At the time of their construction, "Washington" and her sister ship , also built by New York Shipbuilding, were the largest liners ever built in the United States, a status they held until the 1939 launch of SS "America". "Washington" and "Manhattan" were two of the few pure ocean liners built by New York Shipbuilding, which had previously built a large number of cargo liners. Accommodations were 580 in Cabin class, 400 in Tourist, and 150 Third class. Both ships were to garner a reputation for a very high standard of service and luxury.