The Cursed Cruise Ship and the Sinking of the Andrea Doria

By Abi McMahon | 30th October 2024

It’s July, 1956, and it’s the golden age of cruising. The Stockholm, an elegant, yacht-like ocean liner decked out in interiors designed by the Swedish painter Kurt Jungstedt, is sailing through the night off the coast of Nantucket. The fog hangs heavy in the air. Helmsman Peter Larsen is at the helm, accompanied by 3rd Mate Carsens Johannsen. They can see nothing but the thick sea mist and the ocean through the windows. However, alerted by their radar, they are aware of the luxury liner Andrea Doria gliding in parallel with the Stockholm.

The helmsman isn’t worried. It’s not uncommon for ships to sail parallel and, at some point, the two vessels will part ways. The bridge clock ticks past eleven. All is well. Suddenly, the Andria Doria bursts from the fog. She’s headed straight toward the Stockholm and she’s travelling full speed ahead…

Born Under a Cloud

The Stockholm was originally scheduled to be delivered in 1946. She was the fourth ship from Swedish America Line to bear the name Stockholm and her construction was troubled from the very start. Strikes prevented the laying of her keel. Then, disruption continued, causing her delivery and maiden voyage to be severely delayed. People whispered the delay was a ‘bad omen’. The months and years passed, until finally she set sail on February 21, 1948… right into a wild storm.

Waves battered the slim hull as wind whipped along the deck. The intimate cruise ship had not been fitted with stabilisers. Passengers reported that the ship heaved and rolled unpredictably under the battering force of the storm. Sadly, a passenger lost their life in the turmoil of the squall. When she finally arrived stateside, the American branch of the Swedish America Line was not impressed. The cruise industry already felt that bigger means better and the sleek Stockholm, with welcoming - rather than grand - interiors, seemed to fall short. At sea, the storms continued to rage and she was soon dubbed The Worst Roller in the North Atlantic.

The Sinking of the Andrea Doria

For a while, it seemed as though the Stockholm had escaped the curse. Despite her sorry start, the vessel soon became a firm favourite with the American audience. Unusually for the time, the ship was fitted with solely exterior cabins, meaning even the crew bunked down in a cabin with a porthole. A refurbishment in 1952 saw the inclusion of a small cinema, and a 1955 refit had seen Denny Brown Stabilizers installed, which curbed her tendency to roll. Images from the time showcase a First Class lounge featuring small gold animal sculptures, wood panelling and stylish, mid-century armchairs. First class passengers could enjoy a small green-tiled indoor swimming pool, while everyone could head to the tourist-class verandah, which featured light wooden chairs backed with rattan mesh. Swedish America Line even commissioned two newbuild ships to be created in the style of the Stockholm, to capitalise on her success.

And then, in June, the curse reared its head again when Andrea Doria veered into Stockholm’s path. There was no hope of either ship slowing to a stop for several knots, making impact inevitable. Captain Piero Calamai, captain of the Andrea Doria, had ordered an illegal turn to port instead of starboard and away from the Stockholm. The Andrea Doria crossed into the Stockholm’s path, her bow piercing the larger ship’s hull. Still going too fast to slow to a halt, the Andrea Doria sped ahead, now mortally wounded, while the Stockholm floundered in the water, bow completely torn off. Third Mate Carsens Johannsen stood in a daze on the bridge of the Stockholm, gasping ‘Why did they turn? Why did they do that?’

Sadly, it was the passengers of the Andrea Doria who paid the price for this deadly mistake. For the first time in history the world watched on small black and white television sets as, the next day, the once-grand ocean liner slowly sank to the bottom of the ocean. The lives of 50 people were lost in the tragic accident, including crew from the Stockholm. At the time it was one of the most significant maritime disasters. Now, the Andrea Doria lies, decaying, on the seafloor.

A long and (sometimes) troubled life

The Stockholm survived the impact, helping to rescue many of the remaining passengers of the Andrea Doria. She was repaired and sailing within three months. However, within two years she was put on the market by Sweden America Line. Then, she was bought by an East German company and renamed MS V?lkerfreundschaft, The People’s Friend. Here she travelled the world, transporting the workers of the communist state on their holidays.

Even now she couldn’t escape her troubled place in history. She would occasionally make headlines as passengers and members of her crew jumped ship, attempting to defect to the west. However, it was with her typical ill luck that she became embroiled in the Cuban Missile Crisis. The MS V?lkerfreundschaft was on a standard voyage to Cuba, carrying East German and Czech holidaymakers, when the Cuban Missile Crisis escalated. Having hoped to enjoy a relaxing break in warmer climes, the passengers and crew found themselves stalked from the air by US Military planes. Unable to turn back, she was escorted through the American blockade by a US Navy destroyer, pacing behind her at a distance of two nautical miles.

Over the following decades she was sold and bought and renamed, until 2005 when she was renamed Athena, sailing for Classic International Cruises. Here, her curse struck again. Now over 50 years old, she was once again caught up in the cruel whims of the ocean. Once again on a transatlantic voyage, the Athena became caught in two violent hurricanes, leading to a fatality and the threat of mutiny from the passengers.

Three years later the Athena was once again attacked, but this time by pirates. Twenty-nine pirate boats surrounded the ship, arresting her progress, while their piratical sailors attempted to board. Although it was now hundreds of years since sailors first battled pirates, the original techniques still held true as crew held off their would-be attackers with cannons (albeit water cannons).

Astoria and her final years

The once-Stockholm headed into her final years as the Astoria, sailing for CMV. She finally finished sailing in 2020, having traversed the world’s oceans for more than 70 years and enjoying the title of one of the world’s oldest cruise ships. In many ways, she was luckier than most cruise ships, which only sail for around 30 years. Now, she lies abandoned, waiting to be broken up in Rotterdam port.

Image credits:

Bundesarchiv, Bild 183-71110-0004 / Mellahn / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 DE <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/de/deed.en>, via Wikimedia Commons

Harry A. Trask, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Anthony Levrot, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons