A luxury cruise ship that was scheduled to dock in Miami this past weekend made a surprise detour to the Bahamas after a U.S. judge ordered it to be seized as part of a lawsuit over unpaid fuel.
The Crystal Symphony was supposed to wrap up its Caribbean voyage in Miami on Saturday, according to operator Crystal Cruises. The online tracker Cruise Mapper clocked it Monday afternoon local time at a port in Bimini, the part of the Bahamas closest to the mainland U.S.
The change in plans appears to have been triggered by a lawsuit filed against the cruise line in a Miami federal court on Wednesday.
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Peninsula Petroleum Far East sued Crystal Cruises and Star Cruises (which are both owned by Genting Hong Kong) and the Crystal Symphony ship, accusing the vessel and its managers of breach of maritime contract and asking the court to take it into custody. The six-page filing says the entities owe a combined $4.6 million in fuel.
Crystal Cruises announced that same day that it would suspend operations for its ocean and expedition ships through the end of April and for its river cruises through the end of May, saying the decision would give the company’s management team time to evaluate the state of business and potential future options.