11 Cruise Ships Sold and Being Scrapped in 2020

Numerous cruise ship scraps in 2020

Nothing went exactly as it should have done in this extraordinary year. This affects all sorts of areas of life, all sorts of companies. One of the most affected industries is tourism and thus also the cruise. In addition to bankruptcies and ship sales, the Corona crisis on 2020 also saw numerous scrapping of cruise ships. 

It was mainly older cruise ships that were and are being scrapped, most of them being sold because the companies’ costs had to be reduced. In the case of Pullmantur Cruises, the entire fleet was even scrapped because the company had to file for bankruptcy. 

Certainly one or the other operator would have preferred to be able to sell the ships to new operators instead of scrapping yards, but this year many companies were not able to accept new ships and the prices of the ships to be sold were correspondingly low. For example, the popular MS Astor was sold to a scrapping yard for less than 2 million euros. These cruise ships were scrapped or sold for scrapping in 2020 

The cruise ships to be scrapped run through the entire cruise industry. Both large and small cruise lines had to hand over cruise ships, many of which were or are being scrapped. There were sales per se at almost all companies, and luckily a new operator was often found. 

MS Astor 

The MS Astor was a very well known and popular cruise ship. It was particularly popular on the German cruise market. As part of the corona pandemic, however, CMV and thus TransOcean Kreuzfahrten had to cease operations due to the insolvency of the parent company. The cruise ships have been sold, MS Astor is being scrapped in Aliaga, Turkey. 

176.25 meters long / 22.6 meters wide

Commissioned in January 1987

578 passengers

Successor to today’s Pearl II (formerly Astor)

1988 to 1996 as Fedor Dostoevskiy

1996 to 2009 as Astor for TransOcean Tours

Winter 2009/2010: major renovation

From 2010 as Astor for TransOcean Cruises

Should be used as Jules Verne on the French market for a new CMV brand from 2021 

Sold to the Aliaga shipyard for $ 1.71 million in October 2020

Beaching in Aliaga on November 23rd, 2020

Carnival Fantasy 

Carnival Fantasy was the lead ship of the ship class of the same name of the Carnival Cruise Line. In 2020, she was one of the first cruise ships to be sold to a scrapping yard. In addition to her, three sister ships were also sold, Carnival Imagination and Carnival Inspiration were also sold to Aliaga for scrapping, Carnival Inspiration found a new owner. 

260.80 meters long / 31.5 meters wide

Made at the Kvaerner Masa Yards in Helsinki 

Commissioned in March 1990 

2675 passengers

Carnival Fantasy Class lead ship (eight ships)

30 years of service for Carnival Cruise Line

Sold to Aliaga for scrapping in June 2020 

The ship has been dismantled since July 29, 2020

Carnival Imagination 

Like its sister Carnival Fantasy, Carnival Imagination is one of the four Fantasy Class cruise ships that were sold as part of the Corona Pandemic. She was the fifth of eight cruise ships in the construction class. 

262 meters long / 31.5 meters wide

Made at the Kvaerner Masa Yards in Helsinki 

Commissioning on July 2nd, 1995

2675 passengers

Fifth cruise ship in the construction class

25 years of service for Carnival Cruise Line

Beaching in Aliaga on September 16, 2020

Carnival Inspiration 

In addition to Carnival Fantasy and Carnival Imagination, the Carnival Inspiration was also sold for scrapping in Aliaga, Turkey. The cruise ship also belongs to the Carnival Fantasy Class and was the sixth of eight ships in the class. This makes it the youngest of the three Carnival ships that were sold for scrapping this year. 

262 meters long / 31.5 meters wide

Made at the Kvaerner Masa Yards in Helsinki 

Commissioning on March 16, 1996

2675 passengers

Sixth cruise ship in construction class

24 years of service for Carnival Cruise Line

Sold for scrapping in Aliaga during the corona pandemic 

Beaching in Aliaga on August 5th, 2020

Pullmantur Horizon

Shortly after the insolvency of Pullmantur Cruises it became clear relatively quickly that the Spanish shipping company’s fleet was to be scrapped in Aliaga, Turkey. Not many weeks later, the MS Monarch and MS Sovereign found themselves on the beach of the scrapping yard. MS Horizon is still in cold lay up in Greece, but is to be scrapped in Aliaga as soon as the opportunity arises – if the tide does not turn again. 

208 meters long / 29.2 meters wide 

Manufactured at the Meyer shipyard in Papenburg

Commissioned in April 1990 

1875 passengers

From 1990 to 2005 as Horizon with Celebrity Cruises

Renovation over the winter of 2005/2006

From 2006 to 2009 as Island Star at Island Cruises

From 2009 to 2010 as Pacific Dream with Pullmantur Cruises

2010 to 2017 as Horizon at Croisieres de France (CDF / Pullmantur – subsidiary in France)

2017 to 2020 as Horizon at Pullmantur Cruises

Pullmantur MS Monarch

MS Monarch was one of the first cruise ships to be sold for scrapping in Aliaga because of the corona pandemic. The cruise ship belonged to the Pullmantur Cruises fleet. Shortly after the announcement of the bankruptcy of the Spanish shipping company, it also became clear that the cruise ship, like its two fleet sisters, was to be scrapped. 

268.3 meters long / 32.2 meters wide

Made at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire

Commissioned in November 1991

Second Sovereign class cruise ship

From 1991 to 2013 as Monarch of the Seas for Royal Caribbean International

From 2013 to 2020 as MS Monarch with Pullmantur Cruises

Decommissioned in spring 2020, later sold for scrapping

Beaching in Aliaga on July 22nd, 2020

Pullmantur MS Sovereign 

MS Sovereign is the third cruise ship of Pullmantur Cruises to be scrapped as part of the corona pandemic. She has been at the shipyard for a long time, she and MS Monarch are still being dismantled, MS Horizon is still waiting for her beaching. The sale for scrapping took place after Pullmantur Cruises reported bankruptcy. 

268.3 meters long / 32.2 meters wide

Made at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire

Commissioned in January 1988

First Sovereign class cruise ship

From 1988 to 2008 as Sovereign of the Seas for Royal Caribbean International 

From 2008 to 2020 as MS Sovereign for Pullmantur Cruises

Served in 2018 as the setting for Sebastian Fitzek’s “Passenger 23”

Decommissioned in spring 2020, later sold for scrapping

Beaching in Aliaga on 07/23/2020

MS Karnika

MS Karnika is a cruise ship that is known by other names on the German cruise market. It is the former AIDAblu and A’Rosa Blu. The cruise ship was last used for Jalesh Cruises in India, but the company had to file for bankruptcy as part of the pandemic, MS Karnika was sold for scrapping. 

245 meters long / 32.2 meters wide

Made by Fincantieri in Monfalcone 

Commissioning on July 8th, 1990 

From 1990 to 2002 as Crown Princess for Princess Cruises

From 2002 to 2004 as A’Rosa Blu 

From 2004 to 2007 as AIDAblu for AIDA Cruises

From 2007 to 2009 as Ocean Village Two for Ocean Village

From 2009 to 2019 as Pacific Jewel for P&O Australia 

From 2019 to 2020 as MS Karnika for Jalesh Cruises 

Jalesh Cruises bankruptcy in October 2020 

Scrapping in Alang since November 27th, 2020

Pacific Dawn 

Pacific Dawn will come to a dramatic end, as the cruise ship was actually sold to CMV and should be used there from next year. However, as part of the current pandemic, CMV filed for bankruptcy. Fortunately, a new owner was found in Ocean Builders. The ship was to be placed in Panama, the cabins were to be sold individually. Here, however, mainly insurance-related problems arose, so Ocean Builders decided to sell the ship again. Pacific Dawn is now being scrapped in India. 

245 meters long / 32.2 meters wide

Made by Fincantieri in Monfalcone 

Commissioned in August 1991 

From 1991 to 2007 as Regal Princess for Princess Cruises

From 2007 to 2020 as Pacific Dawn 

Should be used at CMV from 2021 (as Amy Johnson)

Sold to Ocean Builders in 2020

Sold by Ocean Builders in 2020 for scrapping in India 

Marella Dream

There is still no official confirmation of the scrapping of the Marella Dream, but the cruise ship has been decommissioned by Marella Cruises and will no longer be used there. The cruise ship is already on the scrapping list of a Turkish scrapping company, although nobody has spoken out yet, but it seems inevitable that the Marella Dream will now come to an absolute end. For this reason, it can also be found in this list. 

243.2 meters long / 29.7 meters wide

Manufactured at the Meyer shipyard in Papenburg

Commissioned in May 1986

From 1986 to 1988 as Homeric for Home Lines

From 1988 to 2002 as MS Westerdam for Holland America Line

From 2002 to 2010 as Costa Europa for Costa Cruises 

From 2010 to 2017 as Thomson Dream for Thomson Cruises

From 2017 as Marella Dream for Marella Cruises (formerly Thomson Cruises)

Launched in Eleusis since October 2020

Scrapping is to take place in Aliaga

Marella Celebration 

Marella Celebration was among the first cruise lines to be retired in the ongoing pandemic. The cruise ship will definitely not return to the service of Marella Cruises. In the meantime it has already become clear that the cruise ship of the Marella Cruises will be scrapped, the ship, like many other ships to be scrapped in Aliaga, was laid up in front of Eleusis. A confirmation has not yet been made, however, in the context of scrapping it is also conceivable that one will never take place. 

214.6 meters long / 27.2 meters wide

Made at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire

Commissioning on April 8th, 1984 

From 1984 to 2004 as MS Noordam for Holland America Line 

From 2004 to 2017 as Thomson Celebration for Thomson Cruises

From 2017 to 2020 as Marella Celebration for Marella Cruises (formerly Thomson Cruises) 

Decommissioned in spring 2020 

Sold in summer 2020 

Scrapping in Alang is imminent

Further scrapping possible 

We have specifically listed the cruise ships for which it is clear that they will be scrapped or for which it is clear that the scrapping is imminent. But it will not stay with the ships mentioned, because unconfirmed rumors of scrapping are in the room with other cruise ships. However, since these are neither clear nor confirmed, we have left them out of this list for the time being.