Following the inspection of six cruise ships by the UK Maritime and Coastguard, the surveyors detained five of the vessels over concerns for crew welfare.
According to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), Astoria, Astor, Colombus and Vasco de Gama at Tilbury have all been detained.
At the same time, Marco Polo at Bristol was further detained following its inspection.
Following today’s investigation, five ships have been detained and we will not hesitate to continue to use every power within our control to safeguard the health and happiness of every seafarer currently working in the UK.
…Maritime Minister Kelly Tolhurst, said.
For the records, all the above-mentioned vessels are owned by the same company, Global Cruise Lines Limited, while four of the vessels are flagged with the Bahamas and one with Portugal.
During the inspection, surveyors found a number of expired and invalid Seafarers Employment Agreements, late payment of wages and crews who had been onboard for over 12 months.
In light of the situation, secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps noted:
The welfare of seafarers is of the utmost importance and we take any reports of safety concerns around crew incredibly seriously.
What is more, the vessels will remain under detention until the breaches of the MLC are resolved and the MCA invited back in to reinspect.
As for the sixth ship, which also belongs to Global Cruise Lines Limited, has not been detained after no significant deficiencies were found.
