A former Cruise & Maritime Voyages ship is heading for the scrapyard after being sold at auction for $1.7 million.
According to the Cruise Ship Tracker, Astor is scheduled to leave London Tilbury this evening just after 10pm, bound for the scrapyard in Aliaga. The ship is expected to arrive in Turkey on 17 November.
Sister to the former Saga Pearl II, Astor usually spent the summer in Northern Europe for German sub-brand Transocean and operated in Australia with CMV for the winter catering to the UK and Australian market. The ship was set to be renamed Jules Verne by CMV in 2021 as part of a new programme of sailings aimed at the French cruise market.
Cruise & Maritime Voyages went into administration in the summer after failing to secure a loan to cover increasing debts due to the suspension of cruising as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Astoria is being prepared ready to be towed to Lisbon by its former owners. Columbus and Magellan have been sold to Seajets and will head to Greece in the near future. Vasco da Gama will remain in Northern Europe with new owners Mystic Cruises. Marco Polo has also been sold and it appears her new owners plan to charter out the ship.