Inside a real live ghost ship: Extraordinary pictures of massive vessel captured by explorers before it was sent to the scrap heap show luxury boat in eery light

Harrowing photos taken by explorers show the inside of an abandoned ship in eerie light before it was sent to the scrap heap.

The MS Astor first hit the waters in 1968 and spent 34 years at sea, carrying passengers on luxury cruises.

But in 2021, the ship was sent to one of the largest scrapping sites in the world in Aliaga, Turkey, where it lay abandoned and uninhabited for several years.

Bob Thissen, 35, and his team of Urban Explorers were able to board the MS Astor before it was destroyed, capturing some eerie images of the abandoned ship.

Tables and chairs remain as they were when the ship was in use, while an image of the boat’s retro bar shows drinks still on tables as if someone had just visited.

A retro bar shows off drinks still on tables as if someone had just been there

One haunting image shows a deep, empty swimming pool in a dark room, next to wooden loungers and an overturned plant pot

A creepy spa room is seen in ghostly light, with equipment still on the bed and a dressing gown on the wall

A large room in the ship looks spooky because the chairs are still in place and there is trash on the floor

A theater is seen with all the seats still in place, even though no one has been there for years

A room in the ship has been tilted, but the furniture is still in place, with someone’s globe on the table

In another poignant image, a creepy spa room is seen in ghostly light, with equipment still on the bed and a dressing gown hanging on the wall.

A terrifying photo shows a deep, empty swimming pool in a dark room, next to wooden loungers and an overturned plant pot.

Other images show a theater with all the seats still in a row, while another shows the ship’s gymnasium still perfectly intact, despite no one having used it for years.

Mr Thissen said: ‘We received permission from BMS ship recycling to examine this ship before it was scrapped, a unique opportunity.

‘It’s a strange sight to see a place like a cruise ship, where there is normally so much life, that it is completely empty.

In 2021, the ship was sent to one of the largest scrapping sites in the world in Aliaga, Turkey, where it has lain abandoned and uninhabited for several years.

A gym on the ship still contains all the equipment needed for a workout, even though no one has used it in years

The ship looks frozen in time and chairs and tables remain as if they are still in use even though the ship is abandoned

A creepy room in the ship has chairs that look like someone has just sat in them

Bob Thissen and his team of Urban Explorers were able to board the MS Astor before it was demolished to capture the images

The MS Astor first launched in 1986 and spent 34 years at sea

One deck of the ship still has picture frames hanging on the walls, despite being deserted

Mr Thissen said: ‘It is really sad that a ship in perfect condition like the Astor was scrapped’

He added: ‘It’s a strange sight to see a place like a cruise ship, which is normally full of life and completely empty’

‘It is really sad that a ship in perfect condition, such as the Astor, has been demolished. I’m sure it could have served for many more years had it not been for the pandemic.”

It comes months after police boarded an abandoned narco-submarine ‘ghost ship’ found off the coast of Spain – a day after another underwater ship was discovered with bodies on board off the coast of Colombia.

The 15-metre semi-submersible was spotted sinking last March in Vilagarcia de Arousa, off the coast of the northern Spanish province of Pontevedra in the Galicia region.

Footage showed only the bow of the vessel emerging from the waves and authorities inspecting the ship, which was in a near-vertical position.