MS Astor
MS Astor was a cruise ship that most recently sailed for Cruise & Maritime Voyages' Transocean Cruises subsidiary, under which she operated voyages to Europe, South Africa, and Australia.
Astor at Fremantle in 2016. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name |
|
| Namesake | Fyodor Dostoevsky (2nd name) |
| Owner |
|
| Operator |
|
| Port of registry |
|
| Ordered | 1985 |
| Builder | HDW, Kiel, West Germany |
| Cost | $65 million |
| Yard number | 218 |
| Launched | 30 May 1986 |
| Acquired | 14 January 1987 |
| Maiden voyage | 14 January 1987 |
| In service | 14 January 1987 |
| Identification |
|
| Fate | Scrapped in January of 2021 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Cruise ship |
| Tonnage | |
| Length | 176.25 m (578 ft 3 in) |
| Beam | 22.60 m (74 ft 2 in) |
| Draught | 6.15 m (20 ft 2 in) |
| Decks | 7 (passenger accessible) |
| Installed power |
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| Propulsion | Two propellers |
| Speed | 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph) |
| Capacity | 650 passengers |
| Crew | 300 |
The ship was originally built in 1987 under the name Astor by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW), Kiel in West Germany 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-based Black Sea Shipping Company and renamed Fedor Dostoevskiy (some sources spell the name Fedor Dostoyevskiy, Russian: Фёдор Достое́вский), but spent her time under charter to various West German cruise lines. In 1995, she reverted to the name, Astor. From 1996 until 2020, she operated under charter to Transocean Tours.
After Transocean Cruises' parent company, Cruise & Maritime Voyages, entered administration in 2020, Astor was sold at auction by C.W. Kellock London Ltd. on 15 October 2020 for US$1,710,000.