Victory I Casino Ship Seized Over Unpaid Shipyard Bill
A federal court has issued a warrant to seize the Victory I, the casino cruise ship based at Port Canaveral, Florida, after a South Carolina shipyard said it was owed $790,666 for storage, repairs and other services. A federal marshal served the warrant on October 28.
The vessel had already stopped sailing. As we reported when the company halted operations and furloughed staff, the ship went into dry dock after its September 28 sailing. The seizure was first reported by Florida Today.
The Shipyard Lawsuit
Detyens Shipyards filed the case on October 15 in the US District Court for the District of South Carolina against Sophlex Enterprises, which does business as Victory Casino Cruises, and the ship itself.
The docket lists it as an admiralty case before Judge David C. Norton, with motions for a warrant in rem and to appoint a substitute custodian filed on day one.
The shipyard also wants to enforce a maritime lien against the vessel. The court issued the warrant on October 19, and the marshal served it at Detyens' yard in Charleston, where the ship was listed as being located. The warrant covers the vessel and property aboard.
What The Complaint Alleges
According to SectorWire's report on the filing, the shipyard says it billed $940,666 for berthing, storage and repairs under a contract to dock and service the ship, and received $150,000.
That leaves the $790,666 figure in the lawsuit. The same report says the warrant extends to the ship's equipment, including slot machines and other gaming machines.
Victory officials could not be reached for comment, Florida Today reported. The company's last social media update was dated September 24 and said it would not accept reservations until it had confirmed a date to return to sailing.
Idle Since September
Florida Today reported that the Victory I went into dry dock after its September 28 sailing, and that the company later announced an extended suspension because additional work kept the vessel out of service. Social media posts from employees indicated the entire staff had been furloughed.
Captain Tim Levansaler said in the company's most recent social post, dated September 24, that the cruise line would not take reservations until it confirmed a return date. The shipyard's complaint was filed about three weeks after that post.
A Port Canaveral Fixture
Before the shutdown, the Victory I sailed twice a day, Tuesday through Sunday, on five-hour gaming cruises into international waters, with more than 600 slot machines and table games. Victory started casino cruises from Port Canaveral in 2011, after three earlier gambling-ship operators at the port had each gone bankrupt.
The ship's story now rests with the South Carolina court. Whether the company can settle the bill, contest the claim or return the vessel to service has not been made public. Our guide to US online casinos covers the licensed alternatives.
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