The MV Astoria appears to have come to the end of its 75-year career on the seas, as Cruise and Maritime Voyages is not planning to renew their lease on the ship, originally built in 1944 as MS Stockholm, for the Swedish-American line.
As Stockholm, and the smallest liner in trans-Atlantic service, she made news around the world in a 1956 collision off Nantucket with the Italian liner Andrea Doria, which sank. Stockholm, with its ice-cutting bow, nearly cut the other ship in two. It was also one of the two main ships rescuing the passengers.
In 1960, Stockholm was sold to the East German government, which operated it as a liner under the name Volkerfreundshaft, shortened to Volker when she was sold in 1985 to a Panamanian company. From 1986 to 1993 she was the Fridtjof Nansen, housing refugees in Oslo, followed by stints in Italy as Italia I, Italia Prima and Valtur Prima; along the way she was rebuilt as a cruise ship.
After Italy, the ship became Athena, registered in Portugal; as Athena she fought off an attack by Somali pirates with the help of the U.S. Navy. By 2012, her owners were out of money, and the name was changed again to Azores. The Astoria name came in 2016. Altogether, eleven names, seven owners, fourteen operators and numerous ports.
Even now, one may wonder whether the story is really at an end.
I propose combining 2 concepts, pirate radio & cruising. I know something about pirate radio in the days of Radio Caroline & think a nice ship & good food could make for a very unique venture. Or at least until the 60’s go out of favor. For those not familiar with either, google Radio Caroline or the movie, Pirate Radio.
That would be great. Special cruises with top DJs from ‘back in the day,’ live appearances by the ongoing versions of Drifters, Coasters, etc.
Somebody stop me before I start trying to rent the ship…