When you think of a cruise ship, you likely imagine luxury, relaxation, and endless buffets, but what happens when these floating palaces reach the end of their life? Believe it or not, cruise ships have their own version of a graveyard, and it’s as intriguing as it sounds.
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Cruise ships are massive, complex vessels, and when they’re no longer seaworthy, they don’t just disappear. Some are sold to smaller companies for refurbishment, but many end up in places like Aliaga, Turkey—one of the world’s largest shipbreaking yards. Here, cruise ships are methodically dismantled piece by piece. Everything from the furniture to the navigation equipment is salvaged, recycled, or sold off.
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If you’re curious, here’s a Reddit video showing the eerie sights of cruise ship graveyards, where once-majestic ships meet their end.
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The process isn’t glamorous, though. Giant cranes lift massive sections of the ship, while workers with saws and blowtorches take apart floors, walls, and even handrails. It’s a slow and meticulous job, with some ships taking up to a year to be fully broken down. And while Turkey’s methods are considered safer and more environmentally friendly than those in countries like Bangladesh or India, it’s still hazardous work.
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If you want to check it out for yourself, here’s the Google Maps location of the Aliaga shipbreaking yard—a place where some of the world’s largest cruise ships go to be scrapped.
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What’s even more chilling? These graveyards aren’t just for cruise ships. If a passenger dies at sea, most cruise ships are equipped with their own morgues—small, discreet rooms deep within the ship. So, the next time you’re ordering flowers on board, you might not realize they could have been stored near a very different kind of cargo.
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While the fate of cruise ships might seem sad, they do live on in other ways. The steel and other materials are often repurposed, turning these behemoths into something new. So, in a way, the end of a cruise ship’s life is just the beginning of another.
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Next time you’re enjoying your time on the high seas, you might just wonder what will happen to the ship beneath your feet when it’s time to retire.
