A cruise ship that the High Court ordered the arrest and detention of over a disputed fuel bill in Dublin Port this morning has set sail.
The MV Princess Danae, which has a capacity to carry more than 800 passengers and crew, had been detained arising out of an alleged failure by its owners to pay an outstanding fuel bill of $94,000 (€75,000).
The ship, which is registered in Madeira and flies the flag of Portugal departed at 8.30pm today.
The Ship was permitted to sail after the High Court was informed that an agreement had been made over the disputed fuel bill.
Earlier, Mr Justice Roderick Murphy said he was satisfied to issue a warrant under a 1952 International Maritime Convention allowing for the arrest and detention of the Portuguese registered cruise ship.
The application was made ex parte, where only one side was represented in court.
The arrest and detention order was sought by Italian registered firm Omega Bunker SRL.
Omega entered into an agreement with the ship’s owners Waybell Cruises Inc, with a registered address at Panama City, Panama, to supply the vessel with fuel in the Port of Manila the Philippines last April.
The owners were then invoiced for $409,000 (€327,000).
Barrister Ciaran Lewis for Omega told the court that the deal had not been honoured by the owners.
Earlier this year counsel said that his client had the ship detained in the port of Pireaus in Greece over its alleged failure to pay the fuel bill.
The ship was released in early June after the parties entered into a settlement agreement.
The ships owners agreed to make a number of payments in June and July of this year in order to settle the bill.
Several payments were made. However despite that agreement the owners had refused to pay an outstanding amount of S$94,000 which Omega claimed was due.
Mr Lewis had said that his client wanted the ship restrained from going to sea until security was given that it would receive its money.
The Judge said that in light of the evidence presented to the court he had been prepared to grant orders detaining the ship.
