History of MS Stockholm (1946) in Timeline
MS Stockholm was a Swedish American Line transatlantic ocean liner, later converted to a cruise ship. It's most notable for its accidental collision with the Italian liner Andrea Doria in July 1956 off Nantucket, Massachusetts, leading to the Andrea Doria's sinking and 46 deaths. The Stockholm, though damaged, survived the incident.
1941: Stockholm Sunk During the War
After the 1941 Stockholm was sunk during the war, the proceeds from the sale of Stockholm III to the Italians were later used to finance the construction of the new ship.
September 1946: Launched as Stockholm
On September 9, 1946, Stockholm was launched by Götaverken in Gothenburg for the Swedish America Line (SAL).
February 1948: Maiden Voyage
On February 21, 1948, the MS Stockholm made her maiden voyage under the command of Captain Waldemar Jonsson, departing from Gothenburg and arriving in New York on March 1.
1952: Joined by MS Kungsholm
In 1952, the Stockholm was joined by the new MS Kungsholm on the transatlantic route.
1953: Capacity Expanded and Cruises Scheduled
In 1953, a refit expanded Stockholm's capacity to 548 people. The Swedish American Line scheduled occasional cruises out of Morehead City, North Carolina to Havana, Nassau, and Bermuda due to the ship's small size and difficulty handling North Atlantic seas in colder months.
February 1955: Deportation of Arne Pettersen
In February 1955, the Stockholm was used to deport Arne Pettersen, the last person to go through Ellis Island, to Gothenburg, Sweden.
July 1956: Accidental Collision with Andrea Doria
In July 1956, the MS Stockholm collided with the Andrea Doria, an Italian liner, resulting in the sinking of the Andrea Doria and 46 fatalities off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts. This event is the best known incident in the Stockholm's history.
1956: Refit Added Cinema and Pool
In 1956, a refit added a cinema to the deck forward end of the main superstructure, and an outdoor pool aft to the ship Stockholm.
1957: Sailing of MS Gripsholm
In 1957, with both MS Kungsholm and the new MS Gripsholm sailing, the smaller Stockholm was started to be seen as too small and not meeting the current standards of the line.
May 1959: Sold to German Company
In May 1959, the Stockholm was sold to an unidentified German company.
1959: Ship's Bell Recovered
In 1959, Stockholm's damaged ship's bell was recovered from the wreck site of Andrea Doria.
January 1960: Transferred to East German Government
On January 3, 1960, the Stockholm was transferred to the East German government for 20 million Swedish krona and renamed Völkerfreundschaft, operating under Deutsche Seereederei.
1960: Transferred to New Company
In 1960, the Stockholm was transferred to the new German company after finishing out the year sailing with Swedish American Line to New York.
1961: Ports Restricted to Communist Countries
In 1961, with the Berlin Wall going up, all ports were restricted to communist countries only, which greatly limited the sailing routes of the Völkerfreundschaft.
1964: Management Under Free German Trade Union Federation
In 1964, the ship Völkerfreundschaft was put under the management of the Free German Trade Union Federation, but chartered out to western European countries for a majority of the year.
1967: Stena Line Charter
In 1967, Stena Line began chartering the Völkerfreundschaft for Swedish passengers for half of the year, doing so annually until the ship was sold in 1985.
1968: Collision with Bundesmarine submarine chaser Najade
In 1968, the Bundesmarine submarine chaser Najade rammed the vessel Völkerfreundschaft during its rescue of East German defector Manfred Semmig.
1975: Losses Reached Millions of Marks
Between 1975 and 1980, the Völkerfreundschaft experienced losses which reached 70 million East German marks.
1979: Appearance in East German film
In 1979, Völkerfreundschaft made an appearance as the luxury liner Astoria in the East German film "Die Rache des Kapitäns Mitchell".
1980: Losses Reached Millions of Marks
Between 1975 and 1980, the Völkerfreundschaft experienced losses which reached 70 million East German marks.
January 1983: Collision with West German Navy submarine U-26
On January 21, 1983, the ship Völkerfreundschaft collided with West German Navy submarine U-26 in the Baltic Sea off the Fehmarn Belt.
1985: Sold Due to Age and Losses
In 1985, Völkerfreundschaft was sold due to its age and continued losses.
1985: Transferred to Panamanian Company
In 1985, the ship, previously known as Völkerfreundschaft, was transferred to a Panamanian company, Neptunas Rex Enterprises. Her name was reduced to Volker, and later laid up in Southampton, England. The ship was then renamed Fridtjof Nansen and used as a barracks ship in Oslo for asylum seekers in Norway.
1989: Sold to Star Lauro Lines
In 1989, the ex-Stockholm (Fridtjof Nansen) was sold to the Italian Star Lauro Lines for conversion into a luxury cruise ship.
1993: Arrival in Genoa and Press Reaction
In 1993, the ex-Stockholm (Fridtjof Nansen) arrived in Genoa, Italy, after remaining in Oslo due to being under charter. The press labeled her "the ship of death" (La nave della morte) due to the collision with Andrea Doria.
1994: Refit Completion and Renaming
Following the completion of the refit in 1994, the ship was named Italia I, then Italia Prima. She later sailed as Valtur Prima primarily to Cuba, and was laid up in Havana following the September 11 attacks.
2002: Chartered by Festival Cruises
In 2002, the ship was chartered by Festival Cruises for a five-year period and was renamed Caribe.
2004: Sold to Portuguese-based Operator
In 2004, the plans for Festival Cruises to sail to Cuba on seven-day cruises fell through, and the ship, Caribe, was sold to a Portuguese-based operator.
October 2006: Caught in Hurricanes, Passengers Threaten Mutiny
In October 2006, the Athena was caught in two violent hurricanes on a transatlantic cruise, resulting in a fatality and passengers threatening mutiny. The ship later safely arrived in Halifax, before continuing on to New York.
December 3, 2008: Pirate Attack in Gulf of Aden
On December 3, 2008, Athena was attacked by pirates in the Gulf of Aden. The crew prevented the pirates from boarding by firing high-pressure water cannons, and the ship escaped without damage.
2009: Chartered to Phoenix Reisen
In 2009, the Athena was chartered to German cruise operator Phoenix Reisen and repainted in the company colors.
2013: Bought by Portuscale Cruises and Renamed Azores
Early in 2013, the Athena was bought by Portuscale Cruises and renamed Azores. She was revamped in Marseille and entered Portuscale Cruises service after completing a charter for Ambiente Kreuzfahrten.
November 2014: Charter Concludes
In November 2014, the charter for Azores concluded in Genoa, Italy.
January 2015: First Voyage for Cruise & Maritime Voyages
In January 2015, Azores' first voyage for Cruise & Maritime Voyages was from Avonmouth Docks to the Caribbean.
April 2015: Blocked from Port Due to Unpaid Debts
In April 2015, Azores was blocked from port due to unpaid debts, stranding passengers aboard until the issue was resolved.
March 2016: Service as Astoria Begins
In March 2016, the ship began service as Astoria with Cruise & Maritime Voyages.
March 2016: Renamed Astoria by Cruise & Maritime Voyages
In March 2016, the ship was renamed Astoria by Cruise & Maritime Voyages.
May 2016: Subchartered to Rivages du Monde
From May 2016 until March 2017, the Astoria was subchartered to French tour operator Rivages du Monde.
June 2016: CMV Announced Astoria Would Leave Fleet
In June 2016, Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV) announced that Astoria would be leaving the CMV fleet after her final cruise on April 27, 2017, from London Tilbury.
February 2017: CMV Announces Astoria Will Remain in Fleet
In February 2017, CMV announced that Astoria would remain in the CMV fleet until 2018, offering a mini-season from London Tilbury, before being chartered by Rivages du Monde during the summer months.
March 2017: End of Rivages du Monde Subcharter
In March 2017, the subcharter of Astoria to Rivages du Monde ended.
April 27, 2017: Planned Final Cruise
In June 2016, CMV announced that Astoria would be leaving the CMV fleet after her final cruise on April 27, 2017, from London Tilbury.
2018: Astoria to Remain in CMV Fleet Until 2018
In February 2017, CMV announced that Astoria would remain in the CMV fleet until 2018, offering a mini-season from London Tilbury, before being chartered by Rivages du Monde during the summer months.
December 2019: Winter Cruising of Sea of Cortez Scheduled
In December 2019, the Astoria was scheduled to begin winter cruising the Sea of Cortez from Puerto Peñasco, Mexico.
January 2020: Winter Cruising Halted Due to Delays
In January 2020, the Astoria's winter cruising of the Sea of Cortez was halted due to unspecified delays in dry dock.
June 2020: Crew Hunger Strike and Vessel Arrest
In June 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic and CMV's bankruptcy, 47 Astoria crew members began a hunger strike over unpaid wages and repatriation. Subsequently, the vessel was arrested by the UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency for attempting to leave UK jurisdiction without repatriating stranded foreign crew members.
September 2020: Bow and Anchors Discovered
In September 2020, Atlantic Wreck Salvage discovered Stockholm's bow and anchors near Andrea Doria's final resting place.
December 2020: Astoria Towed to Rotterdam and Laid Up
In December 2020, the Astoria was towed to Rotterdam and laid up.
2020: Company Ceased Operations
In 2020, Cruise & Maritime Voyages ceased operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
March 2021: Astoria Put Up For Auction
On March 1, 2021, the Astoria was put up for auction with a minimum sale price of €10 million.
July 2021: No Offers Received for Astoria at Auction
By July 2021, the Astoria had received no offers at auction and remained in custody pending decisions by owners and creditors.
July 2021: Ship Purchased by The Roundtable LLC
In July 2021, the Astoria was purchased by The Roundtable LLC, with intentions to return it to service.
February 2022: Ship Broke Loose and Crashed
In February 2022, the Astoria broke loose from her moorings and crashed into the container ship Seatrade Orange during a storm.
December 2022: Ship Listed for Sale on Yachtworld
By December 2022, the Astoria was listed for sale on the online yacht sale platform Yachtworld, reduced to $5 million.
January 2023: Owner Confirmed Attempts to Sell for Continued Trading
In January 2023, Astoria's owner confirmed they were continuing their attempts to make a sale for continued trading.
June 2025: Sold for Scrap
In June 2025, after being laid up for several years in Rotterdam, the historic vessel Astoria was finally sold for scrap.
June 2025: Ship Auctioned and Sold for Scrap
In June 2025, the Astoria, still laid up in Rotterdam, was again auctioned and sold for €200,000 to Galloo, a ship scrapping company.
July 2025: Astoria Towed to Ghent for Recycling
On July 3, 2025, the Astoria was towed from Rotterdam to Ghent for recycling, arriving there the next day.
2025: Bell Removed for Scrapping
In 2025, the ship's bell was removed when the ship arrived at Ghent for scrapping.
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