Gambling ship headed to Haiti

RIVIERA BEACH- Our area's only gambling cruise ship is apparently headed to Haiti.
Right now the Palm Beach Princess sits at its berth at the Port of Palm Beach in Riviera Beach.  The ship's Web site says its day cruises are suspended until further notice.
Thursday Port Director Manny Almira said the company that owns the Princess, has told him it will move the Princess to Haiti in the next week--  to provide housing for aide workers there.
In recent months, the Princess has had engine problems and labor troubles.  The company is in bankruptcy.  And regulators had given the Princess until fall to make major safety improvements to the ship.
Princess owners have been promising for weeks they would acquire a replacement vessel, instead of continuing to operate the ship now at the Port of Palm Beach.  The Princess website indicates cruises will resume when the new vessel arrives.

Almira said he was told a few Princess employees will go with the ship to Haiti.  Other workers would be returned to their home countries.
Among some employees, there is speculation the move to Haiti is a way to get rid of employees.  Staff members at the Princess office Thursday said they could not comment, but released a statement late Thursday.

The statement says Ocean Development decided to halt operations here due to expenses. They are also in negotiations with a company that wants to charter the boat as a recreational floating hotel to entertain relief workers in Haiti.

The company is hoping to resume a gambling cruise with a different boat in the future.