Posted on Tuesday, August 21, 2012 by Shawn Dake
RIO photo © Heiko Gerlischer
The Maltese-flag cruise ship VENUS (ex SOUTHWARD, SEAWING, PERLA, AEGEAN PEARL, THE AEGEAN PEARL, RIO) has been arrested in the port of Ashdod according the the Ukrainian Embassy in Israel. The 16,710 gross ton ship was detained on August 15, 2012 after failing to pay wages to at least some of the 340 crew members onboard. The ship has been impounded under a lawsuit filed by 70 Ukrainian members of the crew over delinquent payments of their salaries and a lawyer is currently defending their rights and interests, according to Kiev’s foreign ministry spokesman Oleksandr Dykusarov. “The health of the crew members, including Ukrainians, is satisfactory, and the ship has enough drinking water and food,” Dykusarov said. He also noted that none of the crew members, including Ukrainian citizens, had accepted the lawyer’s offer to leave the ship and return home. An almost identical situation took place aboard the same ship when it ceased operating for Rio Cruises under the name RIO. In May, 2010 that company was bankrupt and the ship remained idle at Ashdod, while members of the crew refused to disembark unless they were paid, many remaining on the ship into July under increasingly poor conditions. An undisclosed buyer purchased the ship at auction in September of 2011 in “as is” condition for $4.8 million. The new operator was called Venus Hflgot which returned the 41 year old, first generation cruise ship to service this year in what has proven to be a short-lived venture. The ship was newly built for Norwegian Caribbean Lines in 1971 and was best known for sailing from the North American ports of Miami and later Los Angeles as the SOUTHWARD. It also did extended stints with AirTours and Louis Cruise Lines. At capacity, the ship carries 802 passengers, double occupancy.
Thanks to Ally Jones
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Dirk Steffen
August 22, 2012 at 1:44 am
Another cute little gem on the eve of her final voyage to India…?
Eerik Laine
August 22, 2012 at 2:01 am
Problems with Venus started already last month when the ship was on a 3-night cruise to Cyprus. Already after the departure problems with air conditioning started, and the crew promised passengers that the problem would be fixed within hours. This never happened and the cruise became a disaster with no air conditioning at all. Many of the passengers even chose to sleep out on the deck. After arriving to Ahsdod from the “nightmare cruise” on the 29th of July ship has stayed there. The cruise line made the decision to cancel cruises until the problem was fixed.
The problems with air conditioning and the widely spread news about the incident didn’t make the cruise lines survival any easier. People in Israel still remember last year’s news about Magic 1 and Rio. After all that happened it would have been very difficult to get any new bookings and to gain peoples trust again.
Let’s hope this lovely ship still gets a new operator some day. The big winner in all this is once again Mano.
Kenneth Eden
August 22, 2012 at 5:58 am
Poor little SOUTHWARD. Just the track record and list of former names gives me the creeps.
Were ther any passengers sailing?
Captain Licata
August 22, 2012 at 7:25 am
Another end of voyage for a leader in the cruise industry. More and more of these classic cruise ships will wind up in the scrapyards of the world. Progress can be cruel.
david r
August 22, 2012 at 9:19 am
Still a lovely ship
Bomi H. Patell
August 24, 2012 at 10:41 pm
Very sad to see the ship is such a mess….remember my days we would cross over from Song of Norway in Cozumel, to enjoy a evening of frolic on board this ship. I’m sure someone will come forward as the price does not sound that big. Till them lets pray for the stranded crew and their owners.
Bomi
Don Stohr
August 25, 2012 at 11:40 pm
I spent 3 years on that ship, both as the SOUTHWARD out of Los Angeles (San Pedro) and the SEAWING out of Palma de Mallorca and other home ports depending on the season. It was a great ship and it is really disturbing to see that the current owners have let this fate befall her. At least Ashdod isn’t a bad place with a pretty decent port. I had been there many times on the SEAWING! I still remember our port agent, David. I hope that someone will buy her, refurbish her and let her do what she does best – sail the seas and make people happy!
geoff
August 28, 2012 at 2:26 am
time is now catching up with the market leaders of the 70s. Song of Norway has escaped the torch again recently but now her sister Nordic Prince has had troubled times. Even the first new builds of Carnival in the 80s get slated in their new guises.
Hank
August 31, 2012 at 9:01 am
This is sad. Time is passing by fast. Just a few years ago, we were seeing aging liners and cruise ship of the 50′s and 60′s going off to the scrapyard. It was sad to watch INDEPENDENCE, OLYMPIA, AUSCONIA, RENAISSANCE, SAGAFJORD, and HAMBURG all sail to the breakers. The KUNGSHOM, QUEEN ELIZABETH 2, and DOULOS were sold for use as tourist attractions and cheated the breakers. More recently, the EMERALD, ISTRA, AUGUSTUS, OCEANIC, and SAN GIORGIO all have met or are going to meet their demise. Now, it’s the cruise ships of the 70′s in danger. The former PACIFIC PRINCESS was almost sold for scrap, but the deal fell through. There have been efforts to save her, but as of now, nothing has happened. The former SPIRIT OF LONDON was believed to be lost, but was bought and turned into a chinese cruise ship named OCEAN DREAM. Saga Cruises has just announced the retirement of the old VISTAFJORD which will happen in 2014. It is unknown what will happen to her after that. It will probably be sold for scrap. Unless someone with the money, the berth, and the guts buys it for some use as a tourist attraction. Now, the SOUTHWARD is down on her luck. It’s a shame.
Phil C
September 5, 2012 at 4:56 am
Pay the crew, even if it means selling the old tub for razor blades to do so. The ship has done good service. The workers have families who need the money.
rocketron
September 17, 2012 at 2:25 pm
What kind of shape is the vessel in today? They should pay the crew and get the vessel back out on charter. How long to fix the air conditioner?
Kenneth Eden
September 18, 2012 at 4:41 am
Not a pleasant overnight for ship news.
A woman fell off a Royal Caribbean ship 45 miles out from Miami, she was 21 years old.
Two more ships were arrested, this time in Marseille. The ATHENA, built in 1948, nee STOCKHOLM, CARIBE and the PRINCCESS DANAE, nee PORT MELBOURNE, BELFAST, DANAE.
Reasons? Not paying for fuel, anmd the old thorn, non payment of crew wages.
What experience do they offer passengers with non paid crew?
Hank
September 18, 2012 at 9:50 am
As disappointing as that is, I must admit that it doesn’t surprise me. I do hope that Classic International Cruises is not struggling financially. Although they probably are. Maybe they are just greedy and don’t pay their crew. Although I doubt it. CIC is the last company I can think of that operates old liners. Wonder where the other three are and why they haven’t been arrested. Maybe it is just a problem with two ships.
alan dumelow
April 4, 2013 at 5:01 am
Sad to report that “Venus” ex “Rio” ex MyShip “Seawing” arrived at
Aliaga last Thursday 28th March 2013 for “recyling”