Three cruise ships arrested in France and Montenegro
Three cruise ships owned by Classic International Cruises (CIC) have been arrested in France and Montenegro over unpaid bunkers as well as other outstanding debts, according to reports from a number of sources, Seatrade Asia online reports.
The Athena and the Princess Danae are both being held in Marseilles, France, with the third CIC vessel chartered by Belgian company All Ways said to be being held in Kotor, Montenegro.
Ship & Bunker reported in August that the Princess Danae was arrested on August 30, 2012 in Dublin over an unpaid bunker bill of $94,000, but was subsequently released.
A report by shipping crew web portal Crew Center indicates that the firm have been financed for 'several years' by Portuguese bank Montepio, which has now said it will not fund any further operations of the firm and will not to see it through to the end of the cruise season.
Some 550 mainly Indonesian, Ukrainian, and Portuguese crew members were said to be waiting for salaries and expenses for repatriation.
A post yesterday by a New Zealand based member of the Cruise Forum site said "the founder of the company died a few months ago and his children have taken over the running on the business and they have apparently inherited a situation , of financial chaos."