Protestors Force Early Departure of Cruise Ship ‘Astoria Grande’ Carrying Russian Tourists

The cruise ship “ASTORIA GRANDE,” carrying Russian tourists, faced harassment from protestors upon arriving at the Georgian port of BATUM on the Black Sea. Although the ship was allowed to dock as it wasn’t sanctioned, protestors lined the dock, prompting an early departure from its scheduled time.

Having made stops in Turkey, the ship’s last port of call was Georgia. Protestors demanded the ship be denied entry, despite the Maritime Agency of Georgia permitting the port call. Nevertheless, the protestors successfully drove the ship away earlier than intended.

A sizable crowd of protestors, displaying signs and flags in support of Ukraine, gathered at the docks, singing both the Georgian and Ukrainian national anthems. Georgian police were present to maintain peace and reportedly assisted in escorting passengers back to the ASTORIA GRANDE.

Media and local government officials criticized the protestors’ behavior as “boorish.” The protestors cited Russia’s past aggression in Georgia and the occupation of the Abkhazia region as reasons for their animosity towards the Russian passengers. As per local reports, tensions escalated further when a Russian flag was displayed on one of the ship’s cabin windows.

The ship left an hour after the protest began, departing two days ahead of schedule while the protestors cheered her departure.

Acquired from Carnival Corporation in 2021, the cruise ship originally operated as the “AIDA Cara.” Built-in 1996, the 38,500 gross ton ship was the smallest in AIDA’s fleet. It was offered for sale due to the cruise slowdown caused by the pandemic.

Later acquired by a group of Russian investors, the ship was renamed the ASTORIA GRANDE and began cruising under the new name in 2022, starting from Sochi. Currently registered in Palau with listed owners in Seychelles, the cruises of the Astoria Grande are primarily marketed in Russia and handled by the Turkish company Miray International.