London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Oct 18, 2026

Genting Hong Kong cruise ship to be seized for fuel bills if it docks in Miami, U.S court issues arrest warrant

Genting Hong Kong cruise ship to be seized for fuel bills if it docks in Miami, U.S court issues arrest warrant

The Crystal Symphony, a luxury cruise ship operated by financially strapped Genting Hong Kong Ltd., will be seized to repay US$1.2 million in unpaid fuel bills if it docks in Miami Saturday, amid reports the vessel is being diverted to the Bahamas after a U.S. court issued an arrest warrant.
A U.S. Marshall and a court-appointed custodian are ready to arrest the ship if it comes into port as scheduled Saturday morning in the Florida port city, according to J. Stephen Simms, the lead attorney representing Peninsula Petroleum Far East Pte. Ltd. who said he has been told of the plan.

Peninsula Petroleum Far East filed a lawsuit in the U.S. district court seeking to recoup US$4.6 million in total unpaid fees for bunker fuel it has delivered to three of Genting’s ships since 2017. A U.S. federal district judge in Miami issued the arrest warrant for the Crystal Symphony Thursday, according to Simms and trade publication TradeWinds.

“The U.S. Marshall will be there with the arrest warrant if the ship shows up in Miami,” said Simms. “My good money is that it’s not landing in Miami, from what we’ve been told. Our client is determined to recover.”

Genting Hong Kong became the biggest cruise operator worldwide to seek court assistance to safeguard its assets during the pandemic when it said on Wednesday that it filed with the Supreme Court of Bermuda to appoint provisional liquidators after exhausting “all reasonable efforts” to negotiate with creditors and stakeholders. The company reported a record loss of US$1.7 billion in May as the pandemic ravaged the cruising industry. Its German shipbuilding subsidiary, MV Werften, went into insolvency last week.

A representative for Crystal Cruises couldn’t be immediately reached for comment, while a spokesperson for Genting Cruise Lines, which operates the Crystal Cruises brand, deferred to Crystal Cruises. A Miami port representative couldn’t be immediately reached after business hours.

Peninsula Petroleum said it delivered bunker fuel to another of the company’s vessels, the Crystal Serenity, as recently as Jan. 17 in Miami, according to the lawsuit filed in the Southern District of Florida court. It plans to seize the ship and sell it to recoup costs, Simms said.

Simms said he was told by Miami port authorities Friday that the Crystal Symphony no longer plans to dock in Miami early morning Saturday as scheduled. Port authorities had confirmed the information with the pilots of the liner, he was told. The vessel is now scheduled to dock in Bimini in the Bahamas, where a U.S. arrest warrant can’t be executed, said Simms. Passengers on the ship also confirmed the itinerary change.

Lisa Jimenez, a passenger on the Crystal Symphony posted on Facebook about the sudden change. “Does anyone want to guess why ?our ship, The Crystal Symphony, can now no longer disembark in Miami? We received noticed that we ?are being taken to Bimini, Bahamas, put on a ferry, and taken to the USA that way. Hmmmm.”

London property lawyer John Dresner posted to Twitter to appeal to Mundy Cruising, the U.K. travel site that he said booked his Bahamas trip, for help after the route change to the Bahamas. Passengers were told that the ship would divert to Bimini, where Genting operates a resort and casino, and that they would be ferried back to Fort Lauderdale on Sunday, SeaTrade reported.

Passengers on the Crystal Symphony, which has capacity of 848 berths, were on a 14-day voyage through the Caribbean, which started from Miami on Jan. 8 and was scheduled to return to the port on Jan. 22. Genting Malaysia Bhd, part of the Genting empire of companies held by billionaire Lim Kok Thay, operates Resorts World Bimini Bahamas.

Crystal Cruises has suspended its ocean and expedition trips through April and has halted its river cruises to the end of May, according to a statement earlier in the week. It is offering refunds. The company’s three vessels in operation will complete their current voyages, with the latest one ending its journey in Ushuaia, Argentina, on Feb. 4
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth Confirms Constitutional Discussions Over Welsh Independence During Initial Bilateral Call with Prime Minister
Labour Party Instructs Local Council Groups to Sever Power-Sharing Accords with Green Party Over New Controversial Policy Positions
Institute for Fiscal Studies Warns of Thirty-Five Billion Pound Fiscal Gap Ahead of Chancellor John Healey Upcoming Autumn Budget
House of Lords Backs Landmark Legislative Amendment to Decriminalize Abortion Across England and Wales
United Kingdom Defence Secretary Wes Streeting Travels to Pentagon for High-Level Strategic Talks Amid Escalating Tensions Over Ukraine and United States Policy Shifts
Bank of England and International Monetary Fund Officials Issue Urgent Warnings Regarding Potential Artificial Intelligence Financial Market Shocks
Reform UK Faces Severe Political Fallout and Scrutiny After Undercover Media Investigations Reveal Systemic Racism Among Candidates
Former Democratic Unionist Party Leader Jeffrey Donaldson Sentenced to Fifteen Years in Prison Following Landmark Child Sexual Abuse Trial
House of Lords Votes to Amend Schools Bill Implementing Comprehensive Social Media Ban for Children Under Sixteen Years of Age
International Monetary Fund Upgrades United Kingdom Growth Forecast for Two Thousand Twenty-Six While Warning of Energy-Driven Inflation Pressures
Competition and Markets Authority Launches Formal Inquiry Into Corporate Artificial Intelligence Partnerships
Automotive Industry Leaders Urge Westminster to Accelerate Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Rollout
Home Office Expands Digital Border Security Framework With Mandatory Electronic Travel Authorizations Across United Kingdom
Northern Ireland Executive Reaches Final Consensus on Public Sector Pay Reform and Budget Allocations
Welsh First Minister Secures Additional Funding for Rural Agricultural Transition and Sustainable Farming Schemes
Scottish Government Unveils Accelerated Regional Infrastructure Strategy to Boost Clean Energy Manufacturing
National Health Service England Launches Emergency Recruitment Drive to Alleviate Severe Acute Care Winter Backlogs
Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee Signals Cautious Approach to Interest Rate Reductions Amid Persistent Wage Growth
British Government Finalizes Emergency Energy Support Package to Protect Households From Winter Price Surges
Russell Brand Trial Begins at Southwark Crown Court
UK Parliament to Debate Climate Risks and Council Tax Following Public Petitions
Department for Transport Demands Safety Audits Following Regional Rail Disruptions
House of Lords Scrutinizes Amendments to Armed Forces Bill
Devolved Administrations in Scotland and Wales Criticize Post-Brexit Funding Framework
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Defends Middle East Military Support Under Parliamentary Scrutiny
NHS Leaders Warn of Severe Pressure on Hospitals from Winter Virus Outbreaks
Retailers and Business Groups Lobby Chancellor for Relief from Rising Employment Taxes
City of London Taskforce Urges Radical Reform to Prevent UK From Becoming "Incubator Nation"
Bank of England Officials Signal Potential November Interest Rate Hike
Institute for Fiscal Studies Warns of £35 Billion Funding Gap in Upcoming Autumn Budget
IMF Upgrades UK Growth Forecast to 1.3% for 2026
Former UUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson sentenced to 15 years in prison for historical child sex offences
UK ministers adopt independent commission blueprint to fast-track AI in the NHS
Labour leadership orders local councillors to end power-sharing deals with Green Party
UK government considers regulatory intervention in proposed Sky and ITV merger
Environment Agency declares severe drought across six English regions as reservoirs hit critical lows
NHS England issues new guidance prohibiting transgender women from female-only wards
Norwegian teenager sentenced to 20 years for part of Iran-backed assassination plot in Britain
UK government threatens complete visa ban on Eritrea over refusal to accept deportees
UK Treasury lobbies UBS to move global headquarters to London amid banking sector tax threats
MI5 Warns of Growing Russian Sabotage and Espionage Threats Across Britain
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham Plans Brussels Talks to Renegotiate Post-Brexit Trade Deal
MI5 Warns of Rising Russian and Iranian Sabotage Threats to British Military Facilities
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham Pledges Closer EU Ties as MI5 Reveals Russian Brexit Interference
UK Orders Security Review Following Reported Killing of Former Politician Ann Widdecombe
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham Meets German Chancellor Merz to Strengthen European Security Ties
Nearly 100,000 NHS Patients Treated in Hospital Corridors as England Braces for Winter Pressures
UK Government Rejects US-Russia Diesel Agreement and Reaffirms Sanctions Against Moscow
UK and Germany Agree to Deepen Security and Economic Cooperation Following Berlin Talks
British Prime Minister Burnham Pledges Closer EU Ties During Visit to Germany
×