Has a Cruise Ship Ever Been Repossessed?

By Alice Nichols

Cruise ships have been a popular vacation option for years, and in recent times, the industry has seen exponential growth. With this growth, however, there have been some cases of cruise ships being repossessed.

The most notable example of this occurred in 2011 when the cruise line Global Seas had one of its vessels seized by creditors. This case was highly publicized and brought to light the possibility of cruise ships being repossessed due to financial difficulties.

The 2011 case involved Global Seas, a now-defunct cruise line that had been struggling financially for some time. The company had failed to make payments on its loans and was unable to pay back its creditors.

As a result, the creditors decided to seize one of its vessels, the MS Colombo Star, as payment for the outstanding debt. The ship was repossessed and auctioned off to another company who used it as a floating hotel until it was sold again in 2016.

What Causes Cruise Ships To Be Repossessed?

Cruise ships can be repossessed for a variety of reasons ranging from financial difficulties to legal issues. In the case of Global Seas, it was unable to make payments on its debt which led to the repossession of one of its vessels.

Other reasons could include tax delinquency or failure to meet safety regulations set by governing bodies such as the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Whatever the reason may be, if a ship is unable to meet its obligations then it is at risk of being repossessed.

Are Repossession Cases Common?

No, cases of cruise ships being repossessed are not common and are usually only seen in extreme cases involving extreme financial difficulty or legal issues. Most major cruise lines have strong financial foundations and are unlikely to find themselves in such dire straits as Global Seas did in 2011. There have also been no reports since then of any other major cruise lines having their vessels seized by creditors or any other governing bodies.

Conclusion:

Has a Cruise Ship Ever Been Repossessed? Yes, though cases like these are rare, there has been one notable example when creditors took over and auctioned off the MS Colombo Star owned by Global Seas back in 2011 due to non-payment on loans. Generally speaking however, major cruise lines rarely find themselves in such dire straits and thus do not need fear their vessels being seized by creditors or any other governing body.