Classic international cruises - help

[Pax106]

Do you know what is going to happen with ATHENA? She is actually arrested in Marseille together with Princess Danae due to lack of payment from Shipowners. ARION another vessel of the fleet is also arrested in Kotor.
It seems that the Shipowners disapeared....
Where is Grant Hunter, anyone knows??

Can anyone inform what is going on with this company?

[editor@cruisecritic]

Hi, we're looking into this -- please feel free to send any info you have to cmcdaniel@cruisecritic.com! Hope to have something to report tomorrow....

Thanks.

Carolyn Spencer Brown
Editor in Chief
Cruise Critic

Originally Posted by Pax106

Do you know what is going to happen with ATHENA? She is actually arrested in Marseille together with Princess Danae due to lack of payment from Shipowners. ARION another vessel of the fleet is also arrested in Kotor.
It seems that the Shipowners disapeared....
Where is Grant Hunter, anyone knows??

Can anyone inform what is going on with this company?

[Kiwi Kruzer]

How will that effect anyone who has booked Athena for the upcoming Australian season?

[macntosh]

How strange.
I was only reading the NRMA's Open Road magazine last night which had a 2 page feature article on the ship.
http://nrmaopenroad.oomphhq.com/?iid=67485#folio=58

Spooky...

[The_Big_M]

That depends on what the cause is, and how it can be resolved.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Originally Posted by The_Big_M

That depends on what the cause is, and how it can be resolved.

The Company had problems with paying for fuel for one of its ships in Dublin last August..

http://www.independent.ie/national-n...l-3215433.html

[Gold Coast Cruisers]

I'm sure I saw cruises on sale for it's season here in last weeks paper.

A friend of mine cruised on Athena a couple of years ago and she's a Gin and Tonic drinker. They would only 'allow' her one block of ice in her glass......

Jilly

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Originally Posted by Gold Coast Cruisers

I'm sure I saw cruises on sale for it's season here in last weeks paper.

A friend of mine cruised on Athena a couple of years ago and she's a Gin and Tonic drinker. They would only 'allow' her one block of ice in her glass......

Jilly

Hi Jilly,
Until the position is clarified , they are probably still for sale...

[Pax106]

just follow the below link
http://www.laprovence.com/actu/faits...auraient-pas-e

[Kiwi Kruzer]

I have read on other boards where 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.

I guess more will come out in time.

Seems like when the ship was arrested all passengers had to disembark. A charter flight was arranged to take them home.

Hounded by creditors, Athena and Princess Danae are stranded with 500 crew members on board.
http://www.lamarseillaise.fr/le-fait...e-27972-2.html

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Heres some more news..

550 Crew Members are Waiting for their Salaries
http://www.crew-center.com/550-crew-...their-salaries


Seems the crew are looking for their wages and flights home , and the banks , who have been financing the cruise line , have pulled the plug on any future funding.

[badgerbill]

Brings back memories of us waiting for the ship John was booked to work on arriving in Barcelona which it did and was immediately arrested.......as were the whole fleet one by one as they arrived in ports .....bye bye Festival ....feel for all those who are chasing answers and money from CTC..........

[Bella cruiser]

That's terrible news. Does anyone know the whereabouts of Funchal. She is supposed to be undergoing an extensive refit some where.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Originally Posted by Bella cruiser

That's terrible news. Does anyone know the whereabouts of Funchal. She is supposed to be undergoing an extensive refit some where.

Last I heard Funchal was still in drydock, (I know not where) and required a further 6 million Euro to complete the refit. That has not been forthcoming and as far I know she is still sitting in drydock....somewhere.

[Pax106]

Originally Posted by Kiwi Kruzer

I have read on other boards where 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.

I guess more will come out in time.

Seems like when the ship was arrested all passengers had to disembark. A charter flight was arranged to take them home.

Hounded by creditors, Athena and Princess Danae are stranded with 500 crew members on board.
http://www.lamarseillaise.fr/le-fait...e-27972-2.html

Could you please let me know where I can read about it?

[Bella cruiser]

Originally Posted by Kiwi Kruzer

Last I heard Funchal was still in drydock, (I know not where) and required a further 6 million Euro to complete the refit. That has not been forthcoming and as far I know she is still sitting in drydock....somewhere.

I did a bit of digging and found beautiful Funchal laid-up alongside (she isn't in a drydock) at a place called Fabrica de Gas da Matinha in Lisbon, Portugal. Seems fitting, given her history, that she is in Lisbon. She is special ship I would hate to see her lost to cruising.

Strange though, it appears to be a large wharf area but doesn't appear to be a shipyard, I could be wrong, as I am not at all familiar with Lisbon.

[Adam Coulter]

Originally Posted by Pax106

Do you know what is going to happen with ATHENA? She is actually arrested in Marseille together with Princess Danae due to lack of payment from Shipowners. ARION another vessel of the fleet is also arrested in Kotor.
It seems that the Shipowners disapeared....
Where is Grant Hunter, anyone knows??

Can anyone inform what is going on with this company?

We promised we'd get back to you on this and this is what we've found out: http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/news/news.cfm?ID=4995
Please, if anyone has any further updates, let us know. Contact editor@cruisecritic.co.uk
Adam Coulter

[cruiselover53]

Originally Posted by Adam Coulter

We promised we'd get back to you on this and this is what we've found out: http://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/news/news.cfm?ID=4995
Please, if anyone has any further updates, let us know. Contact editor@cruisecritic.co.uk
Adam Coulter

Thanks for the info.Here is a classic example of the value of travel insurance.Just in case.

[Kiwi Kruzer]

Originally Posted by Pax106

Could you please let me know where I can read about it?

I just googled...theres lots of reports out there now.
Heres one..

http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/captain-gr...-arrested.html

[Pax106]

Does anyone knows why the crew and staff onboard the arrested vessels (Danae, Athena and Arion) did not disembark?
I got in touch with one crew member and they refuse to leave the vessel without being paid (3 months!!!).
There are rumours that shipowners are bankrupt....
I think that the flag authorities are not doing their job properly!!
Isn't this CRIME!!!