Key Aspects:
- The Victory I casino cruise ship remains in dry dock with no confirmed return-to-service date due to a financial dispute.
- Detyens Shipyards in Charleston, South Carolina, alleges the ship’s operator now owes $790,666 for repairs, storage, and other services.
- Victory Casino Cruises has furloughed its entire staff from the Port Canaveral-based ship while the dispute unfolds.
The casino cruise ship Victory I is not currently sailing out of Port Canaveral and has furloughed its entire workforce during an ongoing financial dispute with Detyens Shipyards in Charleston, South Carolina.
Victory Casino Cruises confirmed the dispute in a statement posted on their Facebook page on Thursday, October 29, 2026.
“We are currently in a contractual dispute with the shipyard and are making every attempt to resolve it as soon as possible,” the company said. “As part of this dispute, the ship has been arrested through a civil proceeding in admiralty court.”
According to Casino.org, a federal court issued a warrant for the ship’s seizure on October 19, after the shipyard filed a lawsuit against Victory Casino Cruises’ operator, Sophlex Enterprises, Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina.
The complaint alleges that the company owes the shipyard $790,666 for vessel storage, ship repairs, and other services. The total charges were $940,666 but the shipyard claims only $150,000 has thus far been paid.
A U.S. Marshal served the warrant aboard the ship on October 28, and Victory Casino Cruises has until November 6, 2026 to respond to the complaint or it may face a default judgment in favor of the shipyard.
Cruise Hive has reported on similar lawsuits and ship seizures when financial disputes arise, such as the claim filed against Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady after the ship broke free in Rhodes and damaged a catamaran ferry.
Financial disputes were also a factor in the ultimate decision to sink the SS United States as the world’s largest artificial reef, which is now scheduled for November 12, and residents aboard Odyssey were abruptly ordered off the residential cruise ship in Cambodia, in part due to rising fuel costs.
When Will Sailings Resume?
The company’s website states that the ship is presently in dry dock but has no date listed for service to resume.
Victory Casino Cruises previously offered twice-daily gambling cruises Tuesdays through Sundays from Port Canaveral. During the 5-hour sailings, guests could enjoy more than 600 slot machines plus various table games, including craps, roulette, blackjack, and more. The 4-deck ship features a sportsbook betting lounge, cafe, and dance floor.
According to the company’s Instagram, the ship headed north from Florida to South Carolina on September 8, 2026 for the extended dry dock but was originally expected to resume service on Friday, September 25.
On September 24, the company posted an update on Facebook, citing the dry dock as the reason for not yet resuming service.
“As many of you know, Victory I is currently undergoing an extended dry dock (maintenance), and as a result, we are temporarily not operating. While we had hoped to resume sailing sooner, additional necessary work has extended our time out of service,” the post explained.
At that time, any paid reservations or deposits for future sailings were to be refunded and no further reservations accepted, but no mention was made of the financial dispute.
The company does continue to keep guests informed through its social media channels.
“We will share confirmed updates through our official website and Facebook page as information becomes available. While we do not have a confirmed return date to announce, please know that we are making every effort to move forward,” the October 29 statement said.
