MV Azores

Astoria departing Tallinn, Estonia June 20, 2016.
History
Portugal
Name:	1948–1960: Stockholm 1960–1985: Völkerfreundschaft 1985–1986: Volker 1986–1993: Fridtjof Nansen 1993–1994: Italia I 1994–1998: Italia Prima 1998–2002: Valtur Prima 2002–2005: Caribe 2005–2013: Athena 2013–2016: Azores 2016 onwards: Astoria
Owner:	1948–1960: Swedish America Line 1960–1985: VEB Deutsche Seereederei 1985–1989: Neptunus Rex Enterprises 1989–1994: StarLauro 1994–2002: Nina Cia. di Navigazione 2002–2004: Festival Cruises 2004–present: Nina SpA
Operator:	1948–1960: Swedish America Line 1960–1966: VEB Deutsche Seereederei 1966–1985: VEB Deutsche Seereederei (summer seasons)/Stena Line (winter seasons) 1985–1994: laid up/rebuilt 1994–1995:Nina Cia. di Navigazione 1995–1998: Neckermann Seereisen 1998: laid up 1998–2001: Valtur Tourist 2001–2002: laid up 2002–2004: Festival Cruises 2004–2005: laid up 2005–2013 : Classic International Cruises 2013-2014: Portuscale Cruises 2015-2018: Cruise & Maritime Voyages 2018: ?
Port of registry:	1948–1960: Gothenburg,  Sweden 1960–1985: ,  East Germany 1985–1989: Panama City,  Panama 1989–2004: Naples,  Italy 2004–present: Madeira,  Portugal
Ordered:	October 1944
Builder:	Götaverken, Gothenburg, Sweden
Yard number:	611
Launched:	9 September 1946
Christened:	9 September 1946
Acquired:	7 February 1948
In service:	21 February 1948
Identification:	Swedish Official Number 8926 (1948) Italian Official Number 1749 (1993) Call sign CQRV IMO number: 5383304 MMSI number: 255801380
Status:	In service
General characteristics (as built)
Type:	Ocean liner
Tonnage:	12,165 GRT 4,700 DWT
Length:	160.08 m (525 ft 2 in)
Beam:	21.04 m (69 ft 0 in)
Draught:	7.90 m (25 ft 11 in)
Installed power:	2 × 8-cylinder Götaverken diesel engines 8,900 kW (12,000 hp) (combined)
Speed:	17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph)
Capacity:	390 passengers
General characteristics (currently)
Type:	Cruise ship
Tonnage:	15,614 GRT
Decks:	8
Installed power:	2 × Wärtsilä 16V32 10,700 kW (14,300 hp) (combined)
Speed:	19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph)
Capacity:	556 passengers

MV Astoria is a former ocean liner now operated as a cruise ship by Cruise & Maritime Voyages. She was ordered in 1944, and launched 9 September 1946, as Stockholm by Götaverken in Gothenburg for the Swedish America Line (SAL). During her almost seven decades of service she has passed through several owners and sailed under the names Völkerfreundschaft, Volker, Fridtjof Nansen, Italia I, Italia Prima, Valtur Prima, Caribe, Athena, and Azores before beginning service as Astoria in March 2016.

As Stockholm, she was best known for colliding with the Andrea Doria in 1956, resulting in the sinking of the latter ship.

With the retirement of Doulos Phos in 2010, Astoria is (as of January 2016) the world's second oldest active oceangoing passenger ship after Sea Cloud.

At 525 feet (160.02 m) with a gross register tonnage of 12,165 register tons, Stockholm was the smallest passenger ship operating on the North Atlantic route at the time. However, she was the largest passenger ship built in Sweden at the time. Originally designed to carry 395 people, a 1953 refit expanded Stockholm's capacity to 548 people.

On the night of July 25, 1956, at 11:10 pm, in heavy fog in the North Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Nantucket, Stockholm and Andrea Doria of the Italian Line collided in what was to become one of history's most notorious maritime disasters.