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Cruise Ship Reroutes to the Bahamas After U.S. Judge Orders Its Seizure Over Unpaid Fuel Bill

Crystal Symphony ship
Crystal Symphony ship

JEAN-PIERRE MULLER/AFP via Getty

A cruise ship made a surprise detour to the Bahamas after a U.S. judge granted an order to seize the vessel amid a lawsuit over unpaid fuel.

The Crystal Symphony, which was originally scheduled to return its passengers to Miami on Saturday, instead headed to the Bahamian island of Bimini, according to CBS News.

The number of passengers affected remains unclear, but the vessel has a maximum capacity of 848 passengers according to the company's website. Those on board the ship were ferried to Fort Lauderdale the following day.

The change in itinerary came after a federal judge in Miami issued a maritime arrest warrant for the ship which allows a U.S. Marshall to take charge once it arrives in U.S. waters due to a lawsuit over unpaid fuel.

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Peninsula Petroleum Far East filed a lawsuit in federal court against Crystal Cruises and Star Cruises for breach of contract to recover $4.6 million in fuel costs according to Newsweek.

News of the lawsuit came as a surprise to many passengers and crew members according to the Associated Press. In a Facebook post on Sunday, passenger Steven Heart Fales wrote, "We all feel we were abducted by luxurious pirates!" alongside images of himself on the boat.

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Crystal Cruises said in a statement obtained by PEOPLE, "This end to the cruise was not the conclusion to our guests' vacation we originally planned for," but noted they were unable to comment on pending legal matters.

The operator added that they provided "overnight accommodations Saturday evening with the ship's exemplary service and amenities offered and they were well cared for on board. Crystal arranged ground transportation to local airports, as well as PortMiami."

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Last week, Crystal Cruises announced it would suspend operations of its ocean and expedition voyages through April and pause its river voyages through May.

"Suspending operations will provide Crystal's management team with an opportunity to evaluate the current state of business and examine various options moving forward," the said in company a statement posted on its website.