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 U.S.-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 build 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, mostly German-built ship to attain U.S. registry.

Major refurbishments

2013

Pride of America entered a fourteen day dry dock on March 23, 2013 in Honolulu, Hawaii; 32 passenger cabins were added and some public facilities were refurbished.

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.

Vessel class

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, though only one was ever built.

Livery

Pride of America's hull is covered with a patriotic livery which consists of red, white, and blue stars and stripes and a stylized bald eagle.