I’m getting tired of writing stories like this one, but here we go again: Maritime Matters has found some really sad photos of Independence lying wrecked near Gonpath, India.
Built in Qunicy, Mass., by Bethlehem Steel, Independence was commissioned by American Export Lines for its U.S.-Mediterranean service. Independence sailed on her maiden voyage on 11 February 1951 (a Mediterranean cruise). On 12 April 1951, Independence began New York-Genoa service (later switched to New York-Naples). Within months, she was joined in American Export’s Mediterranean service by her nearly identical sister ship, Constitution.
Independence was rebuilt in 1959 for cruising. The ship’s popularity declined over the next several years, however, and in 1968, she was laid up in Baltimore.
Independence joined C.Y. Tung’s American Hawaii Cruises in 1979 and renamed Oceanic Independence. In 1982, she was remodeled and given back her original name. American Hawaii Cruises went bankrupt in 2001, and Independence became the property of the U.S. government.
In February 2003, Independence was acquired by Norwegian Cruise Line, which said it planned to use the ship in a new cruise service.
In 2006, Independence was renamed Oceanic. NCL sold the ship in 2007.
RIP, Independence. You deserved a more dignified ending.
