Ships being sold, orders cancelled, ships scrapped due to COVID-19

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

The Japanese Marine Self Defence Force (MSDF) has decided to build a smaller destroyer which will have a smaller crew, as a result of recruitment problems leading to inability to crew the bigger ship originally planned.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/10/12/national/msdf-launch-smaller-size-destroyer-amid-crew-shortage/

The MSDF is facing recruitment difficulties as young people shy away from group living on ships and working at sea, where smartphone use is restricted.

I did have to grin about the restriction of smartphone use!

[Thomas Hypher]

Not looking great for Columbus (ex Ocean Village, Arcadia etc) if you read between the lines:

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/23685-columbus-sold-ship-to-stay-in-limbo-status.html


Having said this, another of the former CMV fleet, Vasco Da Gama has been sold for further cruising:

https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/former-cmv-cruise-ship-sold-at-auction-to-portuguese-buyer


Waiting to hear the fates of Marco Polo, Magellan, and the (second) Astor CMV had recently brought into their fleet, plus whether Astoria is towed to Lisbon after all as apparently planned.

[Rob Lightbody]

Marco Polo sold for scrap, along with Astor.

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/23829-here-s-what-an-entire-cruise-fleet-sold-for-at-auction.html

I'm very sad about Marco Polo.  If she'd ever had a suitable sailing from up here, I'd have managed a sailing I'm sure.

[cunardqueen]

  I'm very sad about Marco Polo.  If she'd ever had a suitable sailing from up here, I'd have managed a sailing I'm sure. 

Indeed such a lovely looking ship with elegant lines and a beautiful bridge.
Astor, l had a ship visit to her in the late 80s in Orkney. Never forgot the unusual Funnel.
Just when and how will this madness end and at what cost ....

[Thomas Hypher]

Marco Polo sold for scrap, along with Astor.

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/23829-here-s-what-an-entire-cruise-fleet-sold-for-at-auction.html

I'm very sad about Marco Polo.  If she'd ever had a suitable sailing from up here, I'd have managed a sailing I'm sure.

I have heard, on Facebook so take it with a big pinch of salt also knowing how these things tend to go, that Marco Polo's new owners are actively seeking to charter her and that she's not destined for scrap just yet. It would seem they're looking to charter her in the offshore accommodation market as apparently the new owners are called "Offshore Solutions" or "Unlimited Offshore". I don't hold out much if any hope though given how these things usually go.

I am very, very sad to see her go, whilst she still had a lot of life left in her despite her age. Another classic, "proper ship" bites the dust. It was wonderful to sail on her last August, little knowing what this year would bring but knowing she wouldn't be around forever either. I will never forget the extent of her camber, the swashing sound of her propellers in our cabin, and the telegraph repeater sounds from her bridge as we did a 180 degree turn in Rotterdam and went astern to dock at the cruise terminal. She really reminded me of QE2 in more ways than one and was a contemporary of QE2 too after all!

Here are a couple of my videos of her, I really must get around to editing my footage of the whole docking process in Rotterdam with the telegraph repeater sounds, tug at our stern and all.

[Thomas Hypher]

There are photos and videos again on Facebook, with the news that an ocean going tug tried to tow Astoria to Portugal (Lisbon I think) and back to her owners but ended up not being powerful enough and abandoning the tow in the middle of the River Thames at Tilbury. AIS also confirms this as Astoria was being sheparded by several port tugs whilst under this attempted tow, before returning to her current berth. A costly and ridiculous situation! Surely they would've done the correct calculations first???

[Rob Lightbody]

Astor is now on the beach at Aliaga.  Videos on Youtube for those who can bear to watch.

[pete cain]

Bad news just doesn't stop coming does it, poor thing, where are Black Watch & Boudicca, I'm sorry to have lost track?

[Barumfox]

Astoria just left Northfleet for Lisbon. Columbus and Magellan en route from Gibraltar to Piraeus. Black Watch and Boudicca are at Pendik in Turkey - accommodation ships?

[Anubhav Mitra]

Astor is now on the beach at Aliaga.  Videos on Youtube for those who can bear to watch.

I can't watch those videos without crying.

[Gary F]

Astoria just left Northfleet for Lisbon. Columbus and Magellan en route from Gibraltar to Piraeus. Black Watch and Boudicca are at Pendik in Turkey - accommodation ships?

I got a few pics of Astoria being towed away on Dec 5th as she passed Canvey Island. There were 4 tugs in attendance, but I believe only BRENT took her after reaching open water. I tracked this on AIS for a while and she diverted to Falmouth area before turning around and heading for Vlissingen. However BRENT ended up in Rotterdam by which time another tug GINGER had joined her. The last AIS signal from Astoria was from Dec 5th off Margate. So not sure where she is going to end up now.

[Thomas Hypher]

Carnival's first ever newbuild - Tropicale has been beached as Ocean Dream at Alang in recent days, alongside the sisters Satoshi and Karnika - all soon to be joined by Marco Polo. Apparently Alang's scrap price is 2.5 times that of Aliaga at the moment.

We saw Ocean Village Two (now Karnika) and Ocean Dream, amongst other ships still around and since scrapped whilst visiting Civitavecchia on QE2 on Friday 25th July 2008. I've attached some of my photos from that day below:

[Oceanic]

Hello all, it's been a while, whilst tragic I've found a video that shows the beaching of MV Astor from both onboard and shoreside; although it's macabre, this will likely be among the last videos we see of her. Hopefully MV Astoria is saved, we don't know her fate yet, Marco Polo's future isn't looking good.

From my family to yours, Happy New Year everyone, let's hope the death of these grand old ships are the worst tragedies to befall us in the coming year.

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[Pete Hamill]

That was eerie to watch. Doing what every master ensures he doesn't!
There was a pop-up video towards the end of that one which shows Carnival Imagination being beached back in September. That is also worth a look - from a distance it isn't obvious where she is going, from closer it becomes obvious that there isn't enough room to get her in - but they manage it anyway (not that there is any option by that stage) ripping off a load of davits on the adjacent Carnival Fantasy in the process!

[Twynkle]

This is the ship which bought our close relatives from Perth WA to Southampton just a few years ago -  how very sad they will be to know what has been happening to her.