Cruise ship diverts to Bahamas over US warrant

Personal Finances Budget Travel/Vacations
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https://www.foxnews.com/us/cruise-ship-diverts-bahamas-miami…
A cruise ship with hundreds of passengers and crew diverted its destination path from Miami to the Bahamas to reportedly evade a U.S. warrant over $1.2 million in unpaid fuel bills.

“The U.S. marshal will be there with the arrest warrant if the ship shows up in Miami,” J. Stephen Simms, the lead attorney representing Peninsula Petroleum Far East Pte. Ltd, told Bloomberg. “My good money is that it’s not landing in Miami, from what we’ve been told. Our client is determined to recover.”

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here’s a video and article on the drama, still ongoing I think
https://www.today.com/news/news/cruise-ship-diverts-bahamas-…
Cruise trackers show Crystal Symphony currently docked in the Bahamian island of Bimini.
“We all feel we were abducted by luxurious pirates!” passenger Stephen Heard Fales posted on Facebook.

Some passengers were taken by ferry to Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday. The ferry ride was apparently “uncomfortable due to inclement weather,” according to a statement from a Crystal Cruises spokesperson. The company said guests were also taken to local airports, but wouldn’t comment on the lawsuit.

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“The U.S. marshal will be there with the arrest warrant if the ship shows up in Miami,” J. Stephen Simms, the lead attorney representing Peninsula Petroleum Far East Pte. Ltd, told Bloomberg. “My good money is that it’s not landing in Miami, from what we’ve been told. Our client is determined to recover.”

The article doesn’t say who exactly would be arrested. The Captain? It’s not like he has any role in paying fuel bills. And if is the one to be arrested, what next, hold him hostage until Genting Hong Kong Ltd. coughs up the cash?

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Maybe hold the ship itself as collateral.

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The article doesn’t say who exactly would be arrested.

Not a lawyer, but I’m guessing this was a warrant for arrest “in rem”–i.e., to seize the property (ship).

https://www.usmarshals.gov/process/in-rem.htm

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The article doesn’t say who exactly would be arrested.

Not a lawyer, but I’m guessing this was a warrant for arrest “in rem”–i.e., to seize the property (ship). - MisterFungi

Ah, that explains it. thanks.

The article could have explained that point too. In the average citizens experience, individuals are the ones being “arrested”. The term that comes to mind with property is “seized” or “impounded”.

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Actually that brings up a good question. If they seize the ship, do they bring along people to captain the ship and crew to get it to the US?

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They have no jurisdiction outside of U.S.waters,hence the Bahamas port visit.

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I’m guessing the best way to look at this is that the ship was pledged, the way a house would be against a mortgage, and they are taking about the marshal seizing the property upon foreclosure of the lien. The property is currently in a location where the marshals have no jurisdiction.

The press had fun with the term “arrest” when referred to a movable piece of property, rather than a person.

Jeff

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Trying to hide cruise ships in the Bahamas didn’t work

https://www.yahoo.com/news/fugitive-cruise-ships-taken-custo…

David J. Neal
Sun, February 6, 2022, 7:29 AM
The Crystal Cruise ship on the lam in the Bahamas from a U.S. federal court arrest warrant, the Crystal Symphony, and a sister ship, the Crystal Serenity, have been taken into custody by local authorities, reports say.

The Symphony, which was supposed to dock in Miami Jan. 22, has been in the Bahamas, avoiding an arrest warrant issued after Peninsula Petroleum Far East filed a civil lawsuit in federal court. Peninsula Petroleum claimed that of the $3.4 million fuel bill owed it by Genting Hong Kong-owned Crystal Cruises and Star Cruises, $1.2 million was for Crystal Symphony’s fuel.

A federal judge in Miami signed an arrest warrant for the Crystal Symphony, which went to the Bahamas instead of Miami. The Crystal Serenity diverted to the Bahamas last week. Passengers for each ship were ferried to Port Everglades.

‘A colossal mess’: Embattled Crystal Cruises diverts second ship to Bahamas, sends passengers to Fort Lauderdale

Fugitive Crystal Cruises’ luxury ship on the lam expected to stay in Bahamas’ safe haven

Their arrest was reported first Saturday by attorney James Walker on Cruise Law News. Saturday, CrewCenter posted what it said was an announcement by the Crystal Symphony captain:

“The ship has been placed under arrest by the local authorities over some unpaid bills, and as it bad as it sounds it’s actually quite a good thing that happen. We’ve been told that this will not affect any personnel movement. So the crew movement and crew sign offs can still go as planned, and we are in process of preparing this. So this is unfortunate news but this was actually quite expected.”

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