Cruise Passengers Taken to Florida as Ship Faces Seizure Over Unpaid Fuel Fees

The Crystal Symphony cruise ship abruptly ended its return journey to Miami on January 23 following the decision by a US court to grant an order for the ship to be seized over millions of dollars in unpaid fuel fees.

The Crystal Symphony left Miami on January 8 for a two-week cruise. On January 19, Crystal Cruises announced that it was suspending operations after its parent company, Genting Hong Kong, filed for bankruptcy.

On January 21, Peninsula Petroleum Far East had an arrest warrant approved by a Florida judge, alleging a total $4.6 million in missed fuel payments, with $1.2 million accrued by the Crystal Symphony.

These videos taken by Lisa Jimenez show a boat arriving in Bimini to take the Crystal Symphony passengers to Fort Lauderdale.

“While all of us Crystal Symphony passengers were unsettled by the news of the ship’s arrest warrant and inconvenienced by its sudden rerouting, we were even more impressed by its amazing crew. They were suddenly going home jobless, yet even with that startling news, they continued to take care of us with an unmatched level of brilliant service and hospitality. The crew of the Crystal Symphony are all compassionate, resilient, remarkable people,” Jimenez told Storyful. Credit: Lisa Jimenez via Storyful