beaching cruise ships for scrap

18 Cruise Ships Were Scrapped in 2022: Here’s the Full List

• January 17, 2023

Continuing a trend that started in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, several older and smaller cruise ships were beached for scrapping in 2022.

While 20 new vessels entered service during the he year , a total of 18 cruise ships were also sold to scrapyards in Turkey, India and Pakistan.

For a complete market overview of ships moving between owners and leaving the market, see the Secondhand Market Report by Cruise Industry News.

Here’s a complete list of the cruise ships beached for scrapping this year:

Fuji Maru Capacity: 326 Tonnage: 23,235 Year Built: 1989 Beaching Date: January 2022 Breaking Yard: Gadani, Pakistan

After several years out of service, the former Fuji Maru ended its sailing career early in the year. Once operated by Mitsui O.S.K. Line, the 1989-built vessel was beached for scrapping in Gadani, Pakistan.

Century Harmony (ex-Carnival Fascination) Capacity: 2,040

Tonnage: 70,367 Year Built: 1994 Beaching Date: February 2022 Breaking Yard: Gadani, Pakistan

The ex-Carnival Fascination was beached for scrapping at the Gadani Ship Breaking Yard in 2022. Operated by Carnival Cruise Line until 2020, the Fantasy-class vessel arrived at the ship dismantling facility in February.

Oriental Dragon (ex-Sun Viking) Capacity: 882 Tonnage: 18,455 Year Built: 1972 Beaching Date: February 2022 Breaking Yard: Gadani, Pakistan

Originally built for Royal Caribbean International, the former Sun Viking was also beached for scrapping in February. Last used as a floating casino in Asia, the 1972-built vessel enjoyed a long career, cruising for several operators, before arriving at the Gadani Shipbreaking Yard in Pakistan.

Carnival Sensation Capacity: 2,040 Tonnage: 70,367 Year Built: 1993 Beaching Date: April 2022 Breaking Yard: Aliaga, Turkey

After being retired by Carnival Cruise Line in early 2022, the Carnival Sensation sailed directly to a ship breaking yard in Aliaga, Turkey. The Fantasy-Class vessel was then beached for recycling in April , concluding its 30-year sailing career.

Delphin Capacity: 470 Tonnage: 16,214 Year Built: 1975 Beaching Date: April 2022 Breaking Yard: Aliaga, Turkey

Last operated by Passat Cruises, the Delphin was sold for scrap value in March , as a result of an auction to settle debts of its former owners. Laid-up in Croatia since 2015, the 1975-built vessel headed to Turkey – where it was recycled along with other veteran cruise ships.

Titan (ex-Salamis Filoxenia) Capacity: 400 Tonnage: 15,402 Year Built: 1975 Beaching Date: April 2022 Breaking Yard: Gadani, Pakistan

Wrapping up a 47-year cruising career, the former Salamis Filoxenia arrived at the Gadani Shipbreaking Yard in April. Dismantled at the Pakistani recycling facility , the 400-guest vessel started its life as a Soviet cruise ferry before being converted into a full-time cruise ship in the 1980s.

SuperStar Libra Capacity: 1,494 Tonnage: 42,285 Year Built: 1988 Beaching Date: May 2022 Breaking Yard: Aliaga, Turkey

After serving as a floating hotel in Germany between 2018 and 2022, the SuperStar Libra was beached for scrapping in May. Formerly operated by Norwegian Cruise Line and Star Cruises , the 1988-built vessel is being dismantled in Aliaga, Turkey.

Odin (ex-Black Watch) Capacity: 807 Tonnage: 28,613 Year Built: 1972 Beaching Date: June 2022 Breaking Yard: Alang, India

Another classic cruise ship beached for scrapping in 2022, the former Black Watch was sold to shipbreakers in Alang, India. Last operated by Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, the 1972-built vessel had been out of service since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Marella Dream Capacity: 1,506 Tonnage: 55,000 Year Built: 1986 Beaching Date: June 2022 Breaking Yard: Aliaga, Turkey

After two years of being laid up in Greece, the former Marella Dream was beached for recycling at the Aliaga Shipbreaking Yar d in June. The 55,000-ton vessel was retired by Marella Cruises in 2020 and spent several months anchored at the Elefsis Bay.

Star Pisces Capacity: 1,090 Tonnage: 40,053 Year Built: 1991 Beaching Date: July 2022 Breaking Yard: Alang, India

The Star Pisces became the first ship of the former Star Cruises fleet to be beached for scrapping . After seeing its operator become insolvent in January 2022, the 1991-built vessel arrived in Alang for recycling in July.

Pearl II (ex-Saga Pearl II) Capacity: 446 Tonnage: 18,627 Year Built: 1981 Beaching Date: July 2022 Breaking Yard: Aliaga, Turkey

Out of service since early 2019, the former Saga Pearl II started its dismantling process in July. Sold to Turkish scrappers , the ship was built in 1981 and sailed for several operators, including Saga Cruises and TransOcean Tours.

Gold Club (ex-Golden Iris) Capacity: 1,000 Tonnage: 16,852 Year Built: 1977 Beaching Date: July 2022 Breaking Yard: Aliaga, Turkey

Wrapping up a five-decade career, the Golden Iris was also sold for scrapping in 2022 . Last operated by the Israel-based Mano Cruises, the 1977-built vessel was beached at Turkey’s Aliaga Shipbreaking Yard in July.

Horizon Capacity: 1,442 Tonnage: 47,000 Year Built: 1990 Beaching Date: August 2022 Breaking Yard: Aliaga, Turkey

With Pullmantur filing for insolvency in mid-2020, the Horizon ended up sold for scrapping in 2022 . After spending two years anchored at the Elefsis Bay, in Greece, the vessel was beached in August, concluding a 32-year sailing career.

Marella Celebration Capacity: 1,250 Tonnage: 33,930 Year Built: 1984 Beaching Date: September 2022 Breaking Yard: Aliaga, Turkey

In September, the Marella Celebration was beached for scrapping in Aliaga. Last operated by Marella Cruises, the 1984-built vessel spent two years anchored in Greece before being sold to the Turkish shipbreakers .

TSM Singapore (ex-Zenith) Capacity: 1,441 Tonnage: 47,255 Year Built: 1992 Beaching Date: September 2022 Breaking Yard: Alang, India

After almost three years in limbo, the former Zenith was sold for scrapping in 2022. Originally built for Celebrity Cruises, the 1992-built vessel also sailed for Pullmantur Cruises before being sold to Peace Boat in 2019. Renamed TSM Singapore, the ship was sold again before being beached in India .

Carnival Ecstasy Capacity: 2,040 Tonnage: 70,367 Year Built: 1991 Beaching Date: November 2022 Breaking Yard: Aliaga, Turkey

Following the Sensation, the Carnival Ecstasy was beached for scrapping in November . Soon after retiring from Carnival Cruise Line’s fleet, the Fantasy-Class ship sailed to Aliaga, where it’s currently being dismantled.

Gem (ex-SuperStar Gemini) Capacity: 1,948 Tonnage: 50,764 Year Built: 1992 Beaching Date: November 2022 Breaking Yard: Alang, India

In November, after spending several months laid up in Sri Lanka , the ex-SuperStar Aquarius was beached for scrapping in India. Previously operated by Star Cruises, the 1993-built cruise ship is now being dismantled along with its sister ship, the former SuperStar Aquarius .

Arius (ex-SuperStar Aquarius) Capacity: 1,530 Tonnage: 51,039 Year Built: 1993 Beaching Date: November 2022 Breaking Yard: Alang, India

Similar to the SuperStar Gemini, the former SuperStar Aquarius was beached for scrapping at the Alang Shipbreaking Yard in November. Previously, the ex-Star Cruises vessel spent several months laid up in Sri Lanka .

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Cruise line companies sell massive multimillion dollar ships for scrap overseas. Here's a look inside ship-breaking yards.

• This shipyard in western Turkey has seen an influx of cruise ships due to the pandemic. 
• After losing billions in 2020, cruise lines like Carnival decided to sell some older ships. 
• Thousands of workers spend as much as a year in dangerous conditions breaking down just one ship.

The cruise line industry lost billions of dollars by the end of 2020

The workers at the Aliağa ship breaking yards in western Turkey usually demolished only a few dozen cargo ships a year. However, after the COVID-19 pandemic hit the cruise-line industry, the demolition site was inundated with ships. 

The industry lost billions of dollars by the end of 2020, with Carnival Cruise Line losing more than $4 billion in the second quarter of 2020 .

The pandemic caused Carnival, Costa, and Pullmantur Cruise Lines to send ships to be broken down in Turkey

Carnival Cruise Line sold six ships for scrap, which were taken to the Aliağa ship breaking yards. The job of breaking down these large ships is one of the most dangerous and the added load has only made it harder. 

"The owners could not find customers so they sent their ships to Aliağa," Emre Aras, a project manager at Avsar Gemi Sokum told Insider. 

The process starts with captains coordinating with harbormasters to beach the ships in Turkey. 

"Then the bowl front of the vessel is grounded on the shore while the stern still floats," Aras said. 

It takes thousands of workers to break down a single cruise ship.

While the boat is being inspected, the crew figures out how to dismantle the vessel. Around 2,500 shipbreakers work to remove valuable material from the ships, emptying them out deck by deck mostly by hand. 

"I can easily say that cruise vessels are the hardest vessel type to dismantle because, you know, there are hundreds of rooms on board," Aras said. 

Workers then move on to dismantling things like pools and gyms, as well as stripping walls, windows, floors, and handrails. 

The job is one of the most dangerous in the world, exposing workers to a variety of risks.

Those involved in this process risk a lot to do it, Nicola Mulinaris, a communication and policy officer at NGO Shipbreaking Platform told Insider. Mulinaris explained that workers run the risk of falling from heights, inhaling toxic gases, getting hit by falling objects, and deal with fire hazards from instruments like blow torches.  

Not to mention, that these shipbreakers work in extreme weather conditions during both the summer and winter months. Additionally, any mistakes could cause damage to the environment and ruin millions of dollars worth of parts that need to be maintained in a specific condition to be reused. 

The Aliağa yards have been improved in recent years to promote better safety.

Dozens of shipyard w orkers have died or gotten injured in recent years in Southeast Asia. However, while conditions at the yard in Turkey were just as bad in the late 1990s by the early 2000's reports on the unsafe conditions forced changes in policy. By 2018, Aliağa yards began to comply with the European Union Ship Recycling Regulation, which meant the shipyard received improvements to limit environmental hazards while dismantling ships. 

"Practices have been improved, but there are still concerns related to...the long-term impact on the health of the workers due to exposure to toxic substances," Mulinaris told Insider, adding that while some workers may not know these risks, others take the jobs for the increased pay. 

Cruise ships take a long time to dismantle but can bring in huge profits

These ships could take a whole year to dismantle, Aras told Insider, howere the materials removed from them typically sell fast, and the metals from the ship could bring in $4 million in profits when they're recycled for future construction.

"You can make good money because there are lots of things on board, for second hand sales," Aras said.

See more about the ship-breaking yards 

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Cruise ship graveyards: Where do abandoned ships go to die?

Have you been forced to say goodbye to your favorite cruise ship recently? Thanks to the effects of the COVID-19 cruise industry shutdown, several cruise lines sold off some of their oldest hardware in an effort to eliminate costly upkeep on vessels that had been in service for decades.

A lucky few vessels were purchased by other operators, but most were sent to cruise graveyards after they were sold for scrap.

What exactly does that mean, though? Where do cruise ships go to die, and what happens to those abandoned cruise ships when they get there?

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Cruise ship graveyards

Decommissioned ships are almost always sent to one of two scrapyards. The largest is Alang, located in India's Gulf of Khambhat, which recycles more than half of the world's decommissioned cruise ships. The second largest is Aliaga in Turkey.

When vessels arrive at the graveyard — usually under their own power but sometimes with the aid of tugs if their engines are no longer operational — they run aground on the beach.

Workers called shipbreakers then use machinery to haul them farther up onto the sand so they can begin disassembling them.

The tear-down process for abandoned ships

"At both places, ships are run up onto the shore and gradually cut down," Peter Knego, a journalist and ocean liner historian who runs the YouTube channel Peter Knego's MidShipCinema , told TPG.

"In Alang, this is largely done by cutting huge chunks of structure and letting them drop onto the embankment, then cutting those parts into smaller, plate-sized pieces that can be trucked off to the steel mills. In Aliaga, the cut structure is removed with large cranes, then further cut down on shore."

Knego added that tides play a large role, too. "In Alang, [beaching] is usually done during high tide to get the ship as far up as possible, then when the tide recedes, workers walk out to the ship and do their work. In Aliaga, workers are transferred to the ship via cranes with cage-like baskets, and in Alang, the workers climb on board via rope or ... ladders."

The tear-down process is arduous at first, as it involves removing leftover fuel and stripping the ships of any furnishings and fixtures — even toilets — that can be salvaged and sold. Once deconstruction is fully underway, shipbreakers can take a vessel down to just its hull with shocking speed, with scrap metal being sold or recycled.

Environmental concerns

There are also strict environmental precautions that must be taken to avoid the leaking of fuel and other toxic chemicals that could pollute the water and cause harm to marine life. Although scrapyards attempt to follow local regulations, there's still quite a bit of contamination that can happen throughout the scrapping lifecycle.

"Asbestos, which was largely banned in the '80s, was once the greatest concern," Knego said, when asked about the environmental implications of scrapping cruise ships. "But now most ships that are being scrapped are past the asbestos era. [Carcinogenic compounds called polychlorinated biphenyls], oil, fuel remnants, paint and other foulants are still on board most ships, and those can wreak havoc if not disposed of properly. And, of course, plastics ... create toxic fumes when burnt and [present] other issues [when] broken down (or not) in landfills."

Bottom line

If you've recently lost your favorite vessel to the shipbreakers and you're feeling nostalgic, you can ease the blow in a few ways.

Book a sailing on a sister ship that's still sailing, peruse old photos to reminisce or check eBay from time to time to see if anyone is selling memorabilia.

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Inside the cruise ship graveyard where luxury liners are broken up for scrap.

Inside the cruise ship graveyard

From afar, it looks like there’s been a terrible maritime accident - five huge cruise ships jammed into a port, so close together that they’re touching.

It’s no mistake, but little care was taken to wedge the ships in.

See the amazing drone vision in the video above

There was a lot of screeching and scraping as the steel hulls rubbed one another, and the final ship was beached.

Once worth hundreds of millions of dollars each, Carnival Imagination , Carnival Inspiration , Carnival Fantasy , and Royal Caribbean’s Monarch of the Seas and Sovereign of the Seas have been sold for scrap.

Ersin Kaptan is the General Manager of the Ship Recyclers Association of Turkey.

“The main reason for the cruise ships coming to us is the COVID crisis,” says Kaptan, as we look over the huge port area at Aliaga, filled with partly-wrecked ships, and acres of scrap metal.

“Every time a crisis occurs in the maritime tourism industry, the crisis is reversed in our sector,” he says.

Trash becoming treasure

The ship wreckers at Aliaga are on track for their best year since the Global Financial Crisis crippled the Greek shipping industry.

This time, cruise fleets around the world are being offloaded and sent to Turkey.

At this port alone, they hope nearly a million tonnes of scrap metal can be salvaged this year.

The ships arrive as if they’ve just finished a tour - some complete with furniture, but devoid of the valuable paying customers who were forced off board when the pandemic struck.

Ninety-eight per cent of the ships can be turned into scrap metal.

The rest, including light fittings and life jackets, is sold off.

Early retirement

With most of these ships being scrapped 15 years before the end of their lifespan, they’re considered ‘green’ by the industry - free of dangerous materials like asbestos.

Carnival Corporation tells 7NEWS it is selling off nearly 20 per cent of its fleet, “speeding up its timetable to retire older, less efficient ships during its pause in cruising”.

Just months ago, cruising was considered the travel industry’s fastest-growing sector, worth more than $200 billion.

But ships around the world were forced into hibernation earlier this year, battered by the economic shutdown that accompanied the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and a series of coronavirus outbreaks that hurt the industry’s reputation for safety.

Scrapping a ship

From above, it looks like they’re being slowly consumed as 1,300 workers work to pull apart the ships.

Each one will take about eight months to demolish, so they can make way for the next hulking liner that once was sold to the public as the perfect place to fulfil a holiday dream.

“If it’s going to continue like this, Turkish ship recycling industry is going to be the only address for ship scrapping,” says Kaptan.

• Cruise News

Cruise Ship Beached At Turkish Scrapyard [VIDEO]

Bruce Parkinson

• November 24, 2020

The 1987-built, 650-guest Astor has reached its final resting place at a Turkish scrapyard, joining three Carnival ships and two former Royal Caribbean vessels being dismantled there as the cruise industry continues to shed older, less-efficient hardware. 

The 20,704-ton Astor was run ashore at the Aliaga Ship Recycling Facility after being sold at auction to a scrap broker in October for $1.7 million. The ship most recently sailed for Cruise & Maritime Voyages’ (CMV) Transocean Tours subsidiary, operating cruises in Europe, South Africa, and Australia.

The Astor was originally built in Kiel, Germany. She was delivered to the Mauritius-based Marlan Corporation in early 1987. After a maiden voyage from Hamburg to Genoa and on to South America, the ship was used for cruising in the Caribbean and beyond.

PODCAST: Ship Scrapping Process With Peter Knego

The ship’s design featured a sharply raked bow, a relatively low, terraced superstructure, and a large, square funnel. The Astor was furnished in traditional style using large amounts of dark wood, and with high ceilings in many of the public spaces.

After just a year in service for Marlan, the Astor was sold to the Soviet Union-based Black Sea Shipping Company and renamed as the Fedor Dostoevskiy . She then spent some years under charter to various West German cruise lines before being operated on a charter basis for TransOcean Tours from 1996-2020.

In February 2013, Astor was chartered for three years by Cruise and Maritime Voyages (CMV) in a bid to fill a gap in the Australian market after the exit of Classic International Cruises. 

PHOTOS: 21 Haunting Images From A Cruise Ship Scrapyard

The UK-based CMV later acquired TransOcean, and marketed the Astor to the German market. In 2021 she was scheduled to join CMV’s French brand, where she would be refurbished and operate under the name Jules Verne . But after CMV entered bankruptcy administration earlier this year, the Astor was sold at auction.

During her long life, the ship had some memorable moments. In 2008 she was sailing in the Gulf of Oman en route from Sharm-al-Sheikh in Egypt to Dubai, when a German Navy frigate detected speedboats operated by Somalian pirates that were apparently preparing to attack the Astor .  The frigate entered the path of the speedboats while they were still three miles from the cruise ship, and used warning bursts of machine-gun fire to ward off the threat. Guests on the Astor were not even aware of the close call they escaped.

At the Turkish scrapyard, anything and everything that can be sold will be removed from the ship. Once the vessel has been picked clean of items valuable for resale, the steel cutting will begin. The steel that’s cut away from the ship piece by piece will be sold to scrap metal dealers. From there, it will be melted and made into rebar to strengthen concrete in roadways and construction projects.

Cruise Ship Beached at Scrapyard [VIDEO]

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The Most-Loved Cruise Ships That Were Scrapped From The Seas

Posted: May 9, 2024 | Last updated: May 9, 2024

Out of service cruise ships

The cruise industry navigated some very choppy waters during and immediately after the COVID-19 pandemic. While many have drifted back out to sea, some of our most-loved ships have been taken out of service, sold or scrapped entirely. Is your favorite on our list?

Read on to discover the once-beloved cruise ships that are no longer sailing...

Built in 1991 for Royal Caribbean and known as Monarch of the Seas, this vessel was the largest ship afloat at the time of her launch, accommodating around 2,744 passengers. The first ship in the fleet to be fitted with balconies, the groundbreaking facilities included a basketball court, shuffleboard courts and even a rock climbing wall, installed after a refit in 2003. 

Launched in January 1988, Sovereign began life as Royal Caribbean’s Sovereign of the Seas, sailing Caribbean itineraries including stops at Coco Cay (once called Little Stirrup Cay), the line’s private island. The largest cruise ship in the world at the time and regarded a ‘megaship', it was the first to flaunt a multi-deck atrium with glass elevators and sweeping staircases. 

In 2008, the ship was transferred to Pullmantur and renamed MS Sovereign. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pullmantur requested to be liquidated and Sovereign was beached in Aliaga, Turkey next to its sister Monarch, with the scrapping completed in February 2021.

Carnival Fantasy

Drawing passengers from across the globe, Carnival Cruise Line owns some of the world's most exciting ships, but the Miami-based operator has sold or scrapped four vessels in the last few years. One of the most beloved was Carnival Fantasy. Entering service in 1990 and the first of Carnival’s Fantasy Class of eight ships, she broke the mold with her revolutionary interior that included a huge atrium. Groundbreaking when launched, this 70,367-tonne, 855-foot long vessel would be dwarfed by today's megaships but still had a 30-year career sailing around the Western Caribbean and Mexico from Miami, and more recently from Mobile, Alabama. 

Carnival Fascination

Built in the early 1990s and designed by renowned ship architect Joe Farcus, the interior of the fourth ship in Carnival’s Fantasy Class evoked the golden age of Hollywood. Originally sailing out of New York, for most of its service its home port was San Juan, Puerto Rico. 

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In July 2020, Carnival announced its exit from the fleet and the ship was sold and renamed the Century Harmony. However, despite plans to become a floating hotel, the ship was sold to a Singaporean trading company which sold her off for scrap metal. She arrived at the Gadani ship-breaking yard in Pakistan in February 2022 where workers stripped her down. Only her empty hull remains with just the bow thrusters visible. 

Carnival Imagination

Also debuting in the mid-1990s, the 2,594-passenger Carnival Imagination boasted a ‘classical and mythological’ interior featuring Venetian glass and Medusa heads, thanks to architect Joe Farcus’s vision. Later refits saw the addition of a water park and golf putting course and Imagination was the first Carnival ship with a 24-hour pizzeria.

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Following Carnival’s downsizing strategy for four of the Fantasy Class ships due to COVID-19, Imagination arrived in Aliaga, Turkey, in autumn 2020 to be scrapped.

Carnival Inspiration

Built in 1987, the 650-passenger Astor was a traditionally-styled ship with teak wood decks and it had a loyal following in Europe, South Africa and Australia. In 2013, Astor sailed for Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV) under charter for the Australian market, before becoming a permanent member of the fleet in 2014.

The ship was set to be renamed the Jules Verne and operate Northern European cruises from France in April 2021. However, Cruise & Maritime Voyages collapsed and was placed into administration in July 2020 and Astor was sold for just $1.7 million. In November 2020 she was beached in Turkey and has since been completely scrapped.

Black Watch

Launched in the early 1970s, the 804-passenger Black Watch was originally owned by Royal Viking Line. With its generous promenade and public spaces, it was once considered among the most luxurious ships in the world. 

After briefly sailing for Kloster Cruises in the 1980s, the ship was transferred to Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) in the 1990s and sailed out of New York. NCL sold her to Fred Olsen in 1996 when the ship was renamed Black Watch in honor of an infantry battalion of the Scottish military. In August 2020, Black Watch was sold as an accommodation ship intended for workers, however that contract fell through. Ownership changed numerous times before the ship was eventually beached in Alang, India in 2022 and scrapped.

Sister ship to Black Watch, Boudicca also began its life with Royal Viking Line, having first set sail in 1973. In the early 1990s, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) purchased the ship and a couple of years later it was chartered to Princess Cruises, sailing as Golden Princess. More owners followed before Fred Olsen acquired her in 2005. 

In 2018, Boudicca’s interior and passenger cabins underwent a major upgrade but sadly the ship followed in its sister’s wake and was sold as an accommodation vessel in 2020. Again, those plans fell through and she was beached then scrapped in Aliaga, Turkey in 2021. Boudicca will be remembered for her lively entertainment and flamboyant seasonal stops – such as at the flower festival on the Portuguese island of Madeira pictured here – and also for her poignant cruises, including a one-day special for D Day veterans of the Second World War in June 2019. 

Usually adults-only, the ship was known for its varied dining spots, friendly service and world cruise itineraries. But following CMV's collapse in July 2020, Columbus was sold at auction for an unknown sum. Bought by a Greek ferry operator she was then sold on again, with the Alang scrapyard in India her final port of call in 2021.

Costa Victoria

Starting life in the mid-1980s as Carnival Cruise Lines’ MS Holiday, Cruise & Maritime Voyages’ Magellan was a small but much-loved ship with British cruise fans thanks to its affordable itineraries departing from Tilbury port, near London, UK. 

Originally built in the 1960s for the Soviet Union's Baltic Shipping Company and first known as the Aleksandra Pushkin, the Marco Polo was one of the last surviving ocean liners built for transatlantic crossings. Designed to withstand broken ice, in her later years the Marco Polo made regular trips to Antarctica. 

Ocean Dream

There were also dalliances with P&O Australia and Pullmantur Cruises, before being transferred to Japanese-based Peace Boat in 2012 and used for their educational and sustainable voyages. The ship sailed as the Ocean Dream until 2020, before she was reported as scrapped in Alang, India in January 2021. 

When CMV went into administration in 2020, Astoria was put up for auction in February 2021 and it seemed likely she would never sail again. Hope was on the horizon when it seemed she'd been spared the scrapyard after a cryptocurrency billionaire took an interest in buying her, but plans fell through. In 2023 it was reported she was docked in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, awaiting her final voyage to be scrapped.

The Horizon began life in 1990 as part of the Celebrity Cruises fleet, and featured 721 cabins, a Broadway-style show lounge and two pools. In 2005 it became Island Cruises’ Island Star before transferring back to Royal Caribbean and then to its Spanish-owned subsidiary Pullmantur in 2008. 

Marella Celebration

Built in 1984 as Holland America Line’s MS Noordam, Marella Celebration was bought by Thomson in 2005 and continued to sail as Thomson Celebration. Many of the ship's original features were retained including teak decks and artwork dating from the 16th century. When the company was reborn as Marella Cruises in 2017, the 1,250-passenger ship became Marella Celebration. However, there was no celebrating to be done when the vessel left the fleet in April 2020. In 2022, it was confirmed beached ready for scrapping.

Marella Dream

The Marella Dream was built in 1986 as the last new ship for the now defunct Italian firm Home Lines. Two years later, the ship became Holland America Line's MS Westerdam, briefly becoming a movie star in the 1990s comedy Out to Sea which starred Walter Matthau. The ship was transferred to Costa Cruises in 2002 and entered service for Thomson in 2010, before being renamed as Marella Dream in 2017. In October 2020 it was withdrawn from service and sat anchored in Greece for two years before being beached then scrapped in Aliaga, Turkey.

Grand Celebration

The 1,500-passenger Grand Celebration was more than a cruise ship – she also helped the people of Grand Bahama Island during the devastating events caused by Hurricane Dorian in 2019. However, the ship was sold for scrap during the COVID-19 pandemic and headed for the Alang shipyard in India at the end of 2020.  

Now discover where cruise ships, planes, trains and cars go to die

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Golden Iris cruise ship (former Cunard Princess) beached at Aliaga (Turkey) for scrapping

The cruise ship Golden Iris , formerly known as Cunard Princess, after 45+ years in service, was beached at the Aliaga Ship Breaking Yard (Turkey) to be dismantled and sold for scrap .

The 537-ft liner was built by BWSC/Burmeister & Wain Shipyard in Copenhagen Denmark , along with another ship commissioned by the MGM hotel chain which wanted to take advantage of the expanding cruise industry. However, MGM pulled out, and both vessels were sold to Cunard Line before completion.

Cunard transferred the newbuild after construction to another yard in Italy for outfitting. and Cunard Princess entered service in 1977 with a voyage from NYC (New York USA) to Bermuda. Her deployment expanded to Alaska, Florida, and the Mexican Riviera. The ship was briefly chartered to the Italian shipping company Lauro (now MSC) for Mediterranean voyages. A stint with the US government followed, using Cunard Princess as a recreation center in the Persian Gulf (1990-1991).

The vessel was then sold to StarLauro (the predecessor of MSC Cruises ) and renamed Rhapsody under new ownership. In 2009, the ship was sold to Mano Maritime (Israel) for seasonal voyages, after which was retired in 2018 and put up for sale. After four years of delay in Greece, Golden Iris arrived in Aliaga Turkey on July 11th, to be dismantled for scrap.

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Cruise ship scrapping: What happens to ships when they die?

Author: Susan Johnson

Published on: 22 February 2022

Updated on: 22 February 2022

Cruise ships these days are getting bigger, better, and more impressive - but what happens when their lifespan draw to an end - do they undergo cruise ship scrapping?

Cruise ships can hold up to thousands of passengers and boast everything from shops, casinos, and theatres to pools, zip lines, and rollercoasters.

To satisfy the increasing customer demands, cruise ships are constantly under the pressure of embracing new tech and modern furnishings.

With cruise ships having an average lifetime of around 30 years, what happens when the ageing cruise ships turn unseaworthy, too expensive to operate or outdated? Is scrapping their only fate?

We take a look at some of the options when a cruise ship sails off into its ultimate sunset.

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A cruise ship being scrapped come to pass when ships get truly worn out and they are sold to scrap, which sees their parts and metals are recycled.

Often cruise ship scrapping happens in one of the three world’s largest ship scrapyard - Alang in India , Chittagong in Bangladesh, or Gadani in Pakistan.

- READ MORE: End of Crystal Cruises as the line announces closure -

Cruise ships for scrap are grounded on the beach or at a cruise ship scrap yard, where an army of workers break the ship, stripping everything useful, cutting up the steel plates, and discarding hazardous materials.

One of the notable cruise ships that has been scrapped is Pacific Princess. The cruise ship had appeared in the TV series “Love Boat” in the late 1970s.

The ship deteriorated under subsequent owners, and numerous fatal crew accidents happened onboard. Eventually, it was seized by a Genoan shipyard due to unpaid bills. In 2014, it was sold to the Turkish scrapyard for a mere €2.5million.

Passed Along

Another alternative to cruise ship scrapping is selling older ships to cruise lines with more budget that would give it a makeover and a fresh start under a new brand name.

Often, refurbished ships are used for small-scale cruise operations in countries such as South Korea and Russia. Sometimes, they are also used as overnight car ferries.

- READ MORE: P&O Cruises celebrates milestone for new ship Arvia -

For instance, P&O Australia’s Pacific Sun operated as Carnival’s Jubilee and went on to become the Chinese-owned Henna cruise ship before it was scrapped in 2017. Similarly, Marella Celebration, built for Holland America Line in 1984, was later sold to TUI and its Marella Cruises venture.

A more recent example would be Fred. Olsen’s newest ships, Bolette and Borealis which were bought from Holland America Line.

Abandoned At Sea

Sometimes, a few vessels don’t even make it to the cruise ships scrap yard.

In 1993, Oceanliner America, later known as American Star, was being towed across the Atlantic to be converted into a luxury hotel when it broke in two near the Canary Islands in a storm.

- READ MORE: 9 smart hacks for booking a cruise in 2022 -

For some time, it acted as a backdrop for spectacular photos.

However, the ship soon disintegrated, with its parts collapsing into the sea. What remains can still be seen at low tide.

Instead of being sold for scrap, naval ships are often sunk to create artificial reefs for recreational diving.

Nevertheless, there are a few exceptions. For example, Salamanda, a small cruise ship in Fiji, is now encrusted with coral and anemones to offer a visual delight to scuba divers.

- READ MORE: Find your dream cruise with our handy finder tool -

Cruise ships are often scrapped because they seldom sink by accident. But once they do, like in the case of Vista Sun that caught fire in 1999 and Gap Adventure’s Explorer that hit an iceberg and sank in 2007, they serve as an abode for sharks, eels, and eagle rays.

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How $300 million Carnival cruise ships are demolished in Turkey

Looking to cut costs as COVID-19 ravaged the cruise industry, Carnival Cruise Line sold six ships for scrap. At the Aliaga ship-breaking yard in Turkey, Carnival's Fantasy, Imagination, and Inspiration ships are in the process of being demolished. Here, workers cut apart and recycle every piece of these massive ships. It's one of most dangerous jobs in the world. And it's only gotten harder as more cruise ships arrive on Aliaga's shores.

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