Following difficulties with its German shipyards and the inability to get further funding to complete its ships, Genting Hong Kong has filed for liquidation in a Bermuda court.
Genting currently owns three cruise brands: Dream Cruises, Star Cruises and Crystal Cruises. It also operates nine ocean cruise ships and three river vessels. The intention is to try to restructure the business as a going concern.
As a result of this, two Crystal Cruises ships operating under a Genting Hong Kong unit have been seized in the Bahamas after a fuel supplier sought their arrest for $4.6 million in unpaid bills.
Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity (pictured at Dover by Andrew Wood) were arrested in Freeport in the Bahamas in early February.
A Florida judge issued an arrest warrant for Crystal Symphony after fuel supplier Peninsula Petroleum Far East Pte filed a lawsuit against Crystal Cruises and sought the vessel’s arrest for $4.6 million in unpaid fuel bills dating back to 2017.
Both Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity ended their cruises last month and no are currently guests on board, Crystal Cruises said in statement to Bloomberg News.
Crew members have been paid all wages and the company is meeting its contractual obligations to crew. Crystal Cruises said it was unable to comment on pending legal matters.
Full story in the March issue of Ships Monthly, due out on 25 February.
