The cruise ship GOLDEN IRIS known as the former Cunard Princess, after more than 45 years in service, has been beached at the Aliaga Shipyard in Turkey to be dismantled and sold for scrap.

The 537-foot vessel was built by Denmark's Burmeister and Vain in the 1970s, along with another vessel commissioned by the hotel chain; MGM, which wanted to take advantage of the rapidly expanding cruise industry. However, MGM pulled out, and the ships were sold to Cunard before completion.

Cunard transferred the ships after construction to another shipyard in Italy for fitting out. CUNARD PRINCESS entered service in 1977, sailing from New York to Bermuda. Over time, her involvement expanded to Florida, Alaska and the Mexican Riviera. The ship was then briefly chartered to the Italian shipping company Lauro for Mediterranean cruises. A brief stint with the US government followed, using it as a recreation center in the Persian Gulf from 1990-1991.

The ship was then sold to StarLauro, which would become the predecessor of MSC Cruises, and was renamed RHAPSODY under new ownership. In 2009, she was sold to the Israeli company Mano Maritime for seasonal cruises, after which she was retired in 2018 and put up for sale. After 4 years of delay in Greece, the ship arrived in Aliaga, Turkey on 11 July to be dismantled for scrap.