Brindisi, Italy - A cruise ship intended to house security personnel for the upcoming G7 summit has been impounded by Italian authorities due to deplorable onboard conditions. The vessel, Goddess of the Night (formerly Mykonos Magic), was slated to accommodate approximately 2,000 police officers near the summit venue in Borgo Egnazia.
Officers reported appalling hygiene issues, including malfunctioning toilets, broken showers, and flooded cabins. Domenico Pianese, secretary of the police union, described the ship to local media as having "terrible sanitary conditions" and "unusable" facilities.
The officers have been relocated to alternative accommodations. Meanwhile, local prosecutors in Brindisi have launched an investigation into the substandard lodging, treating it as a potential case of "fraud in public supplies" due to the involvement of a government agency in the chartering process.
The Central Operational Police Service and the Brindisi police station are conducting a joint investigation. Initial findings confirm the presence of serious hygiene, health, and accommodation deficiencies on board.
The Goddess of the Night, a 2004-built vessel with a capacity of 2,700 passengers, is reportedly owned by Seajets, a Greek-Cypriot ferry operator. The company acquired the ship last year amidst a pandemic-induced downturn in the cruise industry.
Interestingly, the Goddess of the Night was undergoing preparations in drydock last month for a planned relaunch as an adults-only cruise ship under the brand Neonyx Cruises, reportedly another Seajets venture. Neonyx had already begun advertising cruises featuring renowned DJs, with departures scheduled from July.
The impact of the ship's detention on Neonyx's launch plans remains unclear. Neither Seajets nor Neonyx has issued a statement addressing the allegations made by the police union.
