Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

'We're pirates!': Cruise ship changes course to dodge seizure

'We're pirates!': Cruise ship changes course to dodge seizure

Passengers aboard a cruise ship were surprised by a tack change this weekend when their luxury liner docked in the Bahamas to avoid seizure in the US.
The last-minute course change came after a US judge granted an order to seize the ship, Crystal Symphony, over a lawsuit involving unpaid fuel bills.

The ship was meant to return to Miami on Saturday after a two-week cruise.

On Sunday, passengers were taken by ferry to a port in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

"We were a pirate ship running away from capture!" said musician Elio Pace who has toured on the ship since 2013.

The ship departed Miami, Florida on 8 January and was meant to return to the US this weekend. But on Thursday, a US federal judge issued an arrest warrant for the ship - a maritime practice where a US Marshal assumes control of the vessel as soon as it enters US waters.

Peninsula Petroleum Far East filed the lawsuit against Crystal Cruises and Star Cruises in South Florida on Wednesday for allegedly owing a combined $4.6m (£3.41M) in unpaid fuel bills. Crystal declined questions on "pending legal matters" and Peninsula did not respond to the BBC's request for comment.

Those on the cruise - roughly 300 passengers and 400 crew, according to Mr Pace's estimation - spent Saturday night docked in the Bahamian island of Bimini.

Crystal also arranged ground transportation to local airports, as well as Port Miami, once the passengers were back in Florida, the cruise line told the BBC in a statement.

"This end to the cruise was not the conclusion to our guests' vacation we originally planned for," the statement said.

Mr Pace, who had been on board as a guest entertainer, told the BBC that passengers and staff were alerted to the course correction by an announcement over the ship's loudspeaker on Thursday.

"Good afternoon, this is your captain speaking," Mr Pace said, recalling the message. "We will not be docking in Miami for non-technical reasons."

Word quickly spread through the ship that the change had been made to avoid arrest in the US.

"There was a stunned silence," Mr Pace said of the moment he and the ship's band found out. "I remember everyone just shaking their heads."

Passengers debarking in Florida on Sunday described a strange end to a sunny holiday.

"The Bimini thing was weird. A lot of people were really upset," passenger Glenda Grow told CBS News, the BBC's US partner.

But the cruise was "beautiful", she said, and the crew was exemplary. "Will I go [on a cruise] again? Yes. Will I make sure they're financially solvent? Probably."

Another passenger, Johnny Webb, described the situation as a "minor inconvenience" for him, but a "big deal" for Crystal's crew, some of them five-, 10-, and 15-year veterans of the ship.

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Pace echoed these concerns for the crew left behind, now seemingly without a job. About 30-50 crew members disembarked in the Bahamas this weekend because their contracts had ended he said, but the rest stayed behind, unsure about future employment.

"The mood of the crew was despondent, they were deflated," Mr Pace said. "They don't know what's coming, they don't know what's happening."

Last week, Crystal announced it was suspending operations through late April. The news comes as Crystal's parent company, Genting Hong Kong, filed to wind up its company.

In a filing to the Hong Kong exchange, Genting said the company will "imminently be unable to pay its debt as they fall due".
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
China Accuses US of Violating Trade Truce
Panama Port Owner Balances US-China Pressures
France Implements Nationwide Outdoor Smoking Ban to Protect Children
German Chancellor Merz Keeps Putin Guessing on Missile Strategy
Mandelson Criticizes UK's 'Fetish' for Abandoning EU Regulations
British Fishing Boat Owner Fined €30,000 by French Authorities
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
×