Cruise Ship Reroutes to the Bahamas After U.S. Judge Orders Its Seizure Over Unpaid Fuel Bill

Photo: JEAN-PIERRE MULLER/AFP via Getty

Acruise shipmade a surprise detour to the Bahamas after a U.S. judge granted an order to seize the vessel amid a lawsuit over unpaid fuel.

The Crystal Symphony, which was originally scheduled to return its passengers to Miami on Saturday, instead headed to the Bahamian island of Bimini, according toCBS News.

Thenumber of passengersaffected remains unclear, but the vessel has a maximum capacity of 848 passengers according to the company’s website. Those on board the ship were ferried to Fort Lauderdale the following day.

The change in itinerary came after a federal judge in Miami issued a maritime arrest warrant for the ship which allows a U.S. Marshall to take charge once it arrives in U.S. waters due to a lawsuit over unpaid fuel.

Peninsula Petroleum Far East filed a lawsuit in federal court against Crystal Cruises and Star Cruises for breach of contract to recover $4.6 million in fuel costs according toNewsweek.

The operator added that they provided “overnight accommodations Saturday evening with the ship’s exemplary service and amenities offered and they were well cared for on board. Crystal arranged ground transportation to local airports, as well as PortMiami.”

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Last week, Crystal Cruises announced it would suspend operations of its ocean and expedition voyages through April and pause its river voyages through May.

“Suspending operations will provide Crystal’s management team with an opportunity to evaluate the current state of business and examine various options moving forward,” the said in companya statementposted on its website.

source: people.com