The Crystal Symphony departed Miami on January 8 for a two-week cruise as scheduled. Things took an unexpected turn on the way back.
The ship was scheduled to arrive in Miami on Saturday, but during the voyage a United States federal judge ordered the cruise ship impounded over a lawsuit over unpaid fuel bills. The ship changed course to Bimini in the Bahamas instead of sailing into the clutches of federal authorities, according to a cruise tracker.
Those on the cruise received an extra night’s accommodation, and on Sunday, passengers were taken by ferry to Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Crystal Cruises said in a statement. The ferry ride, the company added, was “inconvenient due to bad weather.”
“This end of the cruise was not the conclusion to our guests’ vacation that we originally planned,” the company said.
Steven Fales, 51, an actor and playwright, was on the cruise with some friends “hoping the pandemic would end and trying to do something adventurous.” The adventure ended abruptly when they learned the cruise had been diverted.
“It’s just sad to see the pandemic killing them like it’s a Broadway show that opened too early,” Mr Fales said Sunday night.
After arriving in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday, Mr Fales took a ride to a hotel in Miami where he will stay overnight before flying to Los Angeles and then driving home to Palm Springs, California. Mr Fales said that during the change of plans, unexpectedly, he empathized with the ship’s crew, who seemed uncertain about the future of their jobs.
“This crew treated us like royalty in tears over the loss of their jobs,” he said. “They’re all just heartbroken and it was just devastating.”
A spokesman for the shipping company said about 300 people had been transferred to Port Everglades. It was unclear how many people had been on board, but the ship can accommodate up to 848 guests, with one staff member for every 1.7 guests, the authorities said cruise line.
The change of course came after a US judge on Thursday ordered the ship to be impounded as part of a lawsuit against Crystal Cruises over unpaid fuel. Peninsula Petroleum Far East filed a lawsuit against Crystal Cruises and Star Cruises in federal court in South Florida on Wednesday alleging debts totaling more than $4.6 million.
In a statement, Crystal Cruises said it could not comment on pending legal matters. A lawyer for Peninsula Petroleum Far East did not immediately respond to a request for comment Sunday night.
Last week, Crystal announced that it had suspended operations for two of its ships through April 29 and that its river cruises were suspended through the end of May.
“The cessation of operations will provide Crystal’s management team with an opportunity to assess the current status of the business and explore various options for the future,” the cruise line said in a Explanation.
One of the cruise line’s ships will complete its voyage in Aruba on January 30, and another will complete its voyage in Argentina on February 4.
“This was an extremely difficult decision but a prudent decision given the current business environment and recent developments at our parent company, Genting Hong Kong,” said Jack Anderson, President of Crystal, in a statement.
“Crystal has been synonymous with luxury cruising for more than 30 years and we look forward to welcoming our valued guests back when we resume operations,” he said. “We would like to thank our guests and travel advisors for their incredible support during these continuing challenging times.”
