Denied docking rights in Aruba, a Crystal Cruises ship has been forced to divert to the Bahamian island of Bimini to disembark its passengers.
The refusal by Aruban authorities to allow the 68,900-gt Crystal Serenity (built 2003) is yet another blow to befall the Miami-based cruise operator since its parent company Genting Hong Kong filed for liquidation in January.
Crystal had announced shortly after Genting's troubles emerged in a Bermuda court that it would be temporarily suspend cruise operations, with the Crystal Serenity set to be laid up in Aruba after disembarking its passengers at the conclusion of their cruise.
However, Aruban authorities on Saturday made it clear that they wanted nothing to do with the ship. They refused to allow it to dock.
In a statement released to travel trade media, Crystal said that the Crystal Serenity had been cleared to arrive in Aruba, with all services paid for in advance.
Crystal said that even though there were no reasonable risks or claims made against the vessel, local officials informed it late on Friday afternoon that the ship would be not permitted to dock as scheduled.
“After receiving this unfortunate news, Crystal's management team spent hours conferring with Aruban officials toward a positive resolution — with even our humanitarian pleas falling on deaf ears — to no avail,” the company said.
US cruise industry sources told TradeWinds that they believed the Aruban authorities denied docking rights to the Crystal Serenity because they were concerned about having to deal with 500 seafarers marooned in the port if Crystal was unable to follow through with its promise to repatriate non-essential crew.
The Crystal Serenity was instead diverted to Bimini in the Bahamas, where it was scheduled to arrive on Monday.
Crystal said that it had lined up a ferry to transport passengers to Port Everglades on Monday, and that it would accommodate them overnight in a hotel while flights were arranged to get them home.
In Bimini, the Crystal Serenity will be in the company of the 51,000-gt Crystal Symphony (built 1995), which docked there on 23 January after skipping a call at Miami to avoid being served an arrest warrant obtained by Peninsula Petroleum Far East for allegedly unpaid fuel bills totalling nearly $3.5m.
The Crystal Symphony is currently moored at a pier belonging to a resort that is owned by another company affiliated with Genting Hong Kong principal shareholder Lim Kok Thay, who resigned as the cruise conglomerate's chairman, chief executive officer and executive director on 24 January.
