SS Independence

SS Independence 1951
History
Name	1951–1974: Independence 1974: Oceanic Independence 1974–1975: Sea Luck I 1975–1982 Oceanic Independence 1982–2006: Independence 2006–2009: Oceanic 2009–2011: Platinum II
Owner	1951–1974: American Export Lines 1974–1979: Atlantic Far East Lines 1979–1982: American Hawaii Cruises 1982–1996: American Global Line 1996–2001: American Hawaii Cruises 2001–2003: United States Maritime Administration[citation needed] 2003–2005: Norwegian Cruise Line 2005–2009: California Manufacturing Corp[1]
Operator	1951–1969: American Export Lines 1969–1974: laid up 1974–1976: Atlantic Far East Lines 1976–1980: laid up/rebuilt 1980–1982: American Hawaii Cruises 1982–1996: American Global Line 1996–2001: American Hawaii Cruises 2001–2008: laid up[1]
Port of registry	1951–1974: New York,  United States 1974–1979: Panama City,  Panama 1979–2009: Honolulu,  United States[1]
Ordered	1950[citation needed]
Builder	Bethlehem Steel Corporation, Quincy, Massachusetts, USA
Yard number	1618[1]
Laid down	1950[citation needed]
Launched	June 3, 1950[1]
Completed	1951
Acquired	January 22, 1951[1]
Maiden voyage	February 10, 1951[1]
In service	1951–1969, 1974–1976, 1980–2001
Out of service	2001
Identification	IMO number: 5160180[1]
Fate	Grounded and subsequently broken up off Alang, India; 2010-2011
Notes	One of the last US-flagged liners
General characteristics (as built)[1]
Type	Ocean liner
Tonnage	23,719 GRT 7,250 DWT
Length	208.01 m (682.45 ft)
Beam	27.18 m (89.17 ft)
Draft	9.20 m (30.18 ft)
Decks	12[citation needed]
Installed power	Two Bethlehem Steel Corporation steam turbines 40,456 kW (combined)
Speed	22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph)
Capacity	1,000 passengers
General characteristics (after 1959 refit)[1]
Type	Cruise ship
Tonnage	23,754 GRT
Capacity	395 passengers
General characteristics (after 1974 refit)[1]
Capacity	950 passengers
General characteristics (after 1980 refit)[1]
Tonnage	20,221 GRT
Capacity	1,073 passengers

SS Independence was an American built passenger liner, which entered service in February 1951 for American Export Lines. Originally, she plied a New York-Mediterranean route, specializing in a high-end clientele, sailing one way while her sister ship, SS Constitution, plied the route the opposite. Starting in 1980 she sailed as a cruise ship. She was shortly joined by her similarly graceful counter sterned sibling, the pair sharing the Hawaiian islands together for the better part of two decades until their retirements.

Between 1974 and 1982 Independence sailed as Oceanic Independence for Atlantic Far East Lines and American Hawaii Cruises, before reverting to the original name. Independence was then operated by American Global Line between 1982 and 1996, and again American Hawaii Cruises until being laid up in San Francisco in 2001.

In 2006 the ship was renamed Oceanic and, after being mothballed for seven years, left San Francisco for Singapore on February 8, 2008. That destination was later changed to Dubai, and in 2009 the aged liner left there under tow as the Platinum II for the shipbreaking yards in Alang, India. After having been turned away from those scrap yards due to hazardous materials on board, the then 58-year-old ship was grounded off Alang.^[2] There, the rusting ship's hull broke in two aft of the smokestacks (making refloating impossible) and was scrapped on the spot.^[3]