large cruise ship scrapped

From record-setter to rubbish: World’s biggest cruise ship to be scrapped without sailing a single voyage

Call it the giant of the seas that never was.

An unnamed cruise vessel of nearly record proportions that has been under construction in Germany for an Asia-focused cruise line will be scrapped before sailing a single voyage, according to German shipping magazine anBord .

This week anBord reported that the liquidators for the bankrupt MV Werften shipyard in Warnemunde, Germany, will sell the bulk of the half-finished ship for scrap and attempt to resell some of its systems and engines.

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The vessel, often referred to as Global Dream 2, and a sister ship that had also been under construction at the MV Werften shipyard were designed to hold more than 9,000 passengers, making them the world's largest cruise ships by passenger capacity.

At 208,000 tons each, the vessels would have been tied for the world's sixth-largest cruise ships by size when complete, just behind Royal Caribbean's five groundbreaking Oasis-class ships.

Both of the ships were on order for Asia-based Dream Cruises, which collapsed along with its parent company Genting Hong Kong earlier this year after its revenues plummeted due to COVID-19 pandemic-related shutdowns.

The MV Werften shipyard was also part of Genting Hong Kong, as was Asia-based line Star Cruises and luxury line Crystal Cruises . Like Dream Cruises, the latter two lines are being liquidated.

Related: Crystal Cruises suspends operations

The sister ship to Global Dream 2, which is further along in construction and named Global Dream, is not being scrapped for now. The liquidators for the MV Werften shipyard have been trying to sell the vessel, which is about 80% finished.

Both of the vessels were specifically designed for Asian travelers.

Among notable features, the two ships were to have the largest cinemas at sea with eight theaters apiece and the first theme parks atop a cruise ship with the longest roller coasters at sea. As of now, just one ship — Carnival Cruise Line 's Mardi Gras — has a roller coaster on its top deck.

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World's Largest Cruise Ship to Be Scrapped Before First Voyage

It may have cost around $1.4 billion to built, but the global dream ii is destined to be trash..

The ship that would have become the world’s largest cruise liner has been scrapped before it ever had the chance to take its maiden voyage.

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If wasting wild amounts of resources and money is your type of thing, this is the story for you.

Global Dream II was slated to carry 9,000 passengers and was built by German-Hong Kong shipbuilding firm MV Werften to the tune of nearly $1.4 billion, according to the Daily Mail . It was nearly finished when the company went bankrupt at the start of this year.

Since that happened, no buyer has stepped up to buy the 20-deck, 1,122-foot-long monstrosity. That means it’s now destined for the scrap heap. The Mail says that Global Dream II also features an outdoor waterpark and a movie theater. Man, I really don’t get cruises.

The capacity of this ship blows the second largest ship, the Oasis-class Wonder of the Sea which is owned and operated by Royal Caribbean, out of the water (I love a good pun). The Wonder of the Seas has a passenger capacity of only 6,988. Pathetic.

Despite the $1.4 billion put out to build this behemoth, the ship still needs about $230,000,000 worth of work. Apparently, it is structurally complete, but equipment and passenger facilities still need to be finished.

Eagle-eyed readers will have noted the “II” in the ship’s name. Yes, there is a twin Global Dream, but it hasn’t been given the ax… yet.

The Mail reports that right now the two ships are being stored in a German shipyard in Wismar. However, that yard will soon be used to build military vessels. That means the Global Dreams have to be out of there by the end of next year.

There still remains a glimmer of hope that a buyer can be found, with Stena potentially hoping to buy it for the Chinese cruise market. Industry experts TradeWinds said: ‘The Global Dream would have no problems finding a buyer in a strong cruise market. ‘Faced with the tight deadline to get the Global Dream out of its building dock by the end of 2023, recycling the ship in Turkey is a last resort that Morgen hopes to avoid.’ … The pandemic has hit the global travel industry, including cruise operators and led to production stops at shipyards that build cruise ships.

For me, it’s tough to say if it would be environmentally better if these two ships never set sail. The answer is probably yes. In the meantime, we can look at the fact the guy painted on the bow of the ships looks a lot like the decal on the side of The Fast and the Furious Toyota Supra .

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One of the world's largest cruise ships is heading for the scrapyard - despite never setting sail. The Daily Star reports The Global Dream II is a 9,000-person passenger ship, but nobody wants to buy it.

It is currently located inside a German shipyard waiting to have some of its fixtures and engines ripped out and sold. The rest of it will be sold for scrap, while the partly finished hull is for sale.

It was built by MV Wefrten, according to German cruise industry magazine An Bord, and accommodates more passengers than any other cruise ship. The ship was owned by Genting Hong Kong, but they filled for bankruptcy at the start of this year.

The first Global Dream ship is also unfinished in the same dock, but time is running out to find a buyer for the pair as the shipyard is going to make only submarines from 2024. Images of Global Dreams II show a modern cruise liner with a water park on the top deck, a huge posh cinema inside and enough bedrooms for 9,000 passengers across 20 decks.

The exterior of the ship was covered in elaborate art, including a multi-coloured astronaut flying using a jet pack, with a rocket ship behind him. The pair of ships would have weighed around 208,000 tons each, making them joint sixth largest cruise ships by size, behind the Royal Caribbean's five Oasis-class ships.

The experts at Interesting Engineering said: “The Global Dream II, the first of its class, was scheduled to leave the shipyard in 2021, but when the pandemic struck, the demand for cruises collapsed. In January, MV Werften filed for bankruptcy, and the administrators began looking for options to monetise the shipbuilder's assets.

"The shipyard was sold to ThyssenKrupp's Marine System, which plans to build submarines, frigates, and corvettes at the site starting in 2024. Prior to that, the shipyard needs to be vacated. Global Dream II is partly constructed, with its hull complete with engines.

"The insolvency administrators are looking to sell the engines and machine parts, after which the hull will be sold at scrap value. Global Dream is quite ready and can be tugged away.

"However, since it is built for the Asian markets, the cabin, deck and propulsion system will require considerable changes before it can be used in Europe or North America, a move that will require more investments into the ship.”

The price for Global Dream II, while not officially revealed, is thought to cover what the former owners owed to local governments. The world's biggest working cruise ship is actually the Allure Of The Seas, which can accommodate around 6,780 passengers.

According to Cruise Critic, Carnival Sensation and Carnival Ecstasy are two cruise ships due to be scrapped before the end of this year. The Covid pandemic killed demand for cruise holidays.

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Fire breaks out on world’s largest cruise ship just months after it first set sail

A fire has broken out on Icon of the Seas – the world’s largest cruise ship – causing it to lose power while docked in Mexico .

No one was injured in the “minor” blaze on Tuesday while the ship was in Costa Maya, a Royal Caribbean spokesperson told The Independent.

The fire was quickly extinguished, the spokesperson said.

Power was only lost briefly, as the backup systems kicked on right away and the main power was restored.

The fire started in the crew area of the ship but it’s not immediately clear what caused the fire, the spokesperson said, adding that the vessel will continue on its journey as scheduled.

The ship is scheduled to head to Cozumel, Mexico, on Wednesday, according to CruiseMapper .

The colossal cruise ship first set sail from Miami in January. Dubbed “the largest ship in the world,” the Icon of the Seas spans 1,200 feet long and holds up to 5,610 passengers across its 20 decks . The ship is operated by 2,350 crew members.

The massive vessel boasts seven pools, including the “largest pool at sea,” the “world’s largest waterpark at sea,” six waterslides and nine whirlpools. In addition to water activities, Icon of the Seas also has a rock climbing wall, Royal Caribbean’s first food hall, a beach-themed carousel, an arcade, and a mini-golf course.

The vessel touts more than 20 ways to dine, and more than 15 bars and “nightlife experiences,” including a karaoke bar, spread across its eight “neighborhoods.”

When images of the ship first launched, many expressed distaste for it, calling it a “monstrosity,” a “nightmare,” and “human lasagne.”

But the Royal Caribbean president Jason Liberty called it “biggest, baddest ship on the planet.” When bookings opened for the ship started in October 2023, Royal Caribbean had its strongest sales day in its 53-year history, the company noted.

The Independent stands for many things, often uniquely so. It stands independent of political party allegiance, and makes its own mind up on the issues of the day. The Independent has always been committed to challenge and debate. It launched in 1986 to create a new voice and in that time has run campaigns for issues ranging from the legalisation of marijuana to the Final Say Brexit petition.

One of the world's largest cruise ships 'to be scrapped before maiden voyage'

The Global Dream II, which was intended to be one of the world's biggest cruise ships capable of carrying 9,000 people in 2,500 cabins, now faces being sold for scrap

• 17:10, 20 Jun 2022

A massive cruise ship is likely to be sold for scrap because no one wants to buy it, it has been reported.

Some of the fixtures and engines of the Global Dream II will be sold on if a buyer can be found, German cruise-industry magazine An Bord first reported.

The 9,000 person passenger ship - which would've been one of the largest in the world - is currently sitting unfinished in a north German shipyard, Christoph Morgen, an insolvency administrator at Brinkmann & Partner, said at a press conference.

The vessel's half-finished keel will be sold for scrap, Morgen said, while its part-finished hull is for sale.

German shipbuilder MV Werften, which was building the vessel, and its holding company Genting Hong Kong which owns it, filed for bankruptcy in January , Business Insider reported.

Global Dream - another ship in the series - is reportedly unfinished as well and sitting in the MV Werften dock in Wismar, northern Germany, An Bord reported.

From 2024 the shipyard will be used to build submarines by its new owner, meaning there's a year and a half for the Global Dream boats to be shifted.

Though numerous parties expressed interest in buying and finishing Global Dream, the insolvency administrator never received a proper offer, An Bord said.

The publication claims that the Global Dream is around 80% finished but would need significant upgrades to be sailed as a cruise liner in most markets.

If no serious offers are made for the vessel in the coming weeks, Global Dream will be sold in an auction where it could ultimately be bought for scrap, An Bord reported.

Maritime Executive has reported that the liquidators denied these claims and maintained that they're looking for a buyer.

Work began on Global Dream in March 2018 and it was due to hit the waves in early 2021.

It was intended to be one of the world's biggest cruise ships at 1,122 feet long, capable of carrying 9,000 people in 2,500 cabins.

At 208,000 tons the two ships would have been jointly the sixth largest cruise ships by size, just behind Royal Caribbean’s five Oasis-class ships.

It was planned that face and voice recognition software would operate in the roomy cabins and that the ship would have a theme park.

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World’s Largest Cruise Ship to Be Scrapped Before First Voyage

If wasting wild amounts of resources and money is your type of thing, this is the story for you.

Global Dream II was slated to carry 9,000 passengers and was built by German-Hong Kong shipbuilding firm MV Werften to the tune of nearly $US1.4 ($2) billion, according to the Daily Mail . It was nearly finished when the company went bankrupt at the start of this year.

Since that happened, no buyer has stepped up to buy the 20-deck, 341.99 m-long monstrosity. That means it’s now destined for the scrap heap. The Mail says that Global Dream II also features an outdoor waterpark and a movie theatre. Man, I really don’t get cruises.

The capacity of this ship blows the second largest ship, the Oasis-class Wonder of the Sea which is owned and operated by Royal Caribbean, out of the water (I love a good pun). The Wonder of the Seas has a passenger capacity of only 6,988. Pathetic.

Despite the $US1.4 ($2) billion put out to build this behemoth, the ship still needs about $US230,000,000 ($319,286,000) worth of work. Apparently, it is structurally complete, but equipment and passenger facilities still need to be finished.

Eagle-eyed readers will have noted the “II” in the ship’s name. Yes, there is a twin Global Dream, but it hasn’t been given the ax… yet.

The Mail reports that right now the two ships are being stored in a German shipyard in Wismar. However, that yard will soon be used to build military vessels. That means the Global Dreams have to be out of there by the end of next year.

There still remains a glimmer of hope that a buyer can be found, with Stena potentially hoping to buy it for the Chinese cruise market. Industry experts TradeWinds said: ‘The Global Dream would have no problems finding a buyer in a strong cruise market. ‘Faced with the tight deadline to get the Global Dream out of its building dock by the end of 2023, recycling the ship in Turkey is a last resort that Morgen hopes to avoid.’ … The pandemic has hit the global travel industry, including cruise operators and led to production stops at shipyards that build cruise ships.

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Cruise line companies sell massive multimillion dollar ships for scrap overseas. Here's a look inside ship-breaking yards.

• This shipyard in western Turkey has seen an influx of cruise ships due to the pandemic. 
• After losing billions in 2020, cruise lines like Carnival decided to sell some older ships. 
• Thousands of workers spend as much as a year in dangerous conditions breaking down just one ship.

The cruise line industry lost billions of dollars by the end of 2020

The workers at the Aliağa ship breaking yards in western Turkey usually demolished only a few dozen cargo ships a year. However, after the COVID-19 pandemic hit the cruise-line industry, the demolition site was inundated with ships. 

The industry lost billions of dollars by the end of 2020, with Carnival Cruise Line losing more than $4 billion in the second quarter of 2020 .

The pandemic caused Carnival, Costa, and Pullmantur Cruise Lines to send ships to be broken down in Turkey

Carnival Cruise Line sold six ships for scrap, which were taken to the Aliağa ship breaking yards. The job of breaking down these large ships is one of the most dangerous and the added load has only made it harder. 

"The owners could not find customers so they sent their ships to Aliağa," Emre Aras, a project manager at Avsar Gemi Sokum told Insider. 

The process starts with captains coordinating with harbormasters to beach the ships in Turkey. 

"Then the bowl front of the vessel is grounded on the shore while the stern still floats," Aras said. 

It takes thousands of workers to break down a single cruise ship.

While the boat is being inspected, the crew figures out how to dismantle the vessel. Around 2,500 shipbreakers work to remove valuable material from the ships, emptying them out deck by deck mostly by hand. 

"I can easily say that cruise vessels are the hardest vessel type to dismantle because, you know, there are hundreds of rooms on board," Aras said. 

Workers then move on to dismantling things like pools and gyms, as well as stripping walls, windows, floors, and handrails. 

The job is one of the most dangerous in the world, exposing workers to a variety of risks.

Those involved in this process risk a lot to do it, Nicola Mulinaris, a communication and policy officer at NGO Shipbreaking Platform told Insider. Mulinaris explained that workers run the risk of falling from heights, inhaling toxic gases, getting hit by falling objects, and deal with fire hazards from instruments like blow torches.  

Not to mention, that these shipbreakers work in extreme weather conditions during both the summer and winter months. Additionally, any mistakes could cause damage to the environment and ruin millions of dollars worth of parts that need to be maintained in a specific condition to be reused. 

The Aliağa yards have been improved in recent years to promote better safety.

Dozens of shipyard w orkers have died or gotten injured in recent years in Southeast Asia. However, while conditions at the yard in Turkey were just as bad in the late 1990s by the early 2000's reports on the unsafe conditions forced changes in policy. By 2018, Aliağa yards began to comply with the European Union Ship Recycling Regulation, which meant the shipyard received improvements to limit environmental hazards while dismantling ships. 

"Practices have been improved, but there are still concerns related to...the long-term impact on the health of the workers due to exposure to toxic substances," Mulinaris told Insider, adding that while some workers may not know these risks, others take the jobs for the increased pay. 

Cruise ships take a long time to dismantle but can bring in huge profits

These ships could take a whole year to dismantle, Aras told Insider, howere the materials removed from them typically sell fast, and the metals from the ship could bring in $4 million in profits when they're recycled for future construction.

"You can make good money because there are lots of things on board, for second hand sales," Aras said.

See more about the ship-breaking yards 

• Main content

18 Cruise Ships Were Scrapped in 2022: Here’s the Full List

• January 17, 2023

Continuing a trend that started in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, several older and smaller cruise ships were beached for scrapping in 2022.

While 20 new vessels entered service during the he year , a total of 18 cruise ships were also sold to scrapyards in Turkey, India and Pakistan.

For a complete market overview of ships moving between owners and leaving the market, see the Secondhand Market Report by Cruise Industry News.

Here’s a complete list of the cruise ships beached for scrapping this year:

Fuji Maru Capacity: 326 Tonnage: 23,235 Year Built: 1989 Beaching Date: January 2022 Breaking Yard: Gadani, Pakistan

After several years out of service, the former Fuji Maru ended its sailing career early in the year. Once operated by Mitsui O.S.K. Line, the 1989-built vessel was beached for scrapping in Gadani, Pakistan.

Century Harmony (ex-Carnival Fascination) Capacity: 2,040

Tonnage: 70,367 Year Built: 1994 Beaching Date: February 2022 Breaking Yard: Gadani, Pakistan

The ex-Carnival Fascination was beached for scrapping at the Gadani Ship Breaking Yard in 2022. Operated by Carnival Cruise Line until 2020, the Fantasy-class vessel arrived at the ship dismantling facility in February.

Oriental Dragon (ex-Sun Viking) Capacity: 882 Tonnage: 18,455 Year Built: 1972 Beaching Date: February 2022 Breaking Yard: Gadani, Pakistan

Originally built for Royal Caribbean International, the former Sun Viking was also beached for scrapping in February. Last used as a floating casino in Asia, the 1972-built vessel enjoyed a long career, cruising for several operators, before arriving at the Gadani Shipbreaking Yard in Pakistan.

Carnival Sensation Capacity: 2,040 Tonnage: 70,367 Year Built: 1993 Beaching Date: April 2022 Breaking Yard: Aliaga, Turkey

After being retired by Carnival Cruise Line in early 2022, the Carnival Sensation sailed directly to a ship breaking yard in Aliaga, Turkey. The Fantasy-Class vessel was then beached for recycling in April , concluding its 30-year sailing career.

Delphin Capacity: 470 Tonnage: 16,214 Year Built: 1975 Beaching Date: April 2022 Breaking Yard: Aliaga, Turkey

Last operated by Passat Cruises, the Delphin was sold for scrap value in March , as a result of an auction to settle debts of its former owners. Laid-up in Croatia since 2015, the 1975-built vessel headed to Turkey – where it was recycled along with other veteran cruise ships.

Titan (ex-Salamis Filoxenia) Capacity: 400 Tonnage: 15,402 Year Built: 1975 Beaching Date: April 2022 Breaking Yard: Gadani, Pakistan

Wrapping up a 47-year cruising career, the former Salamis Filoxenia arrived at the Gadani Shipbreaking Yard in April. Dismantled at the Pakistani recycling facility , the 400-guest vessel started its life as a Soviet cruise ferry before being converted into a full-time cruise ship in the 1980s.

SuperStar Libra Capacity: 1,494 Tonnage: 42,285 Year Built: 1988 Beaching Date: May 2022 Breaking Yard: Aliaga, Turkey

After serving as a floating hotel in Germany between 2018 and 2022, the SuperStar Libra was beached for scrapping in May. Formerly operated by Norwegian Cruise Line and Star Cruises , the 1988-built vessel is being dismantled in Aliaga, Turkey.

Odin (ex-Black Watch) Capacity: 807 Tonnage: 28,613 Year Built: 1972 Beaching Date: June 2022 Breaking Yard: Alang, India

Another classic cruise ship beached for scrapping in 2022, the former Black Watch was sold to shipbreakers in Alang, India. Last operated by Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, the 1972-built vessel had been out of service since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Marella Dream Capacity: 1,506 Tonnage: 55,000 Year Built: 1986 Beaching Date: June 2022 Breaking Yard: Aliaga, Turkey

After two years of being laid up in Greece, the former Marella Dream was beached for recycling at the Aliaga Shipbreaking Yar d in June. The 55,000-ton vessel was retired by Marella Cruises in 2020 and spent several months anchored at the Elefsis Bay.

Star Pisces Capacity: 1,090 Tonnage: 40,053 Year Built: 1991 Beaching Date: July 2022 Breaking Yard: Alang, India

The Star Pisces became the first ship of the former Star Cruises fleet to be beached for scrapping . After seeing its operator become insolvent in January 2022, the 1991-built vessel arrived in Alang for recycling in July.

Pearl II (ex-Saga Pearl II) Capacity: 446 Tonnage: 18,627 Year Built: 1981 Beaching Date: July 2022 Breaking Yard: Aliaga, Turkey

Out of service since early 2019, the former Saga Pearl II started its dismantling process in July. Sold to Turkish scrappers , the ship was built in 1981 and sailed for several operators, including Saga Cruises and TransOcean Tours.

Gold Club (ex-Golden Iris) Capacity: 1,000 Tonnage: 16,852 Year Built: 1977 Beaching Date: July 2022 Breaking Yard: Aliaga, Turkey

Wrapping up a five-decade career, the Golden Iris was also sold for scrapping in 2022 . Last operated by the Israel-based Mano Cruises, the 1977-built vessel was beached at Turkey’s Aliaga Shipbreaking Yard in July.

Horizon Capacity: 1,442 Tonnage: 47,000 Year Built: 1990 Beaching Date: August 2022 Breaking Yard: Aliaga, Turkey

With Pullmantur filing for insolvency in mid-2020, the Horizon ended up sold for scrapping in 2022 . After spending two years anchored at the Elefsis Bay, in Greece, the vessel was beached in August, concluding a 32-year sailing career.

Marella Celebration Capacity: 1,250 Tonnage: 33,930 Year Built: 1984 Beaching Date: September 2022 Breaking Yard: Aliaga, Turkey

In September, the Marella Celebration was beached for scrapping in Aliaga. Last operated by Marella Cruises, the 1984-built vessel spent two years anchored in Greece before being sold to the Turkish shipbreakers .

TSM Singapore (ex-Zenith) Capacity: 1,441 Tonnage: 47,255 Year Built: 1992 Beaching Date: September 2022 Breaking Yard: Alang, India

After almost three years in limbo, the former Zenith was sold for scrapping in 2022. Originally built for Celebrity Cruises, the 1992-built vessel also sailed for Pullmantur Cruises before being sold to Peace Boat in 2019. Renamed TSM Singapore, the ship was sold again before being beached in India .

Carnival Ecstasy Capacity: 2,040 Tonnage: 70,367 Year Built: 1991 Beaching Date: November 2022 Breaking Yard: Aliaga, Turkey

Following the Sensation, the Carnival Ecstasy was beached for scrapping in November . Soon after retiring from Carnival Cruise Line’s fleet, the Fantasy-Class ship sailed to Aliaga, where it’s currently being dismantled.

Gem (ex-SuperStar Gemini) Capacity: 1,948 Tonnage: 50,764 Year Built: 1992 Beaching Date: November 2022 Breaking Yard: Alang, India

In November, after spending several months laid up in Sri Lanka , the ex-SuperStar Aquarius was beached for scrapping in India. Previously operated by Star Cruises, the 1993-built cruise ship is now being dismantled along with its sister ship, the former SuperStar Aquarius .

Arius (ex-SuperStar Aquarius) Capacity: 1,530 Tonnage: 51,039 Year Built: 1993 Beaching Date: November 2022 Breaking Yard: Alang, India

Similar to the SuperStar Gemini, the former SuperStar Aquarius was beached for scrapping at the Alang Shipbreaking Yard in November. Previously, the ex-Star Cruises vessel spent several months laid up in Sri Lanka .

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Unfinished and unwanted 9,000-passenger cruise ship to be scrapped

Lower hull of Global Dream II to be disposed of after shipbuilder filed for bankruptcy

What was meant to be one of the world’s largest cruise ships is being prepared for its maiden voyage – to a scrapyard.

Global Dream II , which was designed to hold more than 9,000 passengers, had almost been completed at a shipyard on Germany’s Baltic coast. However, the shipbuilder MV Werften filed for bankruptcy in January 2022 and the administrators cannot find a buyer for Global Dream II.

The German cruise industry magazine An Bord reported that the lower hull of the liner is to be disposed for scrap price.

The administrator Christoph Morgen reportedly told a press conference on Friday that the ship needed to be moved out of MV Werften’s Wismar shipyard by the end of the year because the yard had been sold to Thyssenkrupp’s naval unit, which plans to build military vessels there.

Demand for cruise ships has collapsed since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

Global Dream II and its sister ship Global Dream – which is not being scrapped for now – would have been the world’s largest cruise ships by passenger capacity when complete.

At 208,000 tons they would have been jointly the sixth largest cruise ships by size, just behind Royal Caribbean’s five Oasis-class ships.

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$1.5 billion cruise ship to be scrapped after company filed for bankruptcy

The “world’s largest” cruise ship which would have been able to carry 9000 passengers is now set to be scrapped before its maiden voyage.

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The “world’s largest” cruise ship, which would have been able to carry 9000 passengers, is now set to be scrapped before its maiden voyage.

Global Dream II is a 20-deck vessel which includes an outdoor water park and cinema.

German-Hong Kong shipbuilding firm MV Werften had nearly completed construction of the ship when the company filed for bankruptcy at the start of this year, The Sun reports.

Now, unless administrators can find a buyer to pay the ship’s $1.5 billion price tag, Global Dream II is set to be scrapped.

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The ship has so far cost around $2 billion to build – and it still needs $340 million to be spent on it to complete construction.

Its sister ship, Global Dream , is also on the market, but as it is complete it is unlikely it would be sold for scrap.

Both vessels are currently being stored at a German shipyard but time is running out to find a buyer for the pair.

The administrator for MV Werften, Christoph Morgen, told a press conference the company’s shipyard in Wismar had been sold to Thyssenkrupp’s naval unit, which will use it to build military vessels.

That means both Global Dream and Global Dream II will have to be removed by the end of 2023.

Mr Morgen told German newspaper Die Welt that, while Global Dream II is structurally complete, it still needs some equipment and passenger facilities before it could be used as a commercial cruise liner.

Now, unless a buyer can be found, the ship’s engines and other parts will be sold off, while the lower hull will be sold for scrap, according to German cruise industry magazine An Bord .

One stumbling block to finding a buyer for the ships is that they were designed for the Asian market, according to An Bord , so the “cabin, deck and propulsion system” would reportedly need major changes before the vessels would be suitable for use in either North America or Europe.

However there is still some hope a buyer can be found with cruise ship experts TradeWinds saying Stena is looking to buy the ship in the hopes that it will give its Chinese cruise business a boost.

TradeWinds said: “ Global Dream would have no problems finding a buyer in a strong cruise market.

“Faced with the tight deadline to get the Global Dream out of its building dock by the end of 2023, recycling the ship in Turkey is a last resort that Morgen hopes to avoid.”

In terms of passenger capacity, both vessels would have been the largest cruise ships in the world.

More Coverage

The Royal Caribbean liner Wonder of the Seas is the current titleholder with the capacity to hold 6988 passengers.

Coming in at a weight of 208,000 tonnes each, the ships would have been the joint sixth largest by size, behind the Royal Caribbean’s five Oasis-class ships.

This story originally appeared on The Sun and is republished here with permission

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A general view of the cruise liner Global Dream, which is still under construction at the shipbuilding hall of the MV Werften shipyards which are insolvent, in Wismar, Germany January 13, 2022. REUTERS/Annegret Hilse

Giant Cruise Ship’s Maiden Voyage May Be To A Scrapyard

Share this article, related news, german cruiseship yard werften will start building submarines, disney cruise line to acquire unfinished cruise ship abandoned by mv werften insolvency, german governments makes offer for mv werften’s rostock shipyard, thyssenkrupp eyes german shipyard industry consolidation , buyer needed asap for world’s biggest cruise ship.

By Rainer Buergin

Jun 19, 2022 (Bloomberg) –An unfinished mega-liner that was to be one of the world’s biggest cruise ships by capacity is sitting in a German shipyard, waiting to be scrapped, because bankruptcy administrators can’t find a buyer, according to cruise industry magazine An Bord.

The lower hull of a liner known as Global Dream II, the second global class vessel from insolvent MV Werften shipyard on Germany’s Baltic coast, is to be disposed of at scrap price, An Bord reported, citing insolvency administrator Christoph Morgen. Machinery and much of the equipment, which had already been delivered, are to be sold, the German magazine cited Morgen as saying at a press conference on Friday. 

Morgen’s focus is now on its sister ship, Global Dream, which is ready to float in the dock in Wismar, northern Germany, the magazine said. MV Werften’s Wismar shipyard was sold to Thyssenkrupp AG’s Kiel-based naval unit , which plans to build military vessels there from 2024 amid rising tensions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems wants the large dock to be available by the end of 2023, it said.

Both of the ships were initially commissioned by Asia-based Dream Cruises, which collapsed along with its parent company Genting Hong Kong  earlier this year after the Covid-19 pandemic sapped demand for cruises. 

Plans to complete the Global Dream at the Wismar site have collapsed, An Bord said. Sweden’s Stena AB, which wanted to build a cruise product in Asia, was the only interested party, but bailed out when former Genting owner Lim Kok Thay announced a new cruise brand in Singapore at the same time China upheld strict travel restrictions, the magazine said, also citing tensions in the South China Sea.

Global Dream could be towed to any location in the world by ocean-going tugs, the magazine said. If no serious buyer is found in coming weeks, Morgen will have to start a bidding process, which would allow ship brokers with contacts to maritime scrap yards to submit their bids, it said. German cruise ship builder Meyer Werft could help finish Global Dream, after which the liner would be mothballed due to the current lack of buyers, lo Ostsee-Zeitung reported this week.

© 2022 Bloomberg L.P.

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Scrapped Cruise Ships

History, review, itineraries, ships, deck plans, news.

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Scrapped Cruise Ships fleet

Ms titanic 2, seadream innovation, costa concordia, american glory, costa victoria, carnival inspiration, carnival imagination, carnival fascination, carnival sensation, costa neoromantica, superstar aquarius, pride of burgundy ferry, superstar gemini, pride of kent ferry, pullmantur monarch, review of scrapped cruise ships.

This is CruiseMapper's most unusual theme-section that groups scrapped cruise liners - passenger vessels (including ferries) that exist no more. Mapper's "Scrapped Cruise Ships" is not a cruise line/company or brand name, but just a hub for all these old-timers on which millions of travelers have spent so precious vacation times and still remember their special voyages. Here you will also find a list of now-DEFUNCT cruise lines (companies and brands that went bankrupt).

Cruise vessels' lifespan is ~30-40 years. Eventually, the old ships become either unseaworthy (especially following some major accident ) or too expensive for operation as they require more complicated drydock refit and refurbishment projects to be somehow competitive with all the newbuild vessels . Generally, such older vessels are first sold from the cruise line company to a smaller company that continues to use them for passenger shipping in less novelties-demanding and more budget-oriented markets, like India, China, Korea, Russia, Australia, South America, Caribbean, Southern Europe (Iberia, Mediterranean, Black Sea). Some ships are even converted to overnight cruiseferries carrying both passengers and cars.

Old cruise vessels are either scrapped (dismantled), scuttled (deliberately sunk) or decommissioned from cruising service, permanently berthed and turned into luxury dockside hotels or ship-museums.

Scuttling (deliberate ship sinking) is conducted by allowing seawater to flow into the vessel's hull. This can be done by opening the vessel's hatches to the water, by creating holes into the hull or by using explosives (in some cases even bombing the vessel or gunning it from distance, using it as a shooting target by military ships). Scuttling is usually performed on abandoned or captured vessels, and mainly to prevent them to become a navigation hazard. Some ships are scuttled to become an artificial reef (habitat for marine life) thus serving scuba diving activities.

For detailed information on the shipbreaking process (technologies, largest shipbreakers and shipbreaking yards worldwide, industry policies and new regulations, pollution issues) you can read CruiseMapper's dedicated article Ship Breaking and 40+ Year-Old Cruise Ships . The world's largest shipbreaking yards are n India (Alang) , Bangladesh (Chittagong) , Pakistan (Gadani) , Turkey (Aliaga) . There, the doomed vessels are first run-aground (by beaching at low tide) then dismantled by underpaid workers. Once the ship is on land, yard workers first strip everything useful (furniture, equipment, plastics, glass, etc), dismantle the superstructure, then cut the hull up and collect and recycle everything (from hull's steel plates to the engines and other machinery), discarding only the hazardous materials.

An example for an abandoned cruiser is MV World Discoverer - which struck a reef off Florida Islands (Solomon Islands) in 2000. All passengers and most crew were evacuated. The vessel under its own power arrived at Roderick Bay where was abandoned near the beach.

Due to the industry's strict regulations, highest safety standards , innovative marine design and implemented modern technologies, cruise vessels usually don't sink. One of the few/best-known exceptions is MS Costa Concordia , which by human error/stupidity ran aground and partially sunk in 2012 off Giglio Island, Italy. The vessel was refloated (at the staggering cost of ~EUR 225 million / ~USD 300 million) and dismantled in Genoa Italy .

Best-known cases of cruise vessels repurposed into floating (dockside moored) hotels are Cunard Line 's classic ocean liners RMS Queen Mary (1934-built, 1967-retired, since then operated as ship-hotel in Long Beach CA USA ) and RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 (1969-built, 2008-retired, since 2018 operated as ship-hotel in Dubai UAE ).

The idea for our scrapped cruise liners hub was given by Gerald Sutton. We created it following his passioned email (received on August 25, 2019) in which he wrote: "I want to say how much I love your website and thank you for sharing the life of all of these wonderful ships. I want to help if I may. I noticed that there are many ships still in the Small Cruise Lines section that are scrapped. I wanted to ask if you have room or time to add a "Scrapped" section to your cruise ship list. This way great ships of the past can be saved for all to see and remember and it cleans up the active cruise ship sections. Your website has an amazing history and information about ships that thousands of people enjoyed. Your website is like a historical library for cruise ships. so a section dedicated for scrapped ships would be great."

Directly linked to the Coronavirus crisis 2020-2021 are the scrappings of Costa Victoria (1996-built, 25-year-old), Carnival Inspiration (1996 / 24-yo), Carnival Fantasy (1990 / 30-yo), Carnival Imagination (1995 / 25-yo), Pullmantur Monarch of the Seas (1991 / 29-yo), Pullmantur Sovereign of the Seas (1987 / 33-yo), Grand Celebration (1987 / 34-yo), Costa neoRomantica (1993 / 28-yo).

In June 2020, Pullmantur Cruises filed for bankruptcy. In July 2020, Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV UK) filed for bankruptcy.

Cruise ships scrapped in India (at Alang)

Next are listed some of the Alang -dismantled cruise ships and (converted) classic ocean liners.

In brackets is the vessel's year of birth-death.

• Costa Romantica, Costa neoRomantica, Celestyal Experience, Antares Experience (1993-2021)
• CMV Columbus / Pacific Pearl, Ocean Village 1, Arcadia, Star Princess, Sitmar Fair Majesty (1989-2021)
• Amusement World / Putri Bintang / Lion Queen / Sun Fiesta / Pacific Star / Crown Princess Victoria / Stena Saga / Stena Oceanica / Patricia (1967-2021)
• Leisure World / Skyward (1969-2021)
• Grand Celebration / Carnival Celebration / Costa Celebration (1987-2021)
• MS Jalesh Karnika / P&O Pacific Jewel (1990-2020)
• Ocean Dream / Carnival Tropicale (1981-2020)
• MS Nieuw Amsterdam / Thomson Spirit (1983-2018)
• MS Starward / Louis Aura (1968-2018)
• Ocean Gala / Thomson Island Escape (1982-2018)
• Carnival Jubilee / P&O Pacific Sun (1986-2017)
• MS Vistafjord / Saga Ruby (1973-2017)
• Nordic Prince / Ocean Star Pacific (1971-2015)
• MS Port Melbourne / Princess Danae / Lisboa (1955-2015)
• Island Venture / Island Princess / MV Discovery (1971-2015)

Bankrupted (now DEFUNCT) cruise companies and ship-travel brands

• American Classic Voyages (1993-2001), owner of the brands Delta Queen Steamboat Company, American Hawaii Cruises, United States Lines. Delta Queen Steamboat Company (1890-1973) in 1993 was acquired by American Classic Voyages, in 2006 was sold to Majestic America Line (2008-defunct).
• Birka Cruises (1971-2020) was a Mariehamn (Aland Finland) -headquartered company fully-owned by Eckero Line Oy (Rederi Ab Eckero, 1995-founded, Helsinki -based cargo and passenger shipping company). Birka Cruises operated just one ship ( Birka Stockholm ) on the route Stockholm-Mariehamn. The company was shut down due to the financial impact of the Coronavirus pandemic.
• Bora Bora Cruises (2001-2011), owner of the megayachts Tu Moana and Tia Moana
• CDF Croisieres de France (2007-2017), sister-brand of Pullmantur Cruises - both owned by RCCL-Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd
• Celebration Cruise Line (2009-2014) owned the ship Bahamas Celebration (1981-2015 scrapped, IMO 7904891).
• Crown Cruise Lines (1984-2001) was a luxury brand (Boca Raton Florida-based) and a fully-owned subsidiary of Grundstad Maritime Overseas Inc. Crown Cruise Line owned 5 ships - Viking Princess (1964/2015-scrapped as "Palm Beach Princess"), Crown Del Mar (1967/2005-sunk), Crown Monarch (1990/now Vidanta Elegant ), Crown Jewel (1992/now Gemini ) and Crown Dynasty (1993/now Villa Vie Odyssey ).
• Cruise & Maritime Voyages (2009-2020) owned and chartered smaller-sized and older vessels, including Columbus (1989/2021-scrapped), Marco Polo (1965), Magellan (1985), Astor (1987), Astoria (1948), Vasco da Gama (1992). For 2021 were scheduled for introduction two former P&O Australia liners - Pacific Dawn and Pacific Aria (CMV Ida Pfeiffer) .
• Cruise North Expeditions (2205-2011) merged with Adventure Canada.
• Cruise West (1973-2010, Seattle-based) was Alaska's largest small-ship company - with 9 fully-owned vessels plus 2 chartered. Other destinations included BC Canada, USA (Columbia and Snake Rivers), Gulf of California (Mexico), Central America, South Pacific Islands, Asia (Japan, Vietnam, China), Far East Russia (Kuril Islands, Kamchatka). The chartered boats were operated in Galapagos Islands, Antarctica, Eastern Europe (Danube River).
• Carnival Fathom Cruise Line (2015-2017) owned by Carnival Corporation and specialized in cruises to Cuba and the Dominican Republic from the USA
• Festival Cruises (1992-2004) was a Greece-based brand known in North America as "First European Cruises". The company was founded by George Poulides (1914-born Greek entrepreneur) in 1992 and started operations in 1994, with 3 second-hand ships - The Azur (now Knyaz Vladimir/1971-built) , MS Starward (Aegean Queen/1968-2018), SS Southern Cross (Flamenco/1972-2003). In 1999-2002, Festival Cruises acquired 3 newbuilds (Mistral, European Vision-MSC Armonia , European Stars-MSC Sinfonia ) but in 2004 declared bankruptcy. All Festival-owned ships were laid up and subsequently sold at auctions.
• Haimark Line (2014-2015) chartered for 5 years MS Saint Laurent (now Ocean Voyager) .
• Iberocruceros (2007-2014), owned by Carnival Corporation, in 2014 was merged with Costa Cruises
• Imperial Majesty Cruise Line (1999-2009), operated mini-cruises from Port Everglades to Nassau Bahamas .
• Jalesh Cruises India (2019-2020) operated the ship MS Karnika (fka Pacific Jewel) for exactly one year - between March 12, 2019, and March 12, 2020, when the company suspended operations due to the global health crisis. Jalesh planned to restart services on November 6, 2020. Previously, Jalesh India also planned to acquire a second ship. The second-hand vessel (whose name remained unknown) was scheduled to start operations in October 2020.
• One Ocean Expeditions (2007-2020), OOE operated Arctic-Antarctica cruises with chartered ships (RCGS Resolute, plus 2x Russian icebreakers - Akademik Ioffe and Akademik Vavilov). The now-defunct Canadian brand filed for bankruptcy on April 17, 2020, owning a total of CAD 29,5 million (~USD 21,15 M / ~EUR 19,52 M) in debts One Ocean unusefully tried restructuring after Russia canceled the charter deals for its icebreakers in 2019. OOE's bankruptcy was also influenced by the 2020's COVID pandemic, resulting in a 3-month suspension of passenger shipping services worldwide. In a court filing in late-June 2020, Andrew Prossin (OOE's Managing Director) said that he is in negotiations to finance a new cruise ship charter. Prossin filed a USD 19 million judgement against Terragelida Ship Management Ltd ( Limassol Cyprus -based company) which was contracted by OOE during the charter period of the two Russian icebreakers. OOE also collected an insurance payment and further reclaimed USD 3+ million in assets on RCGS Resolute. Prossin also added that he is negotiating with non-competitive parties to eventually sub-charter a new cruise vessel annually, for a substantial amount of days.
• Orion Expedition Cruises (2004-2013), owned the ship MV Orion (now National Geographic Orion)
• Peter Deilmann Cruises (1968-2015), had 2 fleets (ocean and river)
• Premier Cruise Line (1983-2000), owned by The Walt Disney Company
• Renaissance Cruises (1989-2001), owner of six R-class ships, now in the fleets of Azamara , Oceania and Princess brands.
• Royal Viking Line (1972-1998) was a premium brand founded by Warren Titus (1915-2009) and headquartered in San Francisco. Royal Viking Line operated under charter 3x Wartsila Helsinki (Finland)-built liners - Royal Viking Star (1971, shipowner Bergen Line / last-named Black Watch /2022-scrapped), Royal Viking Sky (1973, shipowner Bergen Line / last-named Boudicca /2021-scrapped) and Royal Viking Sea (1973, shipowner A. F. Klaveness & Co / last-named Albatros /2021-scrapped). The brand "Royal Viking Line" went out of business in 1986 when was sold to NCL-Norwegian Caribbean Line (part of Kloster Group).
• Swan Hellenic (1954-2017) operated Eastern Mediterranean cruises, in 1983 was sold to P&O Cruises (incorporated into Carnival Corporation in 2003).
• Travel Dynamics (1959-2014) owned the ships Arethusa , Artemis , Corinthian , Road to Mandalay .
• Voyages to Antiquity (2010-2019) owned the ship Aegean Odyssey .
• Voyages of Discovery (2003-2016), in 2005 was acquired by All Leisure Group UK (bankrupted in January 2017), owned the ship MV Discovery (1971-2015 scrapped).

In June 2023, Vantage Deluxe World Travel (1983-founded, Boston-based travel agency and cruisetour company specializing in chartered voyages) started negotiations for selling its entire business including ocean-ship charter contracts, European river shipping and global land tour operations. and customer database.

On February 20, 2024, American Queen Steamboat Company LLC (operating under the travel brand AQV/American Queen Voyages ) ceased operations, citing lack of operational capital. Auction-acquired by ACL/American Cruise Lines in March, in May ACL sold for scrapping three paddlewheelers ( American Countess , American Duchess , American Queen ).

Our future plans include adding more (now defunct) passenger shipping companies and travel brands, all of which are associated with older and already destroyed or scrapped vessels. In time we could also add here more ocean liners that for the multi-billion cruising industry are now only shadowy names - broken up and forgotten.

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Is An Aircraft Carrier Bigger Than A Cruise Ship? Here's How They Compare

Aircraft carriers and cruise ships are some of the largest floating vessels in the world  — both capable of carrying thousands of people on board. Cruise ships and carriers are engineering marvels  decades if not centuries in the making as shipbuilding has advanced over the ages.

However, cruise ships and aircraft carriers differ massively in their purpose. Cruise ships are leisure vehicles, designed to bring tourists to many different ports and explore different places and countries, while at the same time having a good time between stops. On the other hand, aircraft carriers are naval vessels that countries use to project power and influence regional geopolitics, meaning the people aboard them aren't there to have a good time.

Both ships are massive floating cities, but which one is actually larger? Let's measure the largest examples of these boats.

What's the biggest cruise ship today?

At the time of writing, the title holder of the largest cruise ship in the world is Royal Caribbean International's Icon of the Seas. She is an Icon Class ship with a gross tonnage of 248,663 and entered service with the cruise liner in January 2024. This gives her a length of 1,196 feet or 365 meters — about four football fields long — and a width of 159 feet or 48 meters (about 11 cars long, at around 14.7 feet long per car). Royal Caribbean spent $2 billion to build her, and its CEO, Jason Liberty, describes her as the "biggest, baddest ship on the planet," according to CNBC . 

However, the Icon of the Seas won't remain as the largest cruise liner for long. That's because her sister ship, the Star of the Seas, will have an expected gross tonnage of 250,880. She's currently under construction at Meyer Turku in Finland, with Royal Caribbean International expecting her to enter service in the summer 2025. A third Icon Class ship is slated for delivery in 2026, but we don't have much information on it right now.

The Icon of the Seas has a total of 20 decks, with 18 accessible to guests. However, not all decks contain rooms, of the 18 guest decks, only 12 have guest accommodations. The rest of the decks are reserved for amenities and crew.

What's the biggest aircraft carrier today?

The U.S. Navy claims that its newest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) is the world's largest. It is the first ship in the Gerald R. Ford class of supercarriers and is designed to accommodate modern systems within its planned 50-year service life. The Gerald R. Ford has a length of 333 meters or about 1,092 feet — slightly shorter than the Icon of the Seas — and a beam of 40.8 meters or almost 134 feet. It also weighs a little less than 100,000 tons. This makes the carrier significantly slimmer and lighter than the cruise ship, but that's because aircraft carriers need to be as fast as possible.

This ship's primary mission is to deploy aircraft, but because it has such a short length of just 333 meters (versus the runways at U.S. Air Force bases, with the longest at Edwards Air Force Base with 4,579 meters), carriers use speed to get a brisk wind of over 30 knots blowing over the deck when launching planes, alongside the use of its catapult. The slimmer profile of an aircraft carrier allow it to go faster (which also means that it can get in and out of danger more quickly, too).

As for the price, the Gerald R. Ford class will cost the American taxpayer a cool $13 billion per ship . This is more expensive than the USS Nimitz , which it slated to retire in 2026, and has an inflation-adjusted price of over $11.5 billion.

How many people can fit in a cruise ship?

Aside from its size, we can also look at the number of people each ship can carry. After all, although the Icon of the Seas and USS Gerald R. Ford have almost the same length, it doesn't mean that they can carry the same number of people. The largest Royal Caribbean International cruise ship has 2,805 staterooms, meaning it can carry 5,610 guests if each room is occupied by two people.

However, the Icon of the Seas also has a few bigger rooms that can hold more people. If you fill all the rooms to the maximum, the ship's passenger capacity is at 9,302. And with its 2,350 total international crew to complement, that would mean that the Icon of the Seas has 11,652 souls on board when filled to the brim.

We must also remember that cruise ships aren't just floating motels. Instead, they're full-fledged entertainment venues with multiple amenities. The Icon of the Seas itself features 27 restaurants, 18 bars and lounges, six activity centers for kids and teens, and 24 other amenities, including a conference center, theaters, swimming pools, sports courts, to name a few.

How large is the crew of an aircraft carrier?

Aircraft carriers also have a large number of people aboard. But since they're military weapons, these are not tourists on a leisurely trip. Instead, they're mostly sailors and naval aviators, occasionally some marines and other personnel that are there to support the carrier's operations.

The USS Gerald R. Ford has enough accommodations for 508 officers and 3,789 enlisted personnel, for a total crew complement of 4,297. This is 1,715 less than the Nimitz's full complement of 6,012 people, showing how the Ford has streamlined its operations.

But aside from its crew, remember that aircraft carriers carry both fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. The majority of the Icon of the Seas' space is occupied by leisure amenities. On the other hand, the USS Gerald R. Ford has an expansive flat top for launching multiple aircraft simultaneously and it also has spacious hangars to store and service loads of up to 90 planes, helicopters, and drones — including the F-35C , F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning radar, EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft , and MH-60R/S helicopters.

What is the largest ship in the world right now?

The short answer to whether an aircraft carrier is bigger than a cruise ship is no, if you look at the biggest ships in their class. However, many smaller cruise ships will be dwarfed by the Navy's smallest actively serving carrier. But even though the Icon of the Seas and the USS Gerald R. Ford are behemoths in their own right, neither of them is the largest ship on the world to have been made (although they both made the top 10). Instead, this award goes to the oil carrier Seawise Giant, designed for shuttling oil from the Middle East to the United States. However, it has since been retired and sold for scrap in 2010.

As of today, the largest ship in service is the OOCL Spain, which is almost 400 meters long and can carry over 24,000 shipping containers. Next to it are four ships owned by the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) — Irina, Loreto, Michel Cappellini, and Gülsün — all of which carry around 24,000 containers.

We might see larger cruise ships and carriers in the future, especially as Royal Caribbean International and the Navy still has several cruise ships and aircraft carriers on order. We might even see a larger carrier from other countries, as the U.S. Navy isn't the only one to field these mighty ships .

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Freighter with cracked hull crossed Lake Superior again, possible final voyage

• Updated: Jun. 25, 2024, 5:13 p.m. |
• Published: Jun. 25, 2024, 8:56 a.m.

The Michipicoten, the freighter rescued in Lake Superior after water poured into a mysterious 13-foot gash in its hull this month. Speculation runs rampant about the vessel's future. Photo by Michael Hull

• Peter Chakerian, cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Michipicoten freighter rescued in Lake Superior this month after water poured into 13-foot gash in its hull may forever be tied to Cleveland .

But the ore boat may also be inextricably tied to Duluth, Minnesota. That’s where the Michipicoten is currently dry-docked for inspection, with a decision on repairs or scrapping hanging in the balance.

In a video taken on June 20 and posted to the “Vibe with Mike YouTube” maritime channel, the ship’s passage under the iconic Aerial Lift Bridge is captured after a days journey from Thunder Bay, Ontario.

The Michipicoten is a considerable vessel – if you want a clear idea of just how big the ship is, check out the video below – and required a tugboat trailing it for emergency support.

Speculation is rampant that the 72-year-old ship will be scrapped at Duluth’s Fraser Shipyards.

Originally christened the Elton Hoyt II, named for a Clevelander and owned by Middleburg Heights-based Interlake Steamship, the 698-foot Michipicoten was once the largest vessel to traverse the Cuyahoga River.

Built in nearby Maryland in 1952, the freighter was one of the largest ships on the Great Lakes for a time. Over the decades, the boat hit its own anchor, took out a bridge and even rescued a pleasure cruiser at one point.

Stories by Peter Chakerian

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Earlier this month, the Michipicoten was hauling from Two Harbors, Minnesota, to the Algoma Steel plant in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, when the crew reportedly heard a loud bang. The resulting gash caused lake water to fill two of the ship’s compartments.

Ensuing drama has captivated maritime communities around the world, with maritime enthusiasts indicating that a cracked hull is a rare occasion among lake freighters.

Improper loading or stress fatigue have been thought as possible causes for the damage. The investigation continues.

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UK Election: What are the maritime promises? 

What would the main UK political parties do to change the maritime sector?

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Voters in the UK will go to the polls on Thursday to elect a new parliament, but with major issues including the country’s economy up for debate there has been little discussion of the maritime sector’s needs. 

The historically powerful maritime nation has seen its shipbuilding powers wane over the last century, but ports and the wider maritime sector remain a critical part of the UK’s economic infrastructure and strategy.

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Along with the politicians, industry representatives and organisations are calling for whichever party wins power to work with the sector on key issues. 

Maritime UK, the country’s sector body, was ahead of even the Prime Minister (who decides when UK elections are to be held), publishing its own “manifesto” in April 2024. The body said there are three main areas they wanted to see change and investment: People; Infrastructure; and Green Fuels. 

Among its wishes for the next government, it asked for more collaboration with the Maritime Skills Commission to expand career opportunities; investment in green maritime (port) infrastructure; and removing VAT on green maritime fuels. 

Maritime labour union Nautilus published “five principles” and asked candidates standing in the election to support them. These are: “Prevent another P&O Ferries scandal; Good jobs and world-class training; Tackle flags of convenience; Support a maritime ‘just transition’; Enhance seafarer rights internationally”. 

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Candidates in 12 constituencies, representing eight parties (or standing as Independent), agreed to support the union and its campaign.

With that in mind, Ship Technology has taken a look at the manifesto promises relating to the sector in the past six weeks of heavy campaigning. 

Conservatives

The Conservatives have been in power for 14 years, and polling companies in the UK suggest the centre-right party will lose its position in government on Thursday 4 July. 

But its manifesto includes the highest volume of policies aimed at the maritime sector, which could allow it to hold on to coastal communities and win votes from constituents with ties to the sector.  

“We will back our maritime sector, including shipping and ports, as it decarbonises.”

This headline promise appears to recognise the challenges the sector is facing as the world demands it works towards net zero.  

“Freeports have already generated just under £3 billion in investment, which in turn will create thousands of jobs. We will extend this opportunity to more areas and set out an application round in the next Parliament.” 

Freeports and “investment zones” have been a key policy, and current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has lauded the success in attracting development and investments to areas like Teesside in the north east of England. 

“We will support Freeports and investment zones in Scotland and Wales, delivering jobs and investment from the Cromarty Firth to Port Talbot, and establish an Enhanced Investment Zone in Northern Ireland.”

This promise to extend this policy outside of England is part of a wider policy of “Levelling Up” to bring benefits of an economy the Conservatives say has returned to growth across the whole UK. 

Green Party

The furthest “left” of the mainstream political parties (those that are likely to win seats in Parliament), the Green Party focuses on the environment and this is reflected in its transport-related manifesto promises. Achieving net zero quickly is key to the Green’s promise. 

“MPs will aim to introduce new support and incentives to directly accelerate wind energy development, consulting with the sector on the best mechanisms, including increasing the maximum contracts for difference strike price so that it more accurately reflects supply chain costs and leads to the contracting of new capacity, and equipping ports and supply chains to better support floating offshore wind.”

The party’s key port policy is to facilitate the growth of wind energy, via boosts to offshore windfarms. It says the investment will allow more ports to be the “base” for floating wind energy facilities. 

“Removal of business rate relief on Enterprise Zones, Freeports, petrol stations and most empty properties.”

This policy is a clear swipe at the Conservatives’ landmark Freeport and “economic zones” with less regulation or tax enforcement. 

“We would support and rapidly increase the use of green hydrogen for necessary industrial use and energy storage technologies, seeking investment opportunities through academic-industry partnership.”

Although the promise to advance green hydrogen production would benefit the shipping industry, and manufacturers that are pivoting to hydrogen-fuelled ships , it would not be limited to the transport sector. 

The Labour Party, on the centre-left of the UK political spectrum, have been the official opposition since it lost the 2010 election. 

Its policy promises also focus on port infrastructure and facilities, and green hydrogen. 

Unlike other parties, Labour’s manifesto puts a figure on its planned investment in ports and supply chain infrastructure. It promises to spend £1.8bn ($2.2bn) over the five-year parliament. 

The party also pledge “£500m ($632m) to support the manufacturing of green hydrogen.”

Both of these policies will be funded via the “National Wealth Fund” the party says it will create. 

“Labour’s National Wealth Fund will directly invest in ports, hydrogen and industrial clusters in every corner of the country. We will also secure the future of Britain’s automotive and steel industries.” 

Liberal Democrats 

The Liberal Democrats are widely seen as the “third party” in UK politics, although there has been some suggestion in the media and from polling companies that the Lib Dems (as they are known) could overtake the Conservatives and become the second largest party, the opposition. 

The party’s manifesto is light on the maritime front, but again the Lib Dems promise to invest in green hydrogen and the storage facilities the new fuel would need. 

“Investing in energy storage, including green hydrogen, pumped storage and battery capability.” 

This pledge comes under the party’s climate change and energy policy section. 

Reform Party

The Reform Party, which used to be known as the Brexit Party, is largely an electoral vehicle for firebrand politician and Brexit architect Nigel Farage. 

Although the right-wing party mainly canvasses voters on issues such as immigration and government spending, its manifesto is broad and includes several pledges which would affect the shipping and maritime industry, if it won enough seats to form a government. 

“Scrap net zero and related subsidies: Ditching net zero could save the public sector over £30bn ($37bn) per year for the next 25 years.” 

Reform’s promise to “scrap net zero” targets would ease some pressure on the UK’s domestic shipping sector to invest in change, but is unlikely to affect the global trade as the International Maritime Organisation and other major states are committed to the environmental policy.  

“Scrap annual £10bn of renewable energy subsidies: Achieve this through equivalent taxes on them. Renewables are not cheaper. Our bills have increased dramatically in line with the huge increase in renewables capacity over the last 15 years.”

Likewise, this policy might make the short-term cheaper for the UK-based shipping sector as less investment would be needed to convert existing ships or buy new ships with engines that run on “green” fuels. But it is unclear how the global sector would react, or how port investing in offshore wind tech would be affected. 

Scottish National Party 

Although the SNP only stand in Scotland, and campaigns for Scottish independence from the UK, the party has a significant presence in the UK parliament and presents policies that it would implement in Scotland and push the UK Government to administer more widely. 

“The UK Government must also fully support the production and use of sustainable bridging fuels in the maritime and aviation sectors.” 

The SNP mention the use of “bridging fuels” which would aim to ease the transition to net zero for the maritime industry, but do not expand on which fuels it would support. 

“Promote Scotland’s hydrogen export potential. Scotland is well placed to supply significant amounts of hydrogen to continental Europe. SNP MPs will press for the UK Government to secure progress with direct interconnection between Scotland and the continent, and regulatory agreement to unlock Scotland’s renewable potential.”

However, the SNP is clear that it wants Scotland to be a leader on hydrogen production for use across industry and the transport sectors. While Scotland’s extensive and often remote coastline means it is “well placed” to pivot away from North Sea oil and gas, towards renewables. 

A hydrogen pipeline to Europe would be politically contentious, especially since Brexit, but the pledge showed the party’s commitment to the renewable energy transition. 

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