Cruise liner carrying 600 passengers held over unpaid fuel bill

A cruise ship carrying up to 600 people which was the subject of an arrest order in the High Court yesterday, was allowed to sail on to its next destination last night.

The High Court ordered the arrest and detention of the MV Princess Danae which has a capacity for over 800 passengers and crew, following an alleged failure by its owners to pay an outstanding fuel bill of $94,000 (€75,000).

The ship, which is registered in Madeira and flies the flag of Portugal, arrived in Dublin Port yesterday morning, and was due to depart at 7pm yesterday for La Rochelle in France.

It is understood that up to 600 passengers, mostly American, are on board.

At the High Court yesterday afternoon, Mr Justice Roderick Murphy said he was satisfied to issue a warrant under a 1952 International Maritime Convention allowing for the arrest and detention of the liner.

The arrest and detention order was sought by Italian-registered firm Omega Bunker SRL, which entered into an agreement with the ship’s owners Waybell Cruises Inc, with a registered address at Panama City, Panama, to supply the vessel with fuel in Manila, Philippines, last April.

The owners were then invoiced for $409,000. Ciarán Lewis, counsel for Omega, told the court that this deal was not honoured by the ship’s owners.

Earlier this year, he said his client had the ship detained in Pireaus, Greece, over its alleged failure to pay the fuel bill.

The ship was released in early June after the parties entered into an settlement agreement.

The ship’s owners agreed to make payments in June and July to settle the bill.

However despite those payments, the ship’s owners had refused to pay an outstanding $94,000 which Omega claims it is due.

Mr Lewis said his client wanted the ship restrained from going to sea until security was given it would receive its money.

The judge said in light of the evidence presented to the court, he was prepared to grant orders detaining the ship.

However, last night at approximately 8.30pm, the ship sailed from Dublin Port after the High Court was informed the parties had come to an arrangement over the disputed fuel bill.