The crisis deepens for the Turkish passenger ship Gemini, which has been held in Greece for over 200 days. The demand for the release of the ship, owned by Miray Cruises, was rejected by a Greek court, while reports indicate that the remaining crew on board is facing fuel and food shortages.

Built in Spain in 1992 and having a capacity of 19,000 gross tons, the Gemini was purchased by the Turkish tour operator Miray Gemicilik in 2020. Operating under the Bahamian flag, the ship was conducting short cruise operations between the Turkish coasts and the Greek islands.

Problems began in September 2025 when Greek authorities identified damage affecting the ship's seaworthiness, alongside complaints regarding unpaid crew salaries. At that time, the ship, which had a crew of approximately 340, was detained in Salamis Island, Greece, and its operations were halted.

With the intervention of the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) and the P&I Club, many crew members were sent back to their countries. It was also reported that Denizbank initiated seizure proceedings against the ship due to its receivables. Subsequently, the P&I Club and a tugboat company also initiated legal proceedings for their claims.

As fuel and provisions dwindled, the ship's certifications were suspended. In March, a team of 25 was assigned to bring the ship back to Turkey. However, due to adverse weather conditions, the ship had to seek refuge in the Karistos Bay of Greece. It is reported that the Gemini has been anchored in the region for approximately 233 days.

In May, the French classification organization Bureau Veritas (BV) suspended the ship's classification certificates due to the failure to carry out periodic inspections on time. The ship, which lost its Bahamian flag, is now flying the Cameroonian flag, but this flag is considered a 'flag of convenience' in international databases.

In a court hearing last week, the Greek court decided to continue the detention of the Gemini. According to local media reports, it is stated that the fuel on board is running low and the provisions for the remaining 25 crew members have reached a critical level. It is suggested that some sailors who have not received their salaries for about two and a half months are preparing to abandon the ship.

On the other hand, Miray Cruises has postponed the 2026 cruise season, which was previously planned to start in May, to July. The company announced that existing reservations would be carried out through another chartered ship. As for the sale of the Gemini to meet the claims of the seizure, there has been no court decision regarding this so far.

Experts point out that the uncertainty regarding the future of the ship continues.

Source: SeaNews Türkiye