The SS United States was a major part of my childhood and adolescence. Starting in 1953, we sailed back and forth across the Atlantic for family vacations. Later, my brother and I commuted to and from boarding school by ourselves each fall and summer. Our father worked for U.S. Lines in Europe, and because of his position, we had opportunities most people didn’t have. The purser would give us a crash gate key so we could go anywhere on the ship. My youngest brother learned to walk on the United States during a crossing from New York to Le Havre. The stewards on the promenade deck would play with him by tying a red ballon to the end of the stick and pretending he had caught a fish in the scuppers. Dave and Herby in the smoking lounge always indulged us with fun drinks and hors d’oeuvres.We loved Gala Night, even as children. Our parents looked so glamorous. Once I was older, my mother would buy me a new evening dress for the event. I adored the glass panels in the ball room. In 1966, I danced with Sean Connery there. I met other celebrities too: Robert Morely, President Eisenhower and his brother David, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.Several crossings were so rough, the dining room chairs were strapped down, the elevators were lined with padding, and velvet ropes were strung along the hallways. As kids, we loved to swing on the ropes and hang upside down! I remember the smells and the low hum of the engines idling. When I boarded the ship, it felt like coming home.-- Betsy Stettinius, who crossed the Atlantic on the SS United States regularly between 1953 and 1969
Transmission 23: David Roger Anthony
We sailed out of New York Harbor while the Verrazano-Narrows bridge was still under construction. The workers waved to us as we passed underneath, and we waved back. I was bound for Southampton -- the first leg of my trip to India on a Fullbright fellowship. I shared a cabin with two other Fullbright scholars also bound for India, and a new member of the diplomatic corps. When we inquired about the loud banging noise we could clearly hear from our cabin, we were told an automobile owned by Kirk Douglas had broken loose in the storage hold. I have no idea if it’s true, but it was the closest I came to seeing a celebrity during the voyage.I remember being surprised and upset that photographs of the people on the pier who had come to see us off were for being offered for sale. I thought it was manipulative because some of us would not see our friends and families for a year or more, and naturally felt we had no choice but to purchase the photos showing “our” people. Now, over fifty years later, I cherish the photo I bought.-- David Roger Anthony, former passenger, who sailed on the SS United States in July of 1963
Transmission 22: Mary Anne Chamberlain
I remember thinking it was funny being in a pool when there was a huge ocean right there, and sneaking into first class with my brother to explore the front half of the ship. A very nice steward caught us and gently brought us back to our parents in cabin class. Once, while we were playing cards on deck, a gust of wind came up and blew the cards away – some of them ended up in strangers’ tea cups! Everyone was quite good-natured about it.My father took a great interest in the SS United States, he was so impressed by her speed and grace in the water. My brother and I loved standing on the deck and watching the wavy, light green-blue trail the SS United States left behind as she sped through the water. We also loved people-watching, listening to the many different languages spoken on board, and going through the safety drills.The SS United States was a true and strong seafaring beauty, with real elegance and magnificent attention to detail in every way. Today’s ships seem to be more about cramming thousands of people into floating cities, it’s like being at a giant shopping mall with dozens of restaurants, pools, climbing walls, and bars, yet very little attention to passenger comfort or aesthetics. As the years go by, our appreciation for the SS United States grows exponentially!-- Mary Anne Chamberlain, who sailed SS United States with her father, mother, brother, sister in 1964 and 1966.