The MV Lyubov Orlova was a Soviet-built cruise ship that gained notoriety not for its voyages, but for its strange and mysterious fate after being abandoned at sea. Constructed in 1976 in Yugoslavia and named after the famed Russian actress Lyubov Orlova, the ship initially served as a luxury liner for expeditions in polar regions, ferrying passengers to destinations like Antarctica. For decades, it operated as a charter vessel, but financial troubles caught up with the ship, and it was seized in 2010 in Canada due to unpaid debts.
In 2013, after sitting docked for years, the Lyubov Orlova was sold for scrap in the Dominican Republic. During its tow from Canada, the ship broke free from its tug in rough seas near Newfoundland. Efforts to secure it failed, and the derelict vessel drifted into international waters. Declared a hazard to navigation, it was to be monitored, but over time, tracking ceased, and the ship effectively disappeared.