From 1981-1984, the West German-flagged Astor ran year-round cruises out of the port of Hamburg, around Northern Europe in the summer, and longer cruises to the Mediterranean in the winter.

But, in part because of the West German registration, and, in part, because HADAG was still primarily a ferry and day cruise line not really well recognized as a deep sea luxury operator, Astor racked up huge losses, requiring subsidies from the Hamburg city government to break even.

Eventually, the city decided to abandon the venture, and, in October of 1983, Astor was sold to the South African government-owned South African Marine Corporation (Safmarine), being chartered back by HADAG until February of 1984, when she was handed over to her new owners.

Safmarine had a really bizzare idea. From 1966-1977, they had operated South Africa-UK ocean liner services in partnership with British-based Union-Castle Line as Union-Castle Safmarine, but both partners agreed to terminate the venture and cease passenger sailings, due to overwhelming competition from airlines. However, for whatever reason, the South African Ministry of Transport and Safmarine both thought there was still a future in passenger liner services, and Astor was acquired specifically to restart that business.

After a refit, she sailed her first voyage in Safmarine colours leaving Southampton for Cape Town on 4 April 1984. Astor began Cape Town-Southampton liner service later in April of 1984. Initially, she remained under West German registry, until being transferred to the South African flag in July. Problems immediately developed. Built as a cruise ship, for lazy, low speed, relatively short distance hops, the sustained high speed open ocean service proved too much. Astor's engines were overworked, and she suffered mechanical breakdowns and missed schedules.

At the end of August 1985, Astor was pulled from service and sold to the East German government, placed under the management of the state-owned Deutfracht Seereederei, renamed Arkona, and placed under the East German flag, becoming the flagship of the East German merchant fleet. She would go on to serve as a conference center and leisure cruise vessel for high ranking members of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany, in addition to making cruises from Cuba and East Germany under charter to Western travel agencies.

But, Safmarine hadn't abandoned their idea of ocean liner services. In April of 1985, an order was placed with Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft for a new Astor as a replacement. This new Astor was built largely to the design of the original ship, slightly enlarged, and fitted with more powerful Sulzer-Wärtsilä diesels making 20,651hp, for a service speed of 20 knots, 21.4 max. The new Astor measured 20,606 gross tons and 578 ft. long, and carried 650 passengers.

However, while construction was still under way, South African Marine Corporation came to their senses, and realized Cape Town-Southampton ocean liner services really didn't make sense in the era of easy airline travel, particularly in the era of both easy airline travel and increasing backlash against apartheid basically everywhere outside of South Africa. In February of 1986, Safmarine sold the unfinished ship to the Marlan Corporation of Mauritius, who continued construction largely to the existing plans. Astor was launched on May 30th, 1986, and delivered to Marlan in January of 1987, operating under the Mauritian flag – making Astor the first newly-built ship designed for ocean liner service since the Queen Elizabeth 2 of 1969, or, technically, Norwegian-America's Vistafjord of 1973.