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.

Accommodations details unveiled for Norwegian Escape

By Tom Stieghorst

Norwegian Cruise Line’s largest ship yet, Norwegian Escape, will include something for a variety of passenger types, including solo travelers, the disabled, families and spa enthusiasts.

Escape will continue the Norwegian Cruise Line practice of designing a separate ship within the ship area for high-paying guests.

The Haven on Escape will include 95 suites, including 22 penthouse suites, 25 family villas and 14 spa suites. The solo traveler complex on Escape will include 82 studios.

The two-story Haven on Decks 17 and 18 will include a private restaurant with outdoor terrace, a lounge and a courtyard area with retractable roof. All suites will feature pillow-top mattresses and linens from the Bliss Collection by Norwegian.

Benefits for the Haven’s guests include priority embarkation and disembarkation; the personal service of a butler and concierge; in-suite espresso/cappuccino machines; and plush bathrobes, slippers and oversized towels.

The 4,200-passenger ship, due in the fall of 2015, will feature 1,168 balcony cabins, 114 oceanview staterooms and 407 inside cabins.

The balcony offerings include 172 cabins designed for families, and the oceanview category has 48 cabins that accommodate five guests. There will be 47 wheelchair-accessible cabins.

Accommodations also include 308 mini-suites, including 40 family mini-suites and 20 spa mini-suites.

Norwegian said it will unveil the home port and itineraries for Escape in mid-March.