BREVARD COUNTY, Fla.,None — Foreclosure has left a lot of Central Florida homes empty and in limbo. WFTV found out it's doing the same to casino boats at Port Canaveral.
WFTV met with port officials Wednesday afternoon as they discussed the boats being a hazard in hurricane season. The foreclosed casino boats owed the Port a lot of money, nearly half a million dollars, but the Port is not expecting to see a dime of it out of the foreclosure procedures.
The ships could end up costing the Port more if the foreclosures don't go quickly or smoothly. For months, they have been sitting tied to the docks at Port Canaveral, four ships all together, three from the now-defunct Sun Cruise Casino line and the fourth from the Las Vegas Casino line.
The banks that hold the liens on them have kept them moored there until they get put on the auction block. But with no passengers and therefore no passenger fees, the Port is getting next to nothing for providing safe harbor.
"I'd just assume the Port not be used for a parking lot. That's not the business we are in," Port Canaveral CEO Stan Payne said.
With hurricane season around the corner, Port officials are now expressing concern about who will take care of the ships if the Port needs to be evacuated and there's no clear ownership over the ships.
"You end up with a good storm surge and one of them could end up on the banks, so they don't need to be here," Payne said.
When Sun Cruz went out of business, it left the Port without a gambling vessel for the first time in more than a decade. Port officials said they would welcome a working casino ship back.
"There are several people that are interested in buying the Surfside Princess at auction and keeping it in the Port at one of our smaller cruise terminals," Payne said.
But, in the meantime, they are still wondering what's going to happen with the ghosts of the gaming operations still haunting the port.
The Surfside Princess won't go on the auction block until the foreclosure process gets going. However, when that happens is anyone's guess.
WFTV
