Welcome to the SS United States - America’s Flagship

On this tour, you will visit several locations that have reproduction deck layouts to help you understand what these spaces were used for during the ship’s service career. A QR Code that can be scanned with your phone’s camera will take you to web pages on the Conservancy’s site that are exclusive for tour participants. These web pages will provide you with more information and context on these spaces when you visit them.

You are currently on B Deck, port side. The area you’re standing in now was a crew working space for loading provisions, such as food and drink, aboard the ship before sailing. In the event the ship was docked to starboard and required loading from that side, another set of large doors on the opposite side could be opened. The bank of four elevators leads down to refrigerated and dry goods storage. A spiral slide was used to send bulk goods down to dry storage lockers. This allowed for the quick loading of victuals for a voyage. The spiral staircase that you will take up to Main Deck, also leads down to these storage areas.

The port-side spaces around this area were mostly dedicated crew areas, with a few Cabin Class cabins further aft. The spaces aft of your location included the Bake Shop, Print Shop, Slop Chest, and quarters for bartenders, waiters, cooks, and other members of the Kitchen Department. The Bake Shop, with bread and sugar storage next door, holds the last two stainless steel ovens aboard. The Print Shop is where the ship’s daily newspaper, The Ocean Press, was printed, along with menus and other notices. The Slop Chest provided clothing, tobacco, and other personal goods for sale to the crew, usually as a charge against their wages. Crew bathrooms and showers for the quarters on this deck bracket the Aft Boiler Hatch forward and aft.

Forward of where you are now held the various mess spaces for Firemen, Engineers, Deck, Seamen, and Stewards. The Crew’s Galley, along with the Pantry and Dishwashing Room, is also forward, down the center of the ship. The cabinets, tables, and racks in the galley, pantry, and dishwashing room were all made in stainless steel. Further forward beyond the mess areas were crew quarters for stewards and mess men.

On the starboard side, were cabins for Cabin and Tourist class. Several of the Cabin Class cabins did have the ability to be converted into Tourist Class cabins, through the closure or opening of several doors and barriers along the passageway. While most Cabin Class passengers had a sink, shower and toilet in their cabins, Tourist Class passengers only had sinks. They had to use the public bathrooms, and when they wanted to use either the showers or bathtubs in their section, it required scheduling a time with their steward or stewardess.

Forward and aft on this deck, on both starboard and port sides, are stations where the fuel oil was bunkered for an upcoming voyage. This layout only shows the aft stations. A couple of items of interest to note are currently stored here:  Two out of the three telephone switchboards are kept here. There was a switchboard for each passenger class. The conical shaped object past the spiral staircase that you see is a propeller cap that attaches to a propeller hub. The cap is designed to aid in streamlining waterflow past the prop while it’s spinning. Later in the tour, you’ll see a propeller lashed to the aft deck with its cap still in place. Now enjoy the tour and thank you for supporting the SS United States Conservancy!