Carnival Triumph sails after legal issue settled

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By Jamey Bergman and John Deiner, Cruise Critic

The 2,758-passenger Carnival Triumph, which a judge had ordered held in Galveston, is sailing today as planned, according to the Facebook page of Carnival cruise director John Heald.

The legal snafu developed after the relatives of a German tourist who died in the Costa Concordia disaster filed a $10 million lawsuit in federal court in Galveston, according to Bloomberg news service. Now, according to Heald, the line has "reached agreement on this matter and [it is] expecting the US Marshals to release the ship very soon." He followed it up soon after by saying the ship "will be sailing shortly."

Carnival Cruise Lines is the parent of Costa Cruises, whose ship hit a rock off the coast of Italy and capsized on January 13. More than 30 people died in the tragedy, and the ship remains on its side near the island of Giglio.

Bloomberg reported that the warrant ordering the ship held in port states that the ?court finds that the conditions for an attachment of defendants' joint and collective property within this district, mainly the MS Carnival Triumph, appear to exist upon an admiralty and maritime claim.?

Earlier in the day, Carnival told Cruise Critic in a statement, "We are aware of the situation and are working through the appropriate legal channels to resolve it. The litigation in question relates to a matter that involved a European-based cruise line that is a sister line to Carnival Cruise Lines. We are optimistic that the issues regarding the Carnival Triumph will be resolved and the ship will depart on its scheduled voyage later today."

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