Tampabay: Marshals detain ship over $730,000 in unpaid bills

An Easter weekend cruise for 830 passengers departing Port Manatee was abruptly canceled Friday afternoon after U.S. marshals "arrested" the ship in a dispute over an unpaid bill.

Three hours before the scheduled 5 p.m. departure of Regal Cruises' M/V Regal Empress on a three-day trip to Key West, federal marshals served the captain with a warrant ordering the ship to remain at the port.

A 10-day Panama Canal cruise set to leave Monday also was canceled because "it is not likely that the company will be able to negotiate a resolution to the dispute before Monday at the earliest," Regal said in a prepared statement.

Motor-Services Hugo Stamp, a Fort Lauderdale engine repair company, said in federal court filings that Regal Cruises failed to pay nearly $730,000 in bills for parts and service to the ship's engines this year and last year. A person who answered the phone at Motor-Services said the company was closed until Monday.

Regal spokesman Ron Ardis told the Associated Press that the action came as a complete surprise. "We had no advance notice of this at all," he said. "We thought we were maintaining a good relationship with the supplier."

Passengers would receive a refund or credit on a future cruise, Ardis said. The cruise line also would provide customers transportation home, he said. Regal canceled a three-day cruise in February because of engine problems.

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