Pride of America

For the album by Charley Pride, see Pride of America (album).

History
United States
Name	Pride of America
Owner	Pride of America Ship Holding Inc. (NCL America)
Operator	NCL America
Port of registry	Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
Route	Honolulu; Maui (Kahului); Hilo; Kona; Kauai
Ordered	1999
Builder	Litton-Ingalls, Pascagoula, Mississippi (hull) Lloyd Werft, Bremerhaven, Germany (outfitting)
Yard number	7671 (Litton-Ingalls) "Project America" (Lloyd Werft)
Laid down	10 October 2000
Launched	16 September 2002
Completed	7 June 2005
In service	2005–present
Identification	IMO number: 9209221 Call sign: WNBE MMSI number: 366994450
Status	In service
General characteristics (as designed)
Tonnage	80,439 GT
Length	850 ft (260 m)
Capacity	2,500 passengers
Notes	Purchased by NCL in 2001 as an unfinished vessel following the bankruptcy of American Classic Voyages.
General characteristics (as built)
Tonnage	80,439 GT 50,632 NT 8,260 DWT
Length	921 ft (280.6 m) (overall) 845 ft (257.6 m) (between perpendiculars)
Beam	106 ft (32.2 m)
Draught	26.2 ft (8.0 m)
Depth	65.8 ft (20.07 m)
Decks	15
Installed power	6 × Wärtsilä 8L46C (6 × 8,400 kW)
Propulsion	Two Rolls-Royce Mermaid pods (2 × 12.5 MW) Three Rolls-Royce bow thrusters
Speed	22.2 knots (41.1 km/h; 25.5 mph)
Capacity	2,186 passengers
Crew	927

MS Pride of America is a cruise ship built in the United States and is operated by Norwegian Cruise Lines. Inaugurated during the 2005/2006 cruise season as the first new US-flagged cruise ship in nearly fifty years, Pride of America was designed to pay homage to the spirit of the United States, from the patriotic artwork on the hull to the U.S.-themed public spaces.

History

For much of her 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 Mississippi 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 U.S.-registered passenger ships of any real size in decades. Project America program collapsed in 2001, when American Classic Voyages, 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, she was lengthened from 850 feet (260 m). to 920 feet (280 m), increasing the gross tonnage from 72,000 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 which also sank at her berth. A special exemption on the part of the U.S. government allowed the modified ship, and her mostly German-built sister, to attain U.S. registry.

After the transfer of Pride of Aloha and Pride of Hawaii, she is currently the only U.S.-registered major cruise ship serving the Hawaiian market from Honolulu.

There are 15 food and beverage outlets and services on board:

Included restaurants: Liberty and Skyline Restaurants, Aloha Café, Cadillac Diner, Key West Bar & Grill, East Meets West and 24h Room Service.

Speciality restaurants (for an additional cover charge): John Adams Coffee Bar, Dolce Gelato Shop, Teppanyaki, Sushi Bar, Jefferson's Bistro, Cagney's Steakhouse, La Cucina and the Moderno Churrascaria.

Major refurbishments

2013

Pride of America entered a fourteen day dry dock on March 23, 2013 in Honolulu, Hawaii and received the addition of twenty four suites, four studio staterooms and four inside staterooms; Moderno Churrascaria, the line’s signature Brazilian-style steakhouse; ship wide wireless internet connectivity; new carpeting throughout; flat screen televisions in all staterooms; updated décor; upgrades to the fitness center; new directional signage; renovations to the gift shop, photo gallery and art gallery; and much more.

2016

Pride of America entered a twenty four day dry dock period in February 2016, at the BAE Systems San Francisco Ship Repair facility. Normally, the ship uses facilities in Pearl Harbor, but these were already fully booked. Described as "its first major refresh since the ship launched in 2005", the ship is due to receive improvements or renovations in the spa, passenger cabins, restaurants, and also to receive the addition of a wedding chapel.

Vessel class

Main article: Project America

Pride of America is a one-off ship design. She was originally designed for United States Lines under the class name Project America. Project America was originally to have two ships in the class.

Livery

Pride of America's livery consists of red, white, and blue stars and stripes and a stylized bald eagle.

References

Bibliography

• Saunders, Aaron (2013). Giants of the Seas: The Ships that Transformed Modern Cruising. Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK: Seaforth Publishing. ISBN 9781848321724.
• Smith, Peter C. (2010). Cruise Ships: The World's Most Luxurious Vessels. Barnsley, South Yorkshire, UK: Pen & Sword Maritime. ISBN 9781848842182.

External links

• Official website