A cruise ship had an arrest warrant pending in Miami. So it took passengers to the Bahamas
The saga began on Wednesday, when the Peninsula Petroleum Far East filed a lawsuit in a federal court in South Florida against Crystal Cruises, claiming that they owed unpaid fuel bills totaling more than $ 4.6 million – of which $ 1.2 million is special for Crystal Symphony.
On Thursday, a U.S. judge issued an arrest warrant ahead of the ship’s scheduled Saturday arrival in Miami, which means the ship will be seized by a U.S. marshal and court-appointed trustee.
“This end of the cruise was not the conclusion of our guests’ vacation we originally planned for,” the cruise line said in a statement.
The cruise ship can accommodate up to 848 guests, although the total number of passengers on the ship is unknown.
Also on Wednesday, the day the lawsuit was filed, Crystal Cruises announced that they would stop operations for their sea voyages through the end of April and their river cruises through May.
“Stopping operations will give Crystal’s management team an opportunity to evaluate the current business and explore various options going forward,” the cruise line said in a statement.
The company’s two cruises currently in operation – one en route to Aruba and one en route to Argentina – will complete their voyages. Guests who have booked future trips will receive one full refund.
“This was an extremely difficult decision, but a sensible one given the current business environment and the latest developments with our parent company, Genting Hong Kong,” said Jack Anderson, Crystal’s president.
