NEW YORK -- Federal marshals seized the former Commodore Cruise
Line ship Enchanted Capri and ordered its sister vessel, Enchanted
Isle, to remain docked in the New Orleans suburb of Violet.
Both ships had been moored in Violet for several weeks following
Commodore's Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing on December 27.
The seizure came at the request of Capri's New Orleans-based
creditors with the permission of Florida's bankruptcy court.
The bankruptcy court delayed a decision on Enchanted Isle's
seizure until the latter part of the week of Jan. 15.
A lawyer for the creditors also asked the Florida court to seize
Enchanted Isle out of fear the vessel might leave New Orleans for a
foreign port, where mortgage holders could move other claims ahead
of those of local creditors.
Most of Capri's 250-member crew remain on the ship, and said
they haven't been paid since Commodore filed for bankruptcy.
About 140 crew members from Enchanted Isle were sent home on
Jan. 10 by Norsong Shipping Ltd., which holds the mortgage on the
ship.