- The MS Astor first set sail in 1968 and was later abandoned in 2021
Harrowing photos taken by researchers show the interior of an abandoned ship bathed in eerie light before it was sent to the scrapyard.
The MS Astor first set sail in 1968 and spent 34 years at sea transporting passengers on luxury cruises.
But in 2021, the ship was sent to one of the world's largest demolition sites in Aliaga, Turkey, where it lay abandoned and uninhabited for several years.
Bob Thissen, 35, and his team of Urban Explorers were able to board the MS Astor before it was destroyed and capture some spooky shots of the abandoned ship.
Tables and chairs are set up exactly as they were when the ship was in operation, while a picture of the boat's retro bar shows drinks still sitting on tables as if someone had just been there.
The MS Astor first set sail in 1968 and spent 34 years at sea taking passengers on luxury cruises
In a retro bar, drinks are still sitting on tables as if someone had just been there
One haunting image shows a deep, empty swimming pool in a dark room next to wooden lounge chairs and a fallen flower pot
A spooky spa room is seen in ghostly lights, the equipment still on the bed and a bathrobe hanging on the wall
A large room inside the ship looks haunted with chairs still in place and trash on the floor
You can see a theater in which all the chairs are still standing, even though no one has been there for years
A room inside the ship is crooked, but the furniture is still in place, and someone's globe rests on the table
Another shocking image shows a spooky spa room in eerie light, with equipment still on the bed and a bathrobe hanging on the wall.
A haunting photo shows a deep, empty swimming pool in a dark room next to wooden lounge chairs and a fallen flower pot.
Other images show a theater with all the chairs still in a row, while another shows the ship's gym, still perfectly intact even though no one has used it in years.
Mr Thissen said: “We received permission from BMS Ship Recycling to explore this ship before it was scrapped, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
“It’s a strange sight to see a place like a cruise ship, which is normally full of life, completely empty.”
In 2021, the ship was sent to one of the world's largest demolition sites at Aliaga, Turkey, where it lay abandoned and uninhabited for several years
A gym inside the ship still has all the equipment needed for a workout, even though no one has used it in years
The ship appears to have stood still in time, as chairs and tables remain as if they were still in use even though the ship was abandoned
In a spooky room inside the ship there are chairs that look like someone has just sat on them
Bob Thissen and his team of Urban Explorers were able to board the MS Astor before it was demolished to capture the images
The MS Astor set sail for the first time in 1986 and spent 34 years at sea
Photo frames still hang on the walls on one deck of the ship, even though it has been abandoned
Mr Thissen said: “It is really sad that a ship in perfect condition like the Astor was scrapped.”
He added: “It's a strange sight to see a place like a cruise ship, which is normally full of life, completely empty.”
“It is really sad that a ship in perfect condition like the Astor was scrapped. I am sure that without the pandemic it could have served for many more years.”
It comes months after police boarded an abandoned narco-submarine “ghost ship” found off the coast of Spain – a day after another underwater vessel with bodies on board was discovered off the coast of Colombia.
The 50-foot semi-submersible was spotted sinking last March in Vilagarcia de Arousa, off the coast of Spain's northern province of Pontevedra in the Galicia region.
The footage only showed the boat's bow emerging from the waves and authorities inspecting the vessel, which was in a nearly vertical position.