Where do cruise ships go to die? As it turns out there is a pretty specific destination, that also includes container ships, and other large vessels.
As of 2023, there were 454 cruise ships of various types sailing around the world. With voyages that traverse the world’s oceans, a cruise ship voyage can last from just two days to more than ten days, depending on its itinerary and package. Like all marine vessels, cruise ships are subjected to degradation caused by seawater, extreme weather, and the general wear and tear of it’s operation. These factors, together with a determined lifespan, require cruise ships of a certain age to be retired and eventually dismantled in shipbreaking yards, the largest of which is the Alang facility, located in Gujarat, India.
There are several reasons why a cruise ship is retired; foremost, it is a complex machine, and like other machinery, these vessels get run down with age, requiring costly maintenance. While its average usable life is up to 30 years, other considerations include technological obsolescence, which can be expensive to continue to operate, and even unforeseen events that cause substantial damage. It is important to note that not all retired cruise ships are scrapped, as some are sold to smaller cruise companies, where it is reused after being renovated and remarketed.
