Costa cruise ship to be sold for scrap

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The Costa Allegra cruise ship which, back in February, spent 72 hours adrift in the Indian Ocean following an engine room fire, is expected to be sold for scrap.

The 820-passenger ship, which is the oldest in the Costa fleet, hasn't been used since the incident which left passengers without lights, air-conditioning or working toilets. It was eventually towed to one of the Seychelles' islands by a French trawler.

According to news reports from Italy, the cruise line was unable to find a buyer who was prepared to keep the ship running so, instead, it has opted for a less lucrative deal in which the ship will be sold for demolition.

Costa Cruises have yet to confirm details of the deal, but have released an official statement saying: "Negotiations with a Turkish shipowner for the sale of Costa Allegra are in progress. Costa Cruises is not aware of the future use of the ship. That will be decided by the new owner."

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