PALMETTO, Fla. -- Regal Cruises ceased operations April 28 and
cancelled the future sailings of its only ship, the Regal Empress.
The Empress, a mid-century ocean liner that cruised from New
York and Port Manatee, Fla., had been seized at its berth at Port
Manatee after a creditor was granted a lien against the ship April
18.
According to a statement from Regal Cruises, the company has
been pursuing the sale of the business. Negotiations were
unsuccessful, Regal said, due to a "worldwide decline in travel and
tourism and the short timeframe within which the company could
conclude its ongoing sale negotiations necessitated by the arrest
(of the ship)."
Information on applying for a refund will be made available
"shortly," Regal said.
The monies paid for cruises on the Regal Empress are protected
by the Federal Maritime Commission Bond that Regal has in place,
the company said.