World’s oldest cruise ship heading for the breakers’ yard

Belgian recycling company Galloo has emerged as the buyer of the world’s oldest cruise ship at an auction held in Rotterdam on 17 June.

The company submitted a bid of €200,000 ($230,175) for the 16,144-gt Astoria (built 1948), which has been laid up in the Dutch port since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

Galloo’s bid was the only one received for the vessel that, for now at least, is the oldest cruise ship afloat.

Full story World’s oldest cruise ship heading for the breakers’ yard