Goddess of the Night Reportedly Detained by Italian Authorities

Goddess of the Night Reportedly Detained by Italian Authorities

The Goddess of the Night has reportedly been detained by Italian authorities while docked at the Port of Brindisi.

According to Reuters, the 2,720-guest vessel was seized on Wednesday following complaints about poor sanitary conditions onboard.

The ship, owned by Seajets, was impounded by order of local prosecutors to allow further investigations, the agency said.

The Goddess of the Night was chartered by the Italian government to serve as a floating hotel during the 50th Summit of the Group of Seven (G7).

The ship was supposed to accommodate police forces serving at the event, which is taking place in Italy’s Apulia region.

Since arriving in Brindisi earlier this week, however, the 103,000-ton vessel has been criticized for its poor sanitary condition, Reuters reported.

Unions claim that many cabins could not be used due to water leaks, broken air conditioning and malfunctioning toilets.

As a result, officers who were set to stay on the vessel have now been transferred to hotels and another ship, the news agency said.

Citing the local police forces, Reuters said that initial investigations carried out onboard showed “significant hygienic-sanitary criticalities and serious accommodation deficiencies.”

According to Italian media, the local government paid around 6.5 million euros to charter the Goddess of the Night for eight days.

The vessel was scheduled to house over 2,600 public security and police officers. In addition to the use of the ship’s staterooms and public areas, the charter deal included catering services, with three meals set to be served onboard per day.

Built for Carnival Corporation’s Costa Cruises brand, the Goddess of the Night was sold to Greece-based Seajets in early 2023.

The ship has been out of service since early 2020, the 2004-built ship is poised to soon launch service for a new cruise brand, Neonyx Cruises.

The first sailing of the brand, which will offer an adults-only product focused on parties and nightlife, is set to depart on July 15, 2024.