m/v Stockholm

Postcard view Stockholm as original

Credit: Wikipedia

Dover ferry photos forum has an excellent timeline of her life past and present. Ordered in 1944, and commenced service in 1948, at 77 years old, she is the oldest deep water passenger liner available for service, though currently not active, pending sale.

The ex Stockholm, today named m/v Astoria, is a ship that was constructed originally as the transatlantic ocean liner Stockholm for Swedish American Line (SAL). Later she was rebuilt in Italy as a cruise ship in 1993. 

As Stockholm, she is best known for the collision with Andrea Doria in July 1956, resulting in the sinking of the latter resulting in 51 fatalities off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, United States. 

Stockholm's bow after the collision

Credit: Queensland state museum

There was an incident of a 14 year old named Linda Morgan, that was sleeping in her cabin when the collision happened, and she was flung on to the fore deck of Stockholm behind a bulwark suffering a broken arm but survived, the press dubbed her the miracle girl.

Stockholm's bow after the collision

Credit: doverferryphotosforum

I read a book about the whole case when I was in my 20's and still remember some of it, I think it was the 1981 print of Collision Course based on the accounts of journalist Alvin Moscow in 1959. 

There is an excellent analysis of the collision in the Titanicology website by Samuel Halpern (2001?) and another earlier by John C Carrothers (1971). 

Basically it was the worlds first "radar assisted collision" as coined by Jim Austin. Long story short is that both vessels were on near head on courses and whilst observing each other by radar due to the prevailing foggy weather they failed to take ample action to do a port to port pass as per the International collision prevention regulations (COLREG's or Rules of the road). 

Both ships only used a few degrees course corrections whilst they should've taken course alterations in the double digits to starboard. Also the current appeared to have an effect how the situation was deemed to develop. It was also noted that on Andrea Doria they did not use any plotting tables.

This example has many times been used as a classic example for students in navigation schools. For myself it has given me the lifelong adage of giving good indication of my intentions without doubt to the other party as one never knows what is the other side's level of expertise in the equipment they use and understand. 

I guess this became pretty soon obvious when the case was brought to court afterwards. In the end both shipping companies settled out of court. 

Here as Völkerfreundschaft

Credit: Bundesarchiv

Here as Völkerfreundschaft

Credit: Bundesarchiv

The collision has also tickled the imagination of some writers, mostly in regards of Andrea Doria, Clive Cussler has written, Serpent. 

Several passenger accounts have also made it to books like this one by Penny Wilson or another by William Hoffer.

There  also has been a number of divers down at the Andrea Doria, even the famous Jacques Cousteau who gave up due to the strong currents in the area. In the 80's Mr Peter Gimbel managed to recover a safe that was confiscated by the courts and then in 1984 opened in a TV show but the contents netted only some US dollar bills, not the claimed millions that supposedly had sunk down with the ship.

As Italia Prima after the rebuild, 1993

Credit: Wikipedia

As Italia Prima after the rebuild, behind Queen Mary 2

Credit: Wikipedia

Eventually Stockholm was repaired and carried on trading, she was then sold to East Germany and she became party members holiday cruiser. After that she changed hands several times regularly and funny enough ended up in Italy, there to be rebuilt as a cruise ship in 1993. There she got given the infamous nickname La nave della morte—“the ship of death.”

Her shape changed drastically with the build and additional sponsons were added to her stern, I assume to comply with stricter stability requirements, also her main engines were renewed. Again she sailed on for her Owners and Operators under different names, lastly as Astoria, and probably having several refits until 2020 when the pandemic happened. 

She sailed with Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV) until 2020 when the company suspended operations due to covid and has been laid up since. As per this urban explorers YouTube video in the Exploring the unbeaten path channel she appears to be in a bit of a disheveled state requiring a lot of work to bring her up to speed, quite understandable after 5 years of being idle.

Cruise news as of June 2025 has following articles announcing her auction. She's due to be auctioned on 17th June 2025 at the Rotterdam District Court in order to cover for her dockage fees since 2020. There is still time to make it to Netherlands for the bidding!!!

I'm guessing that most likely her next destination will be for the breakers beach unless some die hard enthusiast & operator is ready with a business plan to save her and then will put her back to work. 

Cruisecapital 

Maritime Excutive 

Cruiseindustry news

18th June 2025 update after the auction from Flows reporting a sale price of 200.000€, then Mr Louagie knew that she'll be recycled in Belgium henceforth.

Credit: LinkedIn

As Astoria on the Thames Estuary, 2017

Credit: Wikipedia

Astoria specifications (Wikipedia)

IMO number: 5383304

Ordered October 1944
Builder Götaverken, Gothenburg, Sweden
Yard number 611
Launched 9 September 1946
Christened 9 September 1946
Acquired 7 February 1948
In service 21 February 1948
Out of service 2020

General characteristics (as built)
Tonnage: 12,165 GT, 4,700 DWT
Length 160.08 m 
Beam 21.04 m 
Draught 7.90 m
Installed power 2 × 8-cylinder Götaverken diesel engines, 8,900 kW
Speed 17 knots
Capacity 390 passengers

General characteristics (currently)
Tonnage 15,614 GT
Installed power 2 × Wärtsilä 16V32, 10,700 kW
Speed 19 knots 
Capacity 556 passengers

Names:

1948–1960: Stockholm
1960–1985: Völkerfreundschaft
1985–1986: Volker
1986–1993: Fridtjof Nansen
1993–1994: Italia I
1994–1998: Italia Prima
1998–2002: Valtur Prima
2002–2005: Caribe
2005–2013: Athena
2013–2016: Azores
2016–present: Astoria

Owners:

1948–1960: Swedish America Line
1960–1964: Freier Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund
1964–1973: VEB Deutsche Seereederei
1973–1985: VEB Deutsche Seereederei/Deutfracht
1985–1989: Neptunus Rex Enterprises
1989–1993: StarLauro
1993–2003: Nina SpA
2003–2005: Festival Crociere SpA
2005–2008: Classic International Cruises
2008–2013: First Quality Cruises Inc
2013–2021: Islands Cruises Transportes Marítimos
2021–2022: Brock Pierce
2023-present: Brock Pierce, The Roundtable LLC.

Operators: 

1948–1960: Swedish America Line
1960–1966: VEB Deutsche Seereederei
1966–1985: VEB Deutsche Seereederei (summer) / Stena Line (winter)
1994–1995: Nina Cia. di Navigazione
1995–1998: Neckermann Seereisen
1998–2001: Valtur Tourist
2002–2004: Festival Cruises
2005–2013: Classic International Cruises
2009: Phoenix Reisen
2013–2014: Portuscale Cruises
2015–2020 Cruise & Maritime Voyages

Port of registries:

1948–1960: Gothenburg, Sweden
1960–1985: Rostock, East Germany
1985–1989: Panama City, Panama
1989–2004: Naples, Italy
2004–present: Madeira, Portugal