Astoria Departs Rotterdam Heading to Scrap – Cruise Industry News

Published

3 weeks ago

July 7, 2025

The Astoria departed Rotterdam earlier this week on its final voyage, heading to being scrapped in Belgium.

Last operated by Cruise & Maritime Voyages, the 1948-built former ocean liner spent the last five years docked at the Dutch port.

After being sold at auction in mid-June, the vessel left Rotterdam’s Waalhaven under tow on July 3, 2025.

Wrapping up a 77-year sailing career, the Astoria arrived at its final destination in Ghent one day later.

The ship is now set to be dismantled by the recycling specialist Galloo Gent shipyard, which acquired the vessel for just 200,000 euros.

According to local media, the process is expected to take over a year and will see more than 90 percent of the ship’s building materials, fixtures and systems set to be recycled or repurposed.

Before being auctioned by local authorities, the Astoria spent nearly five years docked at the Port of Rotterdam.

Out of service since early 2020, the ship arrived at the port in December 2020 while being towed to Lisbon, Portugal. Heavy weather on the North Sea caused the trip to be diverted to the Dutch town.

Originally built as a traditional ocean liner, the Astoria entered service in the late 1940s as the Stockholm.

While sailing under its original name, the ship gained worldwide notoriety following an incident involving the larger ocean liner Andrea Doria.

The vessel was later converted into a full-time cruise ship, sailing for various brands before being acquired by the Portuguese startup Portuscale Cruises in 2013.

The company later chartered the 520-guest vessel to Cruise & Maritime Voyages, which operated it between 2015 and 2020.

France-based Rivages du Monde also operated the Astoria during that time, offering summer cruises around Europe and the Arctic.

In its final season, the ship sailed from Puerto Peñasco in Mexico for a series of cruises targeting North American markets.

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FBI investigates ‘suspicious’ death on board Carnival cruise ship in Texas

Published

4 hours ago

July 27, 2025

Zoe Hussain

Multiple federal agencies are investigating a death on board a Texas-based Carnival Dream cruise ship, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

An unidentified person died on the Galveston-based Dream on Wednesday, the FBI Houston office confirmed to the Post.

The incident is being investigated by an FBI Maritime Liaison Agent based out of the Texas City Resident Agency, the US Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection, authorities said.

An unidentified person has died on board the Carnival Dream cruise ship based in Galveston, Texas. KHOU 11

Officials haven’t said if the death appeared to be criminal in nature.

“Due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, I am not able to provide additional details at this time,” a spokesperson for the FBI’s Houston office said in a statement.

Passengers aboard the ship, which travels to Costa Maya, Belize, and Cozumel, woke up to sirens around 3 a.m. on the day of the incident, News 4 San Antonio reported.

One man reportedly heard an announcement requesting medical attention on the Serenity Deck, the outlet said.

According to the FBI, multiple federal agencies are investigating the death. KHOU 11

Carnival Cruise Line has since dismissed that there is any investigation regarding a “suspicious death,” the outlet reported.

“There is no investigation about a suspicious death on Carnival Dream, and it’s disappointing to learn that any guests might be spreading rumors about something they know nothing about,” the company said in a statement to the outlet.

Carnival Cruise Line did not immediately respond to a request from The Post for comment.

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Cruise & Ferry

Death investigation underway on Carnival Dream cruise ship

Published

8 hours ago

July 27, 2025

CNN Newsource | Orko Manna, KHOU

GALVESTON, Texas — The Carnival Dream cruise ship, based out of Galveston, is currently the focus of a death investigation. However, law enforcement sources have not confirmed if the incident is criminal in nature.

A spokesperson for the FBI’s Houston office stated, “I can confirm FBI Houston is aware of an incident that occurred around July 23, 2025, on the Carnival Dream cruise ship. An FBI maritime liaison agent, based out of the Texas City resident agency, is coordinating with the U.S. Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, and the cruise line regarding this incident.”

Passengers aboard the ship, which travels to Costa Maya, Belize, and Cozumel, reported waking up to the sound of sirens around 3 or 4 a.m. on the day of the incident. One passenger, speaking off-camera, mentioned hearing an announcement requesting medical assistance at the Serenity Deck.

In response to circulating theories about the incident, Carnival Cruise Line issued a statement saying, “There is no investigation about a suspicious death on Carnival Dream and it’s disappointing to learn that any guests might be spreading rumors about something they know nothing about.”

The FBI is the primary federal agency authorized to investigate potential crimes on the high seas. Their ability to investigate depends on several factors, including the ship’s location, points of embarkation and debarkation, and the nationality of the potential suspect or victim. Additionally, other countries may also seek to investigate certain incidents.

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