The liner has been in Mobile, Alabama, since March 2025, where she has undergone remediation and preparation for reefing.
The county said all required environmental remediation has been completed under Environmental Protection Agency and Maritime Administration best management practices for vessels intended as artificial reefs.
The county’s plans rule out explosives. Openings will be cut strategically through the hull so that the vessel settles upright at a proposed seabed depth of 180 feet (54.9 metres), leaving about 55 feet (17 metres) of water above the upper deck.
Part of the aluminium superstructure is being removed to improve diver access at that depth.