Authorities have reportedly seized two cruise ships belonging to Genting Hong Kong’s Crystal Cruises in relation to a lawsuit over US$4.6 million in unpaid fuel bills.
According to Cruise Law News, crew members have confirmed that the ships Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity were seized in the Bahamas after diverting from their original destinations in order to avoid such action.
As previously reported by Inside Asian Gaming, Crystal Symphony diverted from Miami to the Bahamas on 24 January to avoid seizure by US marshals before being joined by Crystal Serenity in Bimini last week. Crystal Serenity had been refused permission to dock in Aruba.
Both ships were commandeered in waters near Freeport on Friday, crew members said, although it remains unclear how they were seized given the Bahamas is outside of the jurisdiction of US authorities.
The dramatic events follow an order from a US judge that the ships be seized as part of a lawsuit launched by Peninsula Petroleum Far East against both Crystal Cruises and Star Cruises for alleged failure to pay US$4.6 million in fuel bills.
Crystal Cruises announced in January that it was suspending operations until at least 29 April 2022 after its parent company, Genting Hong Kong, filed for liquidation amid debts totaling almost US$2.8 billion. However, it said three cruise ships already at sea – Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony sailing in the Caribbean and Crystal Endeavor in Antarctica – would complete their voyages before going on hiatus.
Genting Hong Kong had claimed it would continue operating cruises out of Asia via Dream Cruises in order to protect core assets and maintain value but the subsidiary filed for the winding up of the company last week.
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