If you’ve been wondering what all the buzz is about the ‘Crystal Symphony’ cruise ship and why passengers were kept an additional day, we’ve got you covered.
To begin, readers should be aware that the Crystal Cruises Crystal Symphony has been given an arrest warrant due to unpaid bills. The cruise ship has left many passengers perplexed, as have those who have come across it.
Crystal Symphony is a Crystal Cruises cruise ship that is owned and operated by the company. She was constructed in 1995 at the Kvrner Masa-Yards Turku New Shipyard in Finland. She is the oldest ship in Crystal Cruises’ service.
Why Did The Ship Change Its Route?
While we’re getting into the specifics, let’s go over everything that happened. And with the key concern being why the ship changed direction. The ship went to Bimini on Saturday, avoiding its intended boarding in Miami, where it may have been intercepted by a U.S. marshal.
Passengers on the Crystal Symphony, which has a potential of 848 berths, were on a 14-day Caribbean cruise that started in Miami on January 8, 2022 and were expected to return to the port on January 22, 2022.
The ship concluded of around 900 passengers along with the staff.
@MundyCruising can you help me change my flight to Heathrow from Miami as we are stuck on Crystal Symphony which has changed route and is now heading for Bahamas instead of Miami. We booked this through you and apparently you are the only ones who can change the flight
— John (@johndresner) January 21, 2022
All of this occurred as a result of an arrest order issued on Crystal Symphony for unpaid fuel bills.Â
Crystal Symphony Ordered To Be Arrested Because Of Unpaid Fuel Bills
If it docks in Miami, this luxurious cruise ship, which is actually managed by the financially troubled Genting Hong Kong Ltd., would be confiscated to repay $1.2 million in overdue fuel.
The ship then proceeded to the Bahamas. Peninsula Petroleum Far East filed a formal complaint in district court in the United States. Attempting to reclaim $4.6 million in total unpaid payments for bunker fuel sold to three Genting ships since 2017.
“If the ship shows up in Miami, the US marshal will be there with the arrest warrant,” Simms stated. “My good money is that it’s not landing in Miami, from what we’ve been told. Our client is determined to recover.”
On Jan. 19 we announced a pause for Ocean and Expedition ships through April with River cruises through May 2022. Our call center is also paused. For information on how to reach a Crystal representative, visit https://t.co/b3iAFk4XBp. We sincerely apologize for this situation.
— Crystal Cruises (@crystalcruises) January 22, 2022
Now that the ship changed its route to the Bahamas, the ship-tracking data suggests that it cannot be seized by US Marshalls.
#HappeningNow: @crystalcruises’ #CrystalSymphony has docked at the the Historic Naval Docyard in #PortRoyal. A total of 940 passengers have arrived at the port to partake in controlled cruise activities in the capital. #CruiseJamaica #CruisDestination #PortAuthorityJa pic.twitter.com/8qBl298DB4
— Port Authority of Jamaica (@PortAuthorityJa) January 3, 2022
Unbelievably, Crystal Symphony rerouted at the last minutes when it got to know that it would be seized once it enter the country. Its parent company didn’t pay around $3.5 million in fuel expenses.
Now that you know what happened, you should know that legal actions would be taken against it. The passengers were informed at the last minute about the reroute.
Crystal Symphony is presently docked on the Bahamian island of Bimini, according to cruise trackers.
So let us know in the comment section below about your thoughts on this incident. Hopefully, now your concerns have been addressed.
