Over 5000 have travel plans ruined as replacement cannot be found for impounded MV Athena cruise ship

Photograph The Athena Wikipedia

Angela Saurine, National Travel Reporter, from News Limited Nework discusses with News.com.au about the inability of Australia to find a much needed replacement ship.

THOUSANDS of Australians have had their travel plans ruined after a replacement ship could not be found for the MV Athena this summer.

Classic International Cruises Australia went into voluntary administration last week after three ships, including MV Athena, were impounded overseas over unpaid debts and crew wages.

Administrator Lawler Partners had tried to find another ship to operate 20 cruises operating from Fremantle in Western Australia and Adelaide in South Australia over coming months.

But it was unsuccessful and announced today the cruises would be cancelled.

More than 5,000 passengers had booked on the ship and it is believed most had paid deposits of 40 per cent.

Consumer Protection Western Australia said people who booked through a licensed travel agency should contact them first to determine whether the funds have been transferred to the cruise company.

Read more: news.com.au

Classic International Cruises in voluntary administration with MV Athena ship customers in limbo

CIC has been put into voluntary
administration after cruise liner
MV Athena impounded. Picture: Supplied

By Angela Saurine - National Travel Reporter

From:News Limited Network 

October 31, 2012

THE travel plans of thousands of Australians this summer are up in the air after Classic International Cruises was placed into voluntary administration today.

Lawler Partners was this morning appointed voluntary administrators and customers with cruises booked on the MV Athena cruise ship are being urged to contact them to make a claim.

The company had been in talks to replace the Athena with a German ship after it was impounded in France over debts, but talks in Europe broke down.

Bradley Tonks, from Lawler Partners, said they were still trying to get a replacement ship.

He said they would be in contact with travellers and agents soon and updates would be placed on the company's website

Continue reading from Source:   theaustralian.com.au

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Irish Times Reports Ship detained in Dublin Port

Classic International Cruise

The High Court has ordered the arrest and detention of a cruise ship that arrived in Dublin Port this morning.

The MV Princess Danae, which has a capacity to carry more than 800 passengers and crew, has been detained arising out of an alleged failure by its owners to pay an outstanding fuel bill of $94,000.

The ship, which is registered in Madeira and flies the flag of Portugal, was due to depart from Dublin Port this evening.

Today at the High Court 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 Portuguese registered cruise ship.

The application was made ex-parte, where only one side was represented in court.

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

Read More Details at:  irishtimes.com