abandoned cruise ship interior

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The Inside Of This Abandoned Cruise Ship Left Them In Shock

Sarah Knieser

It was big news when a cruise ship capsized in the sea. Ten years later, it was found still laying underwater where it ran aground. Divers Mike and Jeff decided to look inside, but they didn't expect what they found. When they entered the ship, they suddenly heard a scream aboard…

Follow the Sound

Mike looked at the rusty old door. He knew the scream came from there. Unfortunately it was locked so they had to pry it open. Jeff was looking around with his flashlight to see if he could find some kind of pipe when he saw a crowbar lying on the ground.

Opening the Door

Jeff quickly picked up the crowbar and ran for the door. He leaned back, knowing he had only one chance to open that lock, and he slammed the crowbar on the lock. A loud bang echoed through the vessel, the lock fell to the floor, and Mike quickly opened the door.

Screams In The Distance

They couldn't believe what they saw inside. Now the screams had so much meaning to them! They knew they had to call the police immediately… But what did the divers find on the cruise ship? Where were the strange screams coming from and why did the police need to get involved?

An Abandoned Cruise Ship

Jeff and Mike knew that no one was allowed near the sunken cruise ship, but they didn't care. As soon as they saw it, they wanted to climb on it to check it out. And so the young divers set off early in the morning when no one would stop them…

Dangerous Situation

The ship didn't seem very sturdy, and who knows what they would find inside. It could be dangerous, and if something happened to one of them, there was no way they would get back to shore in time. But Jeff didn't listen. He had already started looking for a way in.

One Last Look

The deck of the ship dipped into the water. They took this chance to climb in and look for a door. They had to be careful. One mistake and they could slip into the water. Jeff tied their boat to a railing on the cruise and gave Mike one last look.

Don't Leave Him Alone!

But Mike sighed and shook his head. He wasn't going to go in, but when he saw Jeff clambering onto the deck, he knew he couldn't leave him alone. So he took a deep breath and went after Jeff. If only he knew then what a bad idea this would be.

A Strange Atmosphere

As soon as they entered the ship, they could feel its strange atmosphere. It was quiet and dark, and the only sounds were the creaks of metal parts and splashes of water. "Wow," they both said in unison. "We should go ba.." Mike said, but Jeff was already out of sight.

Exploring the Rooms

"Wait up!" shouted Mike, who started running after Jeff. His voice echoed in the distant corridors of the ship. As Jeff and Mike explored the derelict cruise ship, they came across countless rooms, each with its own eerie atmosphere. Some rooms were locked but fortunately not all of the rooms were.

The Main Hall

They first entered the main hall, which was large and spacious, with high ceilings all around and a grand staircase leading to the upper decks. However, the room was dark and dusty and the furniture inside was covered in cobwebs. They could see the heartbreaking signs of neglect and abandonment everywhere.

Gone In a Hurry

Then they moved on to the cabins, small and cramped, with two or four beds in each room. But the beds weren't made and the sheets were stained with mildew. You could see suitcases still open and clothes strewn about the room as if the passengers had left in a hurry.

A Weird Sound

As Jeff and Mike walked through the empty corridors of the abandoned ship, they suddenly heard a strange noise. "Did you just hear that?" Mike said in a shaky voice. But Jeff looked unfazed. He just shrugged and walked away. But they would soon find out what was really going on. 

Going Even Deeper

After a while, Jeff wanted to go lower into other parts of the ship. There was a small stairway that could lead them there, but it was dark. So they took out their phones and used their flashlights to guide them, and as they descended the noise started to get louder.

Investigating the Sound

It sounded like a low, muffled scream and the sound startled Jeff and Mike. They looked at each other with fear in their eyes, but knew they had to go further inside the ship to investigate. Suddenly, the ladder ended and they found themselves in the mechanical section of the ship.

Walk In the Water

They could hear water running and there was a small layer of water they had to go through. They tried to be as quiet as possible so they could follow the sound, but it echoed through the ship. This made it even harder to pinpoint where the sound was coming from.

Worry Increased

They sank deeper into the ship and Mike was filled with anxiety. He knew they could never find their way back if something happened to them. Various worst-case scenarios flashed through his mind as he gazed beyond the damp, rusty walls of the ship. What had he gotten himself into?

A Secret Door

After walking for a long while, they finally came to the end. They knew they couldn't reach the bottom of the ship, so why was there a standoff? But then Mike noticed something. There was a small handle in the center of the wall. "Here," he indicated. "I see a door.”

Something Inside

Jeff grabbed the handle, but the door was stuck. He put his ear to the door and listened intently. “The sound definitely comes from here,” he said. Mike stopped next to him and put his ear to the door too. "I hear it, but how are we going to get in?”

Another Boat

Suddenly, they felt something that nearly made their hearts stop. A boat was approaching the ship and they could hear muffled sounds of men talking angrily to each other. It looked like they were boarding the cruise ship too. “I knew it," Mike said, "I knew it was a bad idea.”

Strange Men

They knew they had to act fast. They rushed to the stairwell, but as they started up the stairs, they heard loud footsteps coming down the stairs. So they turned quickly, turned off their flashlights, and hid behind the stairwell. They held their breath as the men got closer and closer.

What Was Happening?

The sound of heavy footsteps on the metal ladder thundered through the ship. They watched as three men walked down the stairs and headed straight for the closed door. As the men opened the door, the muffled scream grew louder and Mike barely got a glimpse of what was happening inside.

Was It a Woman?

"Damn it," he whispered. "We have to get out of here and fast." Jeff looked at him with a worried look on his face. "What did you see, Mike?" Who was in the room? But Mike didn't say anything. “This cry sounded like a woman's. We have to help her out."

They Were Outnumbered

Mike sighed because he knew Jeff was right. But this situation had just gotten worse. Not only did these men outnumber Mike and Jeff, but they were also much bigger and stronger than them. And to make matters worse, Mike noticed that one of them was carrying a gun with him.

Call the Police

They decided to call the police, but knew it would take some time for them to arrive. So Mike mustered all of his courage and agreed with Jeff to see what the men were doing. They got up and walked towards the door listening carefully to what the men were saying.

Taken by Criminals

"There is someone on this ship," one of the men said. “Did you see how the lock was broken? He couldn't have done it from here. “Their boat is still moored to the ship so they must still be here,” another man said. "You stay here and I'll search the ship.”

Hidden Aboard

Mike and Jeff went back under the stairs and watched as a man came out of the room. Mike caught a glimpse of a pistol tucked into his belt and feared the thought of coming face to face with him. They listened to the man's footsteps as he slowly walked away.

Mike Panicked

"This is not good," Mike muttered in a panic. "Calm down, Mike," Jeff replied. "I need you to stay alert." Mike sighed because he knew Jeff was right. His heart was pounding in his chest and he couldn't wait for the police to arrive. "Okay," Jeff said. "I have a plan.”

Jeff Has a Plan

“We have to lure him out of the room and, at the same time, distract the man upstairs who is looking for us,” Jeff said. “But how can we? It's just the two of us,” Mike replied. "Follow my lead." Jeff was confident in his plan, but Mike wasn't so sure.

Looking for Something

Jeff looked around the darkness. Mike was confused about what he was looking for, but soon realized it when Jeff lifted a large rock. Mike was about to speak, but Jeff put a finger to his lips and threw the rock down the stairs. A loud bang echoed through the ship.

Mike's eyes widened and Jeff then ran into the pitch black darkness of the ship. The man left in the room stormed out and ran straight for the stairs. "Bridge!" he shouted. "I have them!" The man ran up the stairs and Jeff and Mike waited for his footsteps to fade.

Distract the Man

When all they could hear were muffled footsteps, Mike and Jeff emerged from the darkness and ran into the now empty room. Jeff opened the heavy door and went inside, but just as Mike was about to enter, he heard the men getting out. Mike froze, not knowing what to do.

Stay Inside

He ended up hiding behind something, just in time for the men to return. "I really thought I had them, Derek," a man said. “I told you to stay in the room with her” Derek replied. "I'll lock you inside with her, and when I find the intruders, I'll come back.”

Not Knowing What to Do

"I hope Jeff managed to hide," thought Mike. Derek took a padlock from his pocket and locked his partner inside the room. Then he clipped the keys to his belt and went upstairs. Mike waited a few minutes, not knowing what to do, when a loud noise came from the room.

A Fight Broke Out

It looked like someone was rearranging the room, but why? Suddenly Mike understood what was happening. Mike hurriedly put his ear to the door and listened. Jeff and the man were definitely arguing, and he could even hear a woman screaming, but it sounded like she had something in her mouth.

Running with Adrenaline

Mike's body was filled with adrenaline; all he could think about was saving his friend. Without thinking, he ran upstairs and started yelling for Derek. “Derek? Where are you?” Heavy footsteps ran towards him, and before Mike knew it, he was face to face with Derek, who looked very, very angry.

“H… Hello," Mike said, a little less confident now. Derek didn't say anything but walked slowly towards Mike with his hand near his gun. "So," Derek finally said. "Are you guys just sneaking around this ship? You have no idea what you've gotten yourself into, you know.” Derek was very intimidating.

Move Quickly

Mike also knew that the only way to get Jeff out of that room was with the keys hanging from Derek's belt. Mike had no idea how he managed to grab the keys, but he did. Suddenly, he had them in his hand and Derek was lying dazed on the floor.

No Time to Waste

Mike didn't have time to waste, so he quickly ran downstairs and opened the door. He expected to find Jeff standing triumphantly over the other man's dazed body, but he couldn't be more wrong. When he opened the door, he was greeted by the other man's angry face. It was bad.

Like an Action Movie

It felt like an action movie. Mike scanned the room. He knew where Jeff was, he knew someone was sitting in the center of the room, and he knew he was about to get punched in the face by a man nearly twice his size, but somehow he defused the situation.

An Explosion of Confidence

Mike stopped in the doorway confidently. "Hi," he said quietly. "Your partner Derek is passed out upstairs." But the man remained completely unfazed. He had a dangerous look on his face, but Mike didn't seem to care. He was about to hit Mike when the man suddenly fell to the ground.

Saved by Jeff

As the man fell, he revealed Jeff standing behind him with the crowbar in his hands. He'd gotten off the ground as the man stood in front of Mike and, unbeknownst to him, punched him square in the head. Both men were now dazed, they could wake up at any moment.

Untie the Woman

Mike and Jeff rushed towards the woman. She was forcibly tied to a chair with duct tape covering her mouth. Jeff carefully removed the tape from her face and she immediately yelled, “Please hurry! Get me out of here!" Mike untied her hands and Jeff untied her legs in record time.

Police Sirens

They could hear police sirens from afar. They helped the woman up, for she was too weak to stand on her own, and together they walked back to the boats they came from. They put the woman in their boat and Jeff grabbed pieces of rope to tie the men together.

Shocked the Police

Eventually the police arrived and they were shocked to see what they had been called to do. They didn't expect to see this. They quickly rushed inside and arrested the two men. They took the woman to safety and Mike and Jeff also had to accompany them to the police station.

Going to the Station

Jeff and Mike were questioned at the station and they had to explain everything that had happened that day. They shouldn't have been on the ship in the first place, so they feared the police would arrest them for it, but instead the entire force reacted very differently than they expected.

Not a Normal Woman

Instead of arresting Jeff and Mike, they rewarded them for their bravery. It turned out that the woman they rescued was not a normal woman. She was the governor's daughter, and had been held hostage for a few days now. The man had asked for money but suddenly cut off contact.

A Happy Governor

Were it not for Jeff and Mike, the woman in question would probably be dead right now. The Governor congratulated the young men for saving her daughter and rewarded them with a large check. Jeff and Mike were still reeling from what had happened. They couldn't believe this was all real.

Their Big Reward

Jeff and Mike got a check from the governor so big that they decided to travel the world for a while. The frightening ordeal scarred them, but that didn't stop them from having other adventures. They lived the rest of their lives like there was no tomorrow and enjoyed every minute.

The events of this story are entirely fictional and are products of the author’s imagination. Images included are meant for illustration purposes only. Any resemblance to actual events, places or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.  

Inside eerie abandoned cruise ship frozen in time after being scrapped beside beach

MS Astor, built at the cost of $65million (£50million) in then West Germany, was operated by Cruise & Maritime Voyages in recent years but the firm entered administration after the Covid-19 pandemic

• 10:15, 28 Jan 2024

Fascinating photographs capture inside an abandoned cruise ship left frozen in time for nearly four years.

MS Astor is destined for the scrapyard after 33 years at sea, taking passengers on delightful cruises. She first hit the waters in 1987 after she was built at the cost of $65million (£50million) in then West Germany.

Urban explorers were granted permission this month to access the ship and take images and video inside, capturing the state of the vessel at the point its then owners Cruise & Maritime Voyages went into administration in 2020.

Bob Thissen, whose team of adventurers explored MS Astor, said: "It's a weird sight to see a place like a cruise ship which is normally full of life totally empty. It's really sad that a ship in perfect condition like the Astor got scrapped, I'm sure it could have served for a lot more years if it wasn't for the pandemic."

And Cruise & Maritime Voyages said, at the time, business had been ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic, which effectively ceased all travel across the world for years . It was only in August last year when travel experts told the Mirror they had faith the industry will ever recover .

But MS Astor was a victim of the unprecedented challenge, and it now sits by a beach at one of the biggest ship demolition sites in the world in Aliaga, Turkey.

MS Astor is pictured in the water by one of the biggest ship demolition sites in the world in Aliaga, Turkey

The creepy cruise ship looks frozen in time as it is has been left abandoned for nearly four years

MS Astor first hit the waters way back in 1986 and spent 34 years at sea taking passengers on delightful cruises

The urban explorers said it was a 'unique opportunity' to visit the forgotten vessel

One image shows an abandoned bar on Ms Astor, constructed in the 1980s

In 1987, MS Astor went on her maiden voyage from Hamburg to Genoa, and from there further to South America

The large ship boasted a basketball court

MS Astor was furnished in traditional style using large amounts of dark wood, and many of the public rooms had high ceilings

Once the height of luxury, the cruise ship is now a shadow of its former self

The ship had a capacity of some 650 passengers

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SS United States

The SS United States is currently moored in Philadelphia.

The only entry to the SS United States is via a gangplank that gives access to the lower decks.

The remains of the grand staircase on the SS United States

The engine rooms of the SS United States were in remarkable shape, although the entire area was pitch black.

A Canada Goose's nest inside the doorway of the SS United States

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40+ Photos of Cruise Ship Left Abandoned For Years

The Costa Concordia was one of the best cruise ships in the world, with 1,500 cabins, a multi-level theater, a casino, and could accommodate over 4,000 passengers at a time.

It was a luxurious ocean city paradise that wowed everyone who stepped foot on it.

Unfortunately, disaster struck on January 13th, 2012 when the ship hit a rock formation only two hours after setting sail on a seven-day cruise. The marvelous ship sank and no one saw it again… until now.

It took a herculean effort to pull the Costa Concordia from the water, and the effects of the tragic crash are now more apparent than ever.

For the first time ever, photographer Jonathan Danko Kielkowski got a rare chance to board the ship to take a look inside. The photos he took are incredible.

The Costa Concordia left its port in the Italian town of Civitavecchia with 4,252 passengers on board. No one had any idea they’re heading for disaster.

Photo credit: Jonathan Danko Kielkowski

Now the cruise ship has become a ghost ship. When German photographer Jonathan Danko Kielkowski got a chance to get onto the ship to see what things looked like inside, he took haunting photos like this: people’s belongings still scattered around the hallways and rooms.

This used to be a magnificent theater that would hold hundreds of people. Now it is in ruins.

Somehow, the beautiful artwork in the grand halls miraculously survived the crash.

The wreckage of the command room where engineers said to have a heated argument with the captain about the boat’s increasingly dangerous speeds.

This bedroom looks somewhat still intact, but creepy. You can find hundreds of these abandoned rooms on the Concordia.

Passengers were enjoying in this casino hours before the deadly disaster, drinking and gambling. If only the ship had better luck with its sailing…

The crew used to work in these halls, but look at them now.

The disaster happened so quickly that many of these beds were never even slept in.

The surviving passengers later said that it was like a scene from Titanic.

This amazing staircase with its emerald-colored finish continues to shine through the damage.

The photos from this disaster are as haunting as the photos we’ve seen of the Titanic’s wreckage.

This is a part of the gigantic elevator with some remaining water.

You can still see the old emerald elevator here. Still quite majestic among the ruins.

Floating the Costa Concordia

The creepiness of this abandoned ship will give you goosebumps. SHARE these photos with your friends on Facebook!

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The unloved boats: 8 abandoned cruise ships & liners.

Article by Steve , filed under Destinations & Sights in the Travel category

MS World Discoverer

The German-built and Liberian-registered cruise ship MS World Discoverer enjoyed a 25-year-long, mainly trouble-free lifespan as a mid-sized (roughly 225 passengers and crew) passenger liner plying the South Pacific with occasional sorties into the frosty Arctic and Antarctic oceans.

On April 30th of 2000, the World Discoverer was sailing through the Sandfly Passage in the Solomon Islands when she struck an uncharted rock or reef. Captain Oliver Kruess heroically nursed the listing liner into shallow Roderick Bay in the Florida Islands, where all aboard were safely evacuated. The World Discoverer, however, remains where it was beached in 2000, stripped of anything valuable by local islanders.

Looking like an outtake from Life After People, the World Discoverer ‘s exploring days are over for good and unlike most other coastal shipwrecks it will probably remain where it is, slowly rusting and moldering away in its sheltered cove, for some time to come. There’s only one thing that worries environmentalists: sometime in the future the World Discoverer’s metal fuel tanks will finally rust through, releasing unknown amounts of poisonous toxins into the sea and onto the beaches.

Queen Elizabeth 2

The jewel in the crown of Britain’s venerable Cunard Line, the ocean liner QE2 sailed the seven seas as both a transatlantic ocean liner and as a premium cruise ship from 1969 until her retirement on November 27th, 2008. Subsequently, the liner was purchased by Istithmar, the private equity arm of Dubai World, whose stated intention was to convert the vessel into a 500-room floating hotel to be moored at the Palm Jumeirah offshore resort in Dubai.

Due to the world financial crisis and its lingering effects on business in Dubai, virtually no work has been carried out on the ship and rumors have persisted the virtually abandoned QE2 would either be sent to Asia, either to be scrapped in China or converted into a floating luxury hotel, shopping mall and museum… and so it goes.

TSS Duke of Lancaster

Launched in 1956, the TSS Duke of Lancaster was built at the Belfast shipyards of Harland & Wolff where the RMS Titanic was constructed almost a half-century earlier. The 4,450 ton, 1,800 passenger steamer operated as a passenger ferry on the Heysham-Belfast route and as a cruise ship calling at a variety of European ports from Spain to Norway for the better part of two decades. In November of 1978, the venerable Duke was retired from service on the seas… a new, landlocked career was about to begin.

In August of 1979, the ship was moved to Llanerch-y-Mor near Mostyn, Wales to become a static leisure center known as “The Fun Ship”. Legal issues and turf tussles with the local council crippled the ownership group’s business model, however, and the Duke’s slab sides were gradually covered by rust and unauthorized graffiti. The latter must have given somebody an idea because surprisingly, there’s life in the old Duke yet: as the largest open air art gallery in the UK.

Beginning in August of 2012, a commission was offered to Latvian graffiti artist Kiwie who spray-painted a large-scale artwork on the ship’s side. Kiwie’s work was augmented and complemented by a wealth of “bright and surreal” graffiti by acclaimed artists including Dale Grimshaw, Dan Kitchener, Snub23, Spacehop, and Fin DAC. The latter’s eye-popping “Mauricamai” covers most the Duke’s stern and has been breathtakingly captured above by Flickr user Mike .

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Photos of abandoned, stripped cruise ships show how deeply the cruise industry is sinking

• Photos of unused cruise ships getting stripped for parts show how the cruise industry is struggling amid the coronavirus pandemic.
• Maintaining cruise ships that aren't in use is very expensive, so many cruise companies are selling part of their fleet for scrap.
• Since the pandemic hit, the number of cruise ships being dismantled for scrap has increased. 
• Because many shipyards had to close due to lockdowns, there's a waiting list for cruise ships to get dismantled around the world.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories .

The travel industry is hurting as the coronavirus pandemic ravages on, but the US cruise industry, in particular, has been hard hit.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a no-sail order in March, which it changed to a " conditional sailing " one on November 1. This means that cruises could accept passengers, but only after making significant changes to their health and safety protocols. Most cruise companies voluntarily renewed the no-sail order through 2020 as they figure out these new measures.

Ahead of the coronavirus pandemic, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the world's largest cruise industry trade association, which represents 95% of the global cruising industry, projected that 32 million passengers would set sail in 2020 and that the industry was creating an economic impact of $53 billion in the US , and $150 billion worldwide.

The CLIA now estimates that "each day of the suspension of cruise operations in the US results in a total loss of approximately $110 million in economic activity and up to 800 American jobs."

For the shipbreaking industry, however, this means big business.

Photos of cruise ships being dismantled into scrap metal at bustling shipbreaking yards around the world illustrate just how deeply the cruise industry is hurting right now.

Photos of unused cruise ships getting stripped for parts show just how much the cruise industry is struggling amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Nicola Mulinaris, the communication and policy officer at NGO Shipbreaking Platform, told Insider that they've seen an increase in the number of cruise ships getting scrapped since the pandemic hit.

Source: NGO Shipbreaking Platform

He explained that cruise ships can be "extremely costly to maintain if they're not operational."

Consequently, cruise companies, many facing financial troubles, are downsizing their fleets.

Source: WESH

Carnival lost $2.9 billion last quarter, the New York Times reports. It has canceled trips into 2021 and is cutting 18 of its ships, per Good Morning America.

Source: The New York Times , Good Morning America

Three of those ships, the Inspiration, Imagination, and Fantasy, are being dismantled at the Aliaga Ship Recycling Facility in Turkey, alongside two other cruise ships.

Almost 2,000 people are working to dismantle the five ships in Turkey, according to the New York Times.

Source: The New York Times

Mulinaris said that because many shipyards had to close due to lockdowns, there's even a waiting list for cruise ships to get dismantled around the world.

In the past, cruise companies sold their ships to smaller companies, but because of the pandemic, no one can afford to buy them — nor would they want to.

Cruise companies are also afraid of strengthening the competition, said Mulinaris, "so it becomes quite appealing to recycle the vessels and get money out of it."

Generally speaking, cruise ships will sell their ships to scrap dealers through a broker. These will then pay the shipyards for their work, and make money selling scraps.

According to Mulinaris, 90% of a conventional vessel is steel, which is recyclable. But machinery and furniture can also be sold.

"It's a treasure chest in there," an antique store owner told the New York Times about cruise ship interiors. "These are not regular ships; they are luxurious floating museums with many precious items inside."

Depending on where the ships are sold and scrapped, cruise ship companies could be paid between $150 to $400 per ton.

Carnival sent its ships to get scrapped in Turkey: While the prices there per ton are on the low end, according to Mulinaris, the working conditions are better and the recycling process more environmentally friendly.

A cruise ship can take up to 10 months to dismantle, but it depends on both the vessel and the shipyard.

"Everything is taken out piece by piece, from the light bulb to the piano and swimming pool to the golf course," Kamil Onal, chairman of the Ship Recyclers' Association of Turkey, told the New York Times.

Usually, ships are cleaned, stripped of anything that can be sold, then cut into small blocks, taking care to avoid hazardous materials. These pieces are then usually lifted away by crane, one by one.

Sometimes they are carried away by hand.

Shipbreaking is dangerous work.

Besides the obvious risks of sustaining injuries from operating heavy machinery, getting crushed, or falling, ships are also filled with flammable gases that can cause explosions and toxic elements like asbestos and lead.

According to data by NGO Shipbreaking Platform, there have been 397 deaths in shipbreaking yards since 2009.

Source: Off the Beach

Shipbreaking is also bad for the environment. As it can be difficult to contain pollutants, oil spills, sludge, and heavy metal, contaminated debris are common side effects.

Governments and organizations such as Mulinaris' NGO are working hard to improve working conditions for shipbreakers and to ensure more environmentally sound practices.

Cruise companies are working to turn things around, however, and are working to get passengers on the ocean as soon as safely possible with measures like mock cruises to test safety measures.

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• Main content

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?

For cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter .

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.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

• The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
• A beginners guide to picking a cruise line
• The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
• The ultimate guide to what to pack for a cruise
• A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
• 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
• 15 ways cruisers waste money
• The ultimate guide to choosing a cruise ship cabin

NEW YOUTUBE DROP: S54-Swapped BMW 328is

Empty Cruise Ships In the Middle of the Ocean Are Now Tourist Destinations

They were once floating cities bustling with life, but now they’re more like drifting ghost towns.

KristinVShaw

Five times bigger than the Titanic and with an onboard giraffe sculpture that is the size of three Mini Coopers, Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas is now anchored off the coast of England—empty. Moored in Poole Bay in the English Channel, the Allure   is haunting and quiet, devoid of the frolic and fun that usually takes place on a cruise ship of this caliber . But interestingly, people are still flocking to it.

Enterprising Englishman Paul Derham, a former captain of the similarly-ghostly P&O Aurora, now owns a ferry called the Josephine . One day he decided to venture out and take a look at the ship he used to helm, and came up with the idea to offer tours around the dormant liners. 

In July, he posted the idea on Facebook and promptly sold out the first two cruises in a matter of hours. A steady supply of “ghost ship” cruise customers have sailed the channel with Derham at $25 per person, visiting these ships as closely as they can without boarding, as shown recently during CBS This Morning.

A tour might include a slow circle around the Allure and the Aurora as well as Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas   and Jewel of the Seas; P&O’s Arcadia; the Carnival Valor, and Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 .

Until this March, the Allure carried nearly 7,000 people to ports of revelry on a regular rotation. Now, pools sit empty, rooms are gathering dust, and the casinos are silent. The only sound is Derham’s little ferry motoring around the outskirts of this cruise ship resting place, for now.

The pandemic has hit the cruise ship companies hard ; with CBS reporting the international travel industry overall is losing $1 billion per month. In the meantime, these seafaring behemoths are stagnant, waiting for the green light to fill up with passengers again, but given our current situation with the virus, that won't be happening for a long time.

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Inside creepy cruise that's now frozen in time in a graveyard of abandoned ships

The MS Astor has been destined for the scrapyard and now sits in a graveyard of old forgotten ships

• 20:25, 2 APR 2023

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A set of eerie photos show the inside of an abandoned cruise ship that is frozen in time.

The creepy cruise ship, named the MS Astor, first hit the waters way back in 1986 taking passengers on delightful cruises.

The ship had spent a total of 34 years at sea from the time it set sail.

However, now it has been destined for the scrapyard in a graveyard of old forgotten ships.

READ MORE: Dublin hotel prices skyrocket for Katie Taylor fight with week in Spain cheaper

In 2021, it was sent to one of the biggest ship demolition sites in the world in Aliaga, Turkey.

Bob Thissen, 35, and his team of Urban Explorers were able to go aboard the MS Astor before it was scrapped.

In some amazing photos, they were able to capture images of the abandoned ship.

Bob said: "We got permission from BMS ship recycling to explore this ship before it got scrapped, a unique opportunity.

"It's a weird sight to see a place like a cruise ship which is normally full of life totally empty.

"It's really sad that a ship in perfect condition like the Astor got scrapped, I'm sure it could have served for a lot more years if it wasn't for the pandemic."

Last year in April, another ship was captured by a drone after decades of being ravaged by time.

Photographer Hugo Healy said he was amazed when he spotted the boat on the shoreline of Lanzarote and had to explore it with his camera equipment.

It was said that the ship, known as The Telamon, sank on October 31, 1981.

Another abandoned cruise ship in Wales that had been docked on the banks of a Welsh estuary is looking to make a comeback.

In 2021, WalesOnline reported that The Duke of Lancaster, a passenger ferry and cruise liner in the 1950s and 60s, had been docked for over 40 years.

But now, decades later, it is preparing for a new lease of life with grand plans to restore it to its former glory.

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Captains Uncourageous: Abandoning Ship Long Seen As A Crime

Alan Greenblatt

The Costa Concordia ran aground off the Italian coast in 2012, killing 32 people. Its captain was accused of manslaughter and abandoning the 4,200 passengers and crew on the night of the wreck. Andreas Solaro/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

The Costa Concordia ran aground off the Italian coast in 2012, killing 32 people. Its captain was accused of manslaughter and abandoning the 4,200 passengers and crew on the night of the wreck.

Cowardice comes in many forms, but there's a special sense of shame reserved for captains who abandon ship.

South Korean authorities have arrested Capt. Lee Jun-Seok, who was one of the first to flee from the ferry as it sank on Wednesday.

"I can't lift my face before the passengers and family members of those missing," Lee told reporters.

The incident came two years after Francesco Schettino, the captain of the wrecked cruise ship Costa Concordia , was charged with manslaughter and abandoning ship — charges he denies. The ship ran aground off the Italian coast in 2012, killing 32 people.

Has the old idea that captains should not abandon ship itself been abandoned?

"I'm kind of flummoxed that a master of a passenger ship anywhere in the world would not understand his obligation extends until that last person is safely off the ship," says Craig Allen, director of the Arctic Law & Policy Institute at the University of Washington.

The Victorian notion that a captain should actually go down with the ship has become archaic. But his or her responsibility extends to executing the evacuation plan that all passenger ships are required to have and practice.

"It comes from the tradition that the captain has ultimate responsibility and should put the care of others ahead of his own well-being in the discharge of his duties," says David Winkler, program director with the Naval Historical Foundation.

Women And Children First

In the middle of the 19th century, there were a number of incidents in which ships foundered and captains and their crews were either celebrated for leading the rescue or reviled for saving themselves while passengers drowned.

One of the most famous involved the HMS Birkenhead , which wrecked off the coast of South Africa in 1852 while transporting British troops to war.

"The captain called the men to attention," says William Fowler, a maritime historian at Northeastern University. "They were to stand at attention on the sinking ship until the women and children — their wives and children — were led off the boats."

The moment was immortalized by Rudyard Kipling as the "Birkenhead drill." Reinforced when Capt. Edward Smith went down with the Titanic , the notion that a captain must stay with his ship became part of folklore.

"A lot of this is candidly still more lore than law," says Miller Shealy, a maritime law professor at the Charleston School of Law.

A Breach Of Duty

In the U.S., case law indicates that a ship's master must be the last person to leave and make all reasonable efforts to save everyone and everything on it.

"It is not just unseemly for a captain to leave a ship," Shealy says. "In Anglo-American law, you would lose your license and make yourself liable."

After Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger crash-landed a flight in the Hudson River in 2009, he twice walked the plane to make sure no one was left onboard before leaving himself.

International standards for sea captains vary. Often, as in the case of Schettino, charges are brought based not on dereliction of maritime duty but for offenses that might pertain on land as well, such as negligence and manslaughter.

In 1991, Capt. Yiannis Avranas not only abandoned the Greek cruise ship Oceanos after it suffered an explosion off the coast of South Africa but cut ahead of an elderly passenger to be hoisted aloft by a helicopter.

"If the master is simply looking out for himself or herself, you've breached your duty both legally and morally, to your ship, your crew and your passengers," says Allen, the University of Washington law professor.

Part Of The Culture

In last year's Star Trek Into Darkness, the bad guy taunts Captain Kirk by saying, "No ship should go down without her captain."

The image of a captain staying with a sinking vessel has recurred again and again, in literature and real life. It remains so potent because of the almost mythic authority invested in ship captains, Allen suggests.

At sea, there's no question about who's in charge, so there's no doubt who is responsible for safety.

Family members of passengers on a South Korean ferry that sank look at lists of survivors on Wednesday. Yonhap/EPA/Landov hide caption

Family members of passengers on a South Korean ferry that sank look at lists of survivors on Wednesday.

"His duty as the highest authority available short of God himself was to make sure his crew was safe before he left the ship," says Craig Symonds, a retired Naval Academy historian.

The sense that captains are beyond the law — that they are the law, or at least they were, during the age of sail — is why they make such great bad guys.

"When they go bad, they're evil," Shealy says.

Think of Bligh, or Queeg, or the autocratic captains who drive many of the novels and stories of Herman Melville.

In Moby-Dick, Captain Ahab sets off to hunt the whale, leaving the capable Starbuck in charge. When his "death-glorious ship" sinks, Ahab mourns that he's been denied the "pride" of having gone down with her.

"Ahab is a great example in the sense that he knows a captain should go down with his ship," says Wyn Kelley, a Melville scholar at MIT. "He deeply regrets not being with his crew."

NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

Couple fly through seven countries to catch up cruise ship that left them behind

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An American couple who flew thousands of miles to rejoin a cruise ship after it abandoned them on a remote African island are now having second thoughts about getting back on board.

Jay Campbell and his wife Jill were among nine passengers abandoned on São Tomé and Príncipe by the Norwegian Dawn cruise ship when they were late to return from a shore excursion on March 27.

But after jet-setting through seven countries in 48 hours to catch up with the ship in Dakar, the couple are beginning to feel disillusioned with the luxury liner.

‘After what we witnessed, we truly believe that although there’s a set of rules or policies that the ship may have followed, they followed those rules too rigidly,’ Jill Campbell told  USA TODAY .

‘I believe that they really forgot that they are people working in the hospitality industry and that really the safety and the well-being of the customers should be their first priority, and that should be placed first.’

‘We believe there was a basic duty of care that they’ve forgotten about so it does concern us,’ she added.

The couple, from South Carolina, had been eight days into a 21-day cruise from Cape Town to Barcelona when they embarked on a third-party tour of the island, located around 190 miles west of mainland Africa.

But when they arrived back at the port, where the Norwegian Dawn was still docked, the captain refused to let them board as they had missed the 3pm deadline for re-entry.

The São Tomé and Príncipe Coast Guard then ferried the stranded passengers to the cruise ship, but they were once again denied entry by the captain.

Upon their return to the island, the Campbells encountered a number of additional passengers who had been denied entry and abandoned by the cruise operator, including four elderly passengers, a pregnant woman and a person in a wheelchair.

The group later encountered an 80-year-old woman who had been on a separate tour organised by the cruise line, who had been left behind after becoming hospitalised while suffering a concussion while on the tour.

The Campbells were the only members of the group who had access to credit cards, and say they spent $5000 on accommodation for the group while they planned their next move.

The couple say they were grateful for the hospitality received by the people of São Tomé and Príncipe and had been receiving consular assistance from the US embassy in Angola. They were due to fly to Gambia on Sunday to try to rejoin the cruise.

‘I truly believe sometimes we’re put in certain places for a reason and I believe we were put in this place for the 80-year-old woman that was left alone,’ Campbell told ABC. ‘God forbid, what would have happened to that lady if we were not here.’

A spokesperson for Norwegian Cruise Line told the Mail that the eight remaining guests have been provided authorisation to rejoin the ship in Dakar today.

‘Despite the series of unfortunate events outside of our control, we will be reimbursing these eight guests for their travel costs from Banjul, Gambia to Dakar, Senegal,’ the spokesperson said.

Norwegian Cruise Line said it was the passengers’ responsibility to ensure they returned to the cruise ship on time and that they had returned the group’s passports to the relevant port authorities before departing.

A previous statement from the operator read: ‘While this is a very unfortunate situation, guests are responsible for ensuring they return to the ship at the published time, which is communicated broadly over the ship’s intercom in the daily communication and posted just before exiting the vessel.

‘Our team has been working closely with the local authorities to understand the requirements and necessary visas needed if the guests were to rejoin the ship at the next available port of call.’

Were you one of the passengers stranded on São Tomé and Príncipe? Contact us at [email protected] and tell us your story.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected] .

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A cruise ship abandoned 9 passengers on an African island when they missed the boat

Imagine being stuck here, what a disaster.

Nine passengers from a Norwegian Cruise Lines ship found out the hard way just what happens when you miss the departure time for your ship , after they were abandoned by the rest of their cruise . The group of stricken cruisers is now attempting to be reunited with the ship in a trans-African adventure.

Nine passengers were abandoned on the African island of São Tomé and Príncipe after their Norwegian Cruise Line ship set sail without them. The nine people left stranded included an American couple, elderly passengers, a pregnant woman and an 80-year-old who had been left behind after requiring hospital treatment, reports UK newspaper the Metro .

Jill and Jay Campbell were the American couple left ashore, and they’ve been speaking with ABC News about the ordeal . The site explains:

On Wednesday, the Campbells and six other people were on a tour in São Tomé and Príncipe, a small island off of western Africa; but the tour was longer than expected. “We were like, ‘Our time is getting really short,’ and they were like- ‘No problem, we can get you back within an hour,’” said Jay Campbell, who’s also a volunteer football coach at St. James High School. They said the tour operator contacted the captain to let them know that the eight passengers were going to be late and they were on their way.

However, the Metro reports that when the group arrived back at the port to see their ship, the Norwegian Dawn, still docked there, they were refused entry to the vessel after the captain argued they had missed their 3 p.m. return time.

The captain of Norwegian Dawn refused the passengers entry.

After the ship set sail , the passengers were reportedly then ferried out to the vessel by the São Tomé and Príncipe Coast Guard, but as they neared the ship they were once again denied entry.

ABC News adds that several attempts were made to get the stranded passengers back on board with no luck. They then attempted to meet up with the ship at its next port of call, Gambia, only to encounter another problem. As ABC News adds:

However, when they arrived, they found out that the ship was unable to dock due to low tides. It instead spent another day at sea. Now the Campbell’s and their party are scrambling to find a way to get to Senegal, which is where the ship should be in port on Tuesday.

In order to meet the Norwegian Dawn in Senegal later Tuesday, the group of stranded tourists will have to drive to a different port, take a ferry and then pick up another car and drive to the ship’s next destination. In a statement shared with ABC News, Norwegian Cruise Line said:

On the afternoon of March 27, 2024, while the ship was in Sao Tome and Principe, an African island nation, eight guests who were on the island on their own or with a private tour missed the last tender back to the vessel, therefore not meeting the all aboard time of 3 p.m. local time. While this is a very unfortunate situation, guests are responsible for ensuring they return to the ship at the published time, which is communicated broadly over the ship’s intercom, in the daily communication and posted just before exiting the vessel. Guests are responsible for any necessary travel costs to rejoin the ship at the next available port of call. When the guests did not return to the vessel at the all aboard time, their passports were delivered to the local port agents to retrieve when they returned to the port. Our team has been working closely with the local authorities to understand the requirements and necessary visas needed if the guests were to rejoin the ship at the next available port of call. We are in communication with the guests and providing additional information as it becomes available.

Have we mentioned cruise ships are hell?

A version of this article originally appeared on Jalopnik.

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