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The Crystal Symphony cruise ship, which was set to dock in Miami on Saturday, changed its course and sailed to the Bahamas with its passengers and crew members on board after a U.S. federal judge ordered the ship's seizure amid a lawsuit over unpaid fuel bills.
On Sunday, a ferry took some passengers to Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where they transferred to local airports, the Associated Press reported, adding that the company said in a statement that the ride was "uncomfortable due to inclement weather."
Although the company's website says the Crystal Symphony can carry 848 passengers, it was unclear how many were aboard the ship, with different news outlets reporting 300 to 700 passengers, Time reported.
The New York Times reported that guests had been provided with one extra night due to the rerouting.
"We all feel we were abducted by luxurious pirates!" wrote passenger Stephen Heard Fales in a Facebook post.
In a statement released last week, the Crystal Cruises management team said it was suspending its operations through April, the AP reported.
"This was an extremely difficult decision but a prudent one given the current business environment and recent developments with our parent company, Genting Hong Kong," said Jack Anderson, Crystal's president in a statement.
Earlier, Peninsula Petroleum Far East had filed a lawsuit in federal court against Crystal Cruises and Star Cruises for breach of contract, aiming to recover what it says is an unpaid $4.6 million in fuel costs, according to the AP. An arrest warrant for the ship was issued as part of a maritime practice that allows a U.S. Marshal to board a vessel in U.S. waters. However, when the ship sailed to the Bahamas, the warrant could not be executed.
The AP reported passengers and entertainers on the ship were surprised to find out about the lawsuit. Crystal Cruises Management said the rerouting was due to "non-technical operational issues."
Elio Pace, a musician who's been working on the ship off and on for nine years, told the AP that up to 50 crew disembarked due to their contracts ending, but another 400 remain aboard the ship, uncertain of their future with the company.
"However, the people I feel really bad for are the brilliant, beautiful and wonderful loyal staff and crew aboard this ship for whom the Crystal Symphony is their livelihood," Pace tweeted on Saturday.
Pace spoke with the Today show and said he was heartbroken over recent events, thinking he may never be on the ship again.
