The 33 year old cruise liner ASTOR was sold last 15th October at an auction by C.W. Kellock London Ltd.
She was built in 1987 by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW), Kiel in West Germany as ASTOR for the Mauritius-based Marlan Corporation, although originally ordered by the South African Safmarine as a combined ocean liner/cruise ship for the Southampton-Cape Town service.
In 1988, she was sold to the Soviet Union Black Sea Shipping Company and renamed FEDOR DOSTOEVSKIY but spent her time under charter to various West German cruise lines until 1991.
From 1991 to 1995 she sailed for Fedor Dostoevskiy Shipping Co wearing SCF wearing Unicom ( Sovcomflot sometimes referred as SCF) funnel colours of which she called at Malta too.
In 1995, she reverted to the name ASTOR wearing Unicom funnel colours as seen below at Grand Harbour, Malta.
From 1996 until 2020, she operated under charter to Transocean Tours and was several times at Grand Harbour, Malta.
On Friday 28th November, 2008, in the Gulf of Oman, pirates made an attempt to seize the vessel. The attack was stopped by the German Navy Frigate FGS MECKLENBURG- VORPOMMERN F 218.
In 2013, ASTOR was chartered by CMV for deployment in Australia. Later, CMV acquired TransOcean Tours and with ASTOR targeted the German source market. In 2020 Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV) entered administration and liner was sold for scrap.
She passed off Malta on Tuesday 17th November underway to Aliaga, Turkey.
On Saturday 21st November she arrived at Aliaga and dropped anchors
On Monday 23rd November she was seen beached at Aliaga.
Watermarked Photos are by Capt. Lawrence Dalli otherwise stated. NO PHOTOS can be used or manipulated without our permission. © All rights reserved. Malta Ship Photos & Action Photos – www.maltashipphotos.com
Published – Monday 23 rd November, 2020.