The world’s oldest cruise vessel Astoria finally reaches the end of the line. After 77 years of service, Astoria has embarked on her final voyage, to the scrapyard in Ghent, Belgium.
Originally launched in 1948 as Stockholm for the Swedish America Line, she gained notoriety in 1956 after colliding with the Andrea Doria, a disaster that claimed 51 lives but also saw Stockholm heroically rescue 572 survivors.
Over the decades, the vessel underwent multiple transformations, serving as Volkerfreundschaft in East Germany, Fridtjof Nansen in Norway, and Athena for Classic International Cruises.
She was even attacked by pirates in 2008, repelling them with water cannons. Renamed Astoria in 2016, she sailed for Cruise & Maritime Voyages until the pandemic halted operations in 2020.
Laid up in Rotterdam for nearly five years, Astoria was auctioned in June 2025 for just €200,000. On 3 July 2025, she departed under tow, arriving in Ghent the next day. The recycling firm Galloo will dismantle her, with over 90 per cent of materials set to be repurposed.
Though her hull will soon vanish, Astoria’s legacy as the world’s oldest cruise ship, and a survivor of maritime history, will endure in the hearts of enthusiasts and historians alike.
A regular visitor to Dover and many other UK ports, Astoria had been laid up at Rotterdam after becoming a victim of the pandemic.
Photo by Fraser Gray
