Two Crystal Cruises Ships Seized In The Bahamas For Unpaid Fuel Bill

Crystal Cruises’ ship Crystal Symphony made headlines in January after fleeing the U.S. after it faced an arrest warrant related to a civil lawsuit in federal court over unpaid fuel bills.

Over the weekend, authorities took at least two of those ships into custody.

The Symphony was supposed to dock in Miami but ‌diverted to the Bahamas, specifically the island of Bimini. The ship stopped in Freeport, where passengers had to take a ferry back to the U.S.

One of the other ships in circulation, Crystal Serenity, was also arrested in Freeport. There are also unconfirmed reports that authorities seized another Crystal vessel, Crystal Endeavor, which was supposed to end its voyage in Ushuaia, Argentina.

Crystal set Endeavor to dock on Feb. 4. The cruise ship company has no other ongoing voyages.

A spokesperson for Crystal Cruises, Vance Gulliksen, sent a statement to the Miami Herald.

“Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony’s voyages ended last month and there are no guests onboard . . . The officers and crew on board are being well cared for . . . Crew members have been paid their January wages and we are meeting and exceeding all contractual obligations,” read parts of the statement.

In late January, Peninsula Petroleum Far East sued Crystal Cruises and Star Cruises for $4.6 million in unpaid fuel.

Crystal Cruises and its parent company, Genting Hong Kong, have yet to comment on the lawsuit. Genting filed for bankruptcy on Jan. 19.

Genting's CEO, Lim Kok Thay, resigned on Jan. 24. He reportedly has a net worth of $2 billion.

In January, Crystal Cruises announced ‌it had paused many of its operations, including ocean, river, and expedition voyages, through April or May 2022 as the future of the Genting and Crystal remains uncertain.

Genting Hong Kong also owned Star Cruises and Dream Cruises. In August, the company suspended all payments to creditors to shore up liquidity.