The cruise industry navigated some very choppy waters during and immediately after the COVID-19 pandemic. While many have drifted back out to sea, some of our most-loved ships have been taken out of service, sold or scrapped entirely. Is your favourite among our list?

Read on to discover the once-beloved cruise ships that are no longer sailing...

Built in 1991 for Royal Caribbean and known as Monarch of the Seas, this vessel was the largest ship afloat at the time of her launch, accommodating around 2,744 passengers. The first ship in the fleet to be fitted with balconies, the groundbreaking facilities included a basketball court, shuffleboard courts and even a rock climbing wall, installed after a refit in 2003. 

In 2007 Monarch made history as the first cruise ship in the world to be captained by a woman, Karin Stahre-Janson. Monarch was transferred to Royal Caribbean's Spain-based brand Pullmantur Cruises in 2013, but when COVID-19 halted operations the ship was beached in the Aliaga Ship Recycling Facility near Port Izmir, Turkey and scrapped in July 2020.

Launched in January 1988, Sovereign began life as Royal Caribbean’s Sovereign of the Seas, sailing Caribbean itineraries including stops at Coco Cay (once called Little Stirrup Cay), the line’s private island. The largest cruise ship in the world at the time and regarded a ‘megaship', it was the first to flaunt a multi-deck atrium with glass elevators and sweeping staircases. 

In 2008, the ship was transferred to Pullmantur and renamed MS Sovereign. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Pullmantur requested to be liquidated and Sovereign was beached in Aliaga, Turkey next to its sister Monarch, with the scrapping completed in February 2021.

Drawing passengers from across the globe, Carnival Cruise Line owns some of the world's most exciting ships, but the Miami-based operator has sold or scrapped four vessels in the last few years. One of the most beloved was Carnival Fantasy. Entering service in 1990 and the first of Carnival’s Fantasy Class of eight ships, she broke the mould with her revolutionary interior that included a huge atrium. Groundbreaking when launched, this 70,367-tonne, 855-foot (260m) long vessel would be dwarfed by today's megaships but still had a 30-year career sailing around the Western Caribbean and Mexico from Miami, and more recently from Mobile, Alabama. 

By 2020 Fantasy was the oldest ship in the fleet and following the COVID-19 pandemic, was sent to Curacao to have its fixtures and fittings removed. The line then confirmed the ship had been sold and it has since been scrapped in Aliaga, Turkey.

Built in the early 1990s and designed by renowned ship architect Joe Farcus, the interior of the fourth ship in Carnival’s Fantasy Class evoked the golden age of Hollywood. Originally sailing out of New York, for most of its service its home port was San Juan, Puerto Rico. 

Follow our Facebook page for more cruise and travel inspiration

In July 2020, Carnival announced its exit from the fleet and the ship was sold and renamed the Century Harmony. However, despite plans to become a floating hotel, the ship was sold to a Singaporean trading company which sold her off for scrap metal. She arrived at the Gadani ship-breaking yard in Pakistan in February 2022 where workers stripped her down. Only her empty hull remains with just the bow thrusters visible. 

Also debuting in the mid-1990s, the 2,594-passenger Carnival Imagination boasted a ‘classical and mythological’ interior featuring Venetian glass and Medusa heads, thanks to architect Joe Farcus’s vision. Later refits saw the addition of a water park and golf putting course and Imagination was the first Carnival ship with a 24-hour pizzeria.

Following Carnival’s downsizing strategy for four of the Fantasy Class ships due to COVID-19, Imagination arrived in Aliaga, Turkey, in autumn 2020 to be scrapped.

Carnival Imagination’s slightly younger sister, Carnival Inspiration was floated out in 1996 and boasted an opulent interior courtesy of visionary designer Joe Farcus. Most recently based out of Long Beach, the atrium was a real talking point and a place for passengers to meet and mingle, while the Gothic-style library was chapel-like.

Sadly, the once buzzing pool and decks fell silent during Carnival's restructuring during COVID. The ship was beached in Turkey in August 2020 with scrapping taking place in April 2021.

Built in 1987, the 650-passenger Astor was a traditionally-styled ship with teak wood decks and it had a loyal following in Europe, South Africa and Australia. In 2013, Astor sailed for Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV) under charter for the Australian market, before becoming a permanent member of the fleet in 2014.

The ship was set to be renamed the Jules Verne and operate Northern European cruises from France in April 2021. However, Cruise & Maritime Voyages collapsed and was placed into administration in July 2020 and Astor was sold for just £1.2 million ($1.7m). In November 2020 she was beached in Turkey and has since been completely scrapped.

Launched in the early 1970s, the 804-passenger Black Watch was originally owned by Royal Viking Line. With its generous promenade and public spaces, it was once considered among the most luxurious ships in the world. 

After briefly sailing for Kloster Cruises in the 1980s, the ship was transferred to Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) in the 1990s and sailed out of New York. NCL sold her to Fred Olsen in 1996 when the ship was renamed Black Watch in honour of an infantry battalion of the Scottish military. In August 2020, Black Watch was sold as an accommodation ship intended for workers, however that contract fell through. Ownership changed numerous times before the ship was eventually beached in Alang, India in 2022 and scrapped.

Sister ship to Black Watch, Boudicca also began its life with Royal Viking Line, having first set sail in 1973. In the early 1990s, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) purchased the ship and a couple of years later it was chartered to Princess Cruises, sailing as Golden Princess. More owners followed before Fred Olsen acquired her in 2005. 

In 2018, Boudicca’s interior and passenger cabins underwent a major upgrade but sadly the ship followed in its sister’s wake and was sold as an accommodation vessel in 2020. Again, those plans fell through and she was beached then scrapped in Aliaga, Turkey in 2021. Boudicca will be remembered for her lively entertainment and flamboyant seasonal stops – such as at the flower festival on the Portuguese island of Madeira pictured here – and also for her poignant cruises, including a one-day special for D Day veterans of the Second World War in June 2019. 

Another classic 1990s vessel, Columbus was the fourth ship in the Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV) fleet. The traditionally styled 775-cabin ship had been through a number of hands, including P&O, before being bought by CMV in 2017 for the UK market. This picture shows the ship docked at the Port of Tilbury, Essex, England, in July 2020.

Usually adults-only, the ship was known for its varied dining spots, friendly service and world cruise itineraries. But following CMV's collapse in July 2020, Columbus was sold at auction for an unknown sum. Bought by a Greek ferry operator she was then sold on again, with the Alang scrapyard in India her final port of call in 2021.

These are history's most tragic ships

Distinctively designed with rows of windows at the front and a multi-storey observation lounge, the 2,394-passenger Costa Victoria was built in 1996 in a record time of 29 months. During service the ship spent a lot of time in Asia, and had an Italian-inspired refit in 2013.

Due to financial pressures, Costa Victoria was sold in December 2020 as possible workers' accommodation, but then resold for scrap in Turkey. This picture shows happier times for the vessel in port at Osaka, Japan.

Jalesh Cruise Lines’ sole ship, the Karnika, was sailing for under a year before the India-based cruise line filed for bankruptcy during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ship had an interesting life, having been built in 1990 as the original Crown Princess but also sailed as AIDAblu and Ocean Village Two.

Karnika was best known as Pacific Jewel until 2019 when she sailed for P&O Australia. She's pictured in her heyday in 2014 here, between Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House. The ship was sold for scrap for an undisclosed sum and then sent to the Alang ship-breaking yard in India in November 2020.

Starting life in the mid-1980s as Carnival Cruise Lines’ MS Holiday, Cruise & Maritime Voyages’ Magellan was a small but much-loved ship with British cruise fans thanks to its affordable itineraries departing from Tilbury port, near London, UK. 

When CMV went bust the ship was set to become an accommodation vessel. However, after being purchased at auction in 2020 the ship was flipped and sold on to be scrapped at Alang in India, as no new buyer came forward.

Originally built in the 1960s for the Soviet Union's Baltic Shipping Company and first known as the Aleksandra Pushkin, the Marco Polo was one of the last surviving ocean liners built for transatlantic crossings. Designed to withstand broken ice, in her later years the Marco Polo made regular trips to Antarctica. 

Last sailing for Cruise & Maritime Voyages, Marco Polo was sold at auction for around £1.9 million ($2.7m) in November 2020. She was scrapped at Alang in India in March 2021.

Launched in 1982, the pioneering ship started life as Carnival’s MS Tropicale. Featuring a winged funnel and an interior by Joe Farcus it was the ‘test ship’ for the layout and decor of Carnival’s future launches. In 2000, it was transferred to Costa Cruises, sailing under the name Costa Tropicale.

There were also dalliances with P&O Australia and Pullmantur Cruises, before being transferred to Japanese-based Peace Boat in 2012 and used for their educational and sustainable voyages. The ship sailed as the Ocean Dream until 2020, before she was reported as scrapped in Alang, India in January 2021. 

Astoria was originally built in the late 1940s as a transatlantic liner for the Swedish American Line and known as the MV Stockholm. She was extensively reimagined in 1993 as a cruise ship. Having passed through a number of owners before being acquired by Cruise & Maritime Voyages in 2015, Astoria had many hardcore maritime fans due to its vintage.

When CMV went into administration in 2020, Astoria was put up for auction in February 2021 and it seemed likely she would never sail again. Hope was on the horizon when it seemed she'd been spared the scrapyard after a cryptocurrency billionaire took an interest in buying her, but plans fell through. In 2023 it was reported she was docked in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, awaiting her final voyage to be scrapped.

The Horizon began life in 1990 as part of the Celebrity Cruises fleet, and featured 721 cabins, a Broadway-style show lounge and two pools. In 2005 it became Island Cruises’ Island Star before transferring back to Royal Caribbean and then to its Spanish-owned subsidiary Pullmantur in 2008. 

Following the collapse of Pullmantur in June 2020, Royal Caribbean announced that Horizon would be scrapped. It was anchored in Greece and managed to avoid the wrecking ball for two years, before facing its fate in 2022 in Aliaga, Turkey.

Built in 1984 as Holland America Line’s MS Noordam, Marella Celebration was bought by Thomson in 2005 and continued to sail as Thomson Celebration. Many of the ship's original features were retained including teak decks and artwork dating from the 16th century. When the company was reborn as Marella Cruises in 2017, the 1,250-passenger ship became Marella Celebration. However, there was no celebrating to be done when the vessel left the fleet in April 2020. In 2022, it was confirmed beached ready for scrapping.

The Marella Dream was built in 1986 as the last new ship for the now defunct Italian firm Home Lines. Two years later, the ship became Holland America Line's MS Westerdam, briefly becoming a movie star in the 1990s comedy Out to Sea which starred Walter Matthau. The ship was transferred to Costa Cruises in 2002 and entered service for Thomson in 2010, before being renamed as Marella Dream in 2017. In October 2020 it was withdrawn from service and sat anchored in Greece for two years before being beached then scrapped in Aliaga, Turkey.

The world's amazing historic ships you can visit

Grand Celebration was built in 1987 as the third ship in Carnival Cruise Line’s Holiday Class. After stints sailing for Iberocruceros and Costa Cruises, the ship was sold to the Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line in 2014 and began ploughing short itineraries to Freeport from West Palm Beach, Florida.

The 1,500-passenger Grand Celebration was more than a cruise ship – she also helped the people of Grand Bahama Island during the devastating events caused by Hurricane Dorian in 2019. However, the ship was sold for scrap during the COVID-19 pandemic and headed for the Alang shipyard in India at the end of 2020.  

Now discover where cruise ships, planes, trains and cars go to die