Jayestravellingadventures

Cruise ships are dismantled and separated for recycling. However, with all the money poured into cruise ships décor, I’ve always wanted to know what happens to it.

Before it is dismantled:

The interior will be inspected prior to any scrapping. If there are high value items or collectibles on the ship then these will be marked and removed for sale. These are at an auction or online. The money generated with these sales help to reduce the overall cost for scrapping the ship.

Being emptied:

Anything such as furniture, carpets, pictures, equipment etc. will all be removed. Any salvageable items will be placed into a salvage yard until sold. You’ll be surprised with the high market for second-hand cruise ship fixtures and fittings.

Recycling depos:

There are loads of ship yards in the world however 2 of the major yards are; Aliaga (Turkey) and Alang (India). Most specialist companies such as LASSCO buy the ships fittings and navigational equipment from third parties for depos.

Newer cruise lines can also buy equipment from older ships. Items can appear on Maritime sale sites or special dealer websites. A number of years ago interiors were sold as a whole and then placed into buildings on land.

One of the largest auctions to be held was in 1984 for the Historic Liner SS United States where over 1 million items were sold in 3,500 lots. Art work, medical equipment, brass fittings, eagle-embellished plates to name a few which were placed for auction.

One place you can go and experience being inside a ship whilst on land is The White Swan in Alnwik which features the interior from the Olympic Ocean Liner which were purchased at auction in 1935. This was all due to being a frequent traveller on the Olympic.

Buyers for second hand ship interiors:

From big companies who specialise in maritime fixtures and fittings to local market stalls the market is constantly thriving. Some examples are: Restaurants and bars, Decorators, Collectors, Retailers and many more professions.

Affects on interior fittings:

A cruise ship is used continuously so there are some specification when selling interior fittings which are;

Condition and Style – A designer chair might go for more then a crew members worn out chair.

Material and Removal – Any items that are bolted down may be easier to remove those which are imbedded.

Move Cost and Logistics – If the expenses equate to more than the items value then it wont be worth sell.

Location of yard – If the yard located in higher costing areas then fewer items will be sold and likely recycled. Whereas in India they are more for local reuse.

Provenance – Any items from a famous ship with well documented interior are more collectible and generate a higher resale value.

Hazards – Make sure you are aware of the materials in which you are reselling, as some might have flammable material or paint that can pose a threat or complicate any resale or value.

A deck chair from the titanic sold recently for over 100k, now that is preposterous!!

P&O recently renovated the ships in their fleet, however in 2020 they sold one of their ships called Oceana which is now Queen of the Oceans. Showing that renovating older ships can cost millions just to give them a new life, so sometimes it can be cost effective and other times it may be a loss for the cruise companies.

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