LineNewport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Newport News, VirginiaTheodore E. FerrisScrapped 1957SS President Hoover1930Dollar Steamship LinesNewport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Newport News, VirginiaWrecked in storm 1937 SS Borinquen1931New York and Porto Rico Steamship CompanyFore River Shipyard, Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, Quincy, MassachusettsTheodore E. FerrisWrecked 1970SS President Coolidge1931Dollar Steamship LinesNewport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Newport News, VirginiaSunk by Mine 1942SS St John1932Eastern Steamship LineNewport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Newport News, VirginiaTheodore E. FerrisScrapped 1959SS Mariposa1932Matson LineFore River Shipyard, Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, Quincy, MassachusettsGibbs & CoxScrapped 1974SS Monterey1932Matson LineFore River Shipyard, Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, Quincy, MassachusettsGibbs & CoxSank on way to Scrapyard 2000SS Acadia1932Eastern Steamship LineNewport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Newport News, VirginiaTheodore E. FerrisSold 1955SS Manhattan1932United States LinesNew York Shipbuilding of Camden, New JerseyScrapped 1965Originally ordered for the Transatlantic Steamship CompanySS Santa Rosa1932Grace LineFederal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company Kearny, NJGibbs & CoxScrapped 1989SS Santa Paula1933Grace LineFederal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company Kearny, NJGibbs & CoxScrapped 1971SS Santa Lucia1933Grace LineFederal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company Kearny, NJGibbs & CoxTorpedoed & Sank 1942SS Lurline1933Matson LineFore River Shipyard, Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, Quincy, MassachusettsGibbs & CoxScrapped 1987SS Santa Elena1933Grace LineFederal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company Kearny, NJGibbs & CoxTorpedoed & Sank 1943SS Washington1933United States LinesNew York Shipbuilding of Camden, New JerseyScrapped 1965Originally ordered for the Transatlantic Steamship Company1940sSS America1940United States LinesNewport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Newport News, VirginiaGibbs & CoxWrecked in Canary Islands 1994SS La Guardia1944/1948American Export Lines Federal Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company Kearny, NJ, Converted to passenger service at Ingalls Shipyards, Pascagoula, Mississippi 1948Scrapped in 2005Converted from USS General W. P. Richardson (AP-118), a troopship that served with the United States Navy in World War IISS President Cleveland1947American President LinesBethlehem Shipbuilding Co, Alameda, CaliforniaScrapped in 1974Originally ordered by the Maritime Commission during World War II, as one of the Admiral-class Type P2-SE2-R1 transport ships, completed instead as passenger ship.SS President Wilson1948American President LinesBethlehem Shipbuilding Co, Alameda, CaliforniaScrapped in 1984Originally ordered by the Maritime Commission (MC hull 687) during World War II, as one of the Admiral W. S. Benson-class Type P2-SE2-R1 transport ships, completed instead as passenger ship.1950sSS IndependenceFebruary 1951American Export LinesFore River Shipyard, Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, Quincy, MassachusettsHenry Dreyfuss Wrecked on way to scrap yard 2011SS ConstitutionJune 1951American Export LinesFore River Shipyard, Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, Quincy, MassachusettsHenry Dreyfuss Sank while under tow to shipbreakers, 1997SS United States1952United States LinesNewport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Newport News, VirginiaGibbs & CoxOut of Service since 1969, Laid UpSS Monterey1952/1955Matson LineBethlehem Shipbuilding Co, at Sparrow's Point, MarylandScrapped 2006Ordered by the U.S. Maritime Administration as cargo vessel SS Free State Mariner, completed 1952. Converted to passenger ship by Matson Line in 1955.SS Mariposa1953/1955Matson LineFore River Shipyard, Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation, Quincy, MassachusettsBurned & Scrapped 1996Ordered by the U.S. Maritime Administration as cargo vessel SS Pine Tree Mariner, completed 1953. Converted to passenger ship by Matson Line in 1955.SS Atlantic1953/1958American Export LinesSun Ship Building & Dry Dock Co., in Chester, PennsylvaniaScrapped 1996Built as “Break Bulk Cargo Ship” for the “US Maritime Commission” in 1953 as the Badger Mariner. Converted to passenger ship by American Export Line in 1958.SS Santa RosaJune 1958Grace LineNewport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Newport News, VirginiaGibbs & CoxScrapped 2012SS Santa PaulaOctober 1958Grace LineNewport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Newport News, VirginiaGibbs & CoxBombed as Hotel ship 1990, Scrapped 2002SS BrasilSeptember 1958Moore-McCormack LinesIngalls Shipyards, Pascagoula, MississippiScrapped 2004SS ArgentinaDecember 1958Moore-McCormack LinesIngalls Shipyards, Pascagoula, MississippiScrapped 2005Last deep water passenger liner to be completed in the United States2000sPride of America2005American Classic Voyages/NCL AmericaIngalls Shipyards, Pascagoula, Mississippi & Lloyd Werft, Bremerhaven, GermanyIn ServiceOrdered for American Classic Voyages

References

External links U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) Vessel History Database Murals on the High Seas - Artwork on American Built Passenger Liners Moore-McCormack Lines History Matson Line History SS United States Conservancy Grace Line History

Bibliography