A casino cruise ship has landed itself in hot water for refusing to leave Port Canaveral. The US Coast Guard had ordered all vessels to leave port before Hurricane Irma hit the Florida coast. However, one particular casino ship remained docked and now, is under investigation by the Coast Guard.
Casino Cruise Ship Ignores Orders to Leave Port
The US Coast Guard and Port Canaveral did not want any vessels remaining in the port. All vessels docked had been ordered to head to sea, or store the vessel on dry land. However, the casino cruise ship in question, called Victory 1, ignored the instructions are remained docked in the port. Officials have come out and stated that if the Victory 1 had broken free of its moorings during the hurricane, it could have caused catastrophic damage.
The captain of the Victory 1 decided to go against the orders and remain in port. He has since defended his decision, saying that the ship would not have been fast enough to outrun the hurricane. This would have put his crew at risk, which he was not prepared to do.
Casino Cruise Ship to be Investigated
Officials from Port Canaveral are also claiming that the Victory 1 continued to offer casino cruises once the order to leave was given. The order was also given out three days before the hurricane hit, which should have given all ships more than enough time.
The captain of the casino cruise ship also claims that he explained the situation to the US Coast Guard and was given permission to remain in port. However, the Coast Guard is denying this claim and will carry out an investigation. The investigation is likely to take around one month to complete and will determine if any penalties need to be handed out.
This is the second time a casino cruise ship has been in the news. A Texas casino ship continued offering casino cruises in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, which some considered to be insensitive.
