Crew Members Removed From Victory's Two Ships

By Peter Knego

QuirkyCruise Contributor and Ship Expert Peter Knego shares his commentary below, based on his extensive cruise experience and contacts within the cruise industry.

Updated August 16, 2025

Following my original report below, I learned about another incident happened on May 30 when 18 crew members were similarly deported without any recourse, from the Carnival Sunshine. The cruise lines continue to remain silent in the face of these arrests. The website Reason.com published a story with more details.

Having been on the maiden restart cruise of Victory Cruise Lines splendid Victory I this past April from Toronto to Chicago, on the Great Lakes, I cannot say enough positive things about this intimate ship and her hard working crew. And unlike most maiden or inaugural voyages, there were no operational hiccups, largely due to the dedication and extra efforts of the cabin stewards, the bartenders and the dining staff, who were literally becoming familiar with the ship, themselves, in addition to catering to the needs and whims of the guests.

I know I am not alone in my praise for the Victory’s crew, who are like a well honed community or even a small family and work so closely together.

VIDEO: Click here to see a top-to-bottom video tour of the Victory I.

So, when someone aboard the Victory I reached out to me this week with some distressing new developments, I at first wanted to believe what I was being told couldn’t possibly be true. I thought surely there must be some misunderstanding or perhaps I wasn’t getting the full story.

My contact informed me that eight of the Victory I’s crew were “taken off the ship, handcuffed and then paraded to a plane in chains, with their visas cancelled for 10 years.” They went on to say that many distressed crew were talking of leaving when the ship arrives in Chicago and and that this was feeling like “an emergency.”

They also said that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) gave no explanation for the arrests, not even to the Victory I’s captain. The incident occurred in Detroit three days after a similar raid on the Victory II, which resulted in the deportation of five crew members.

Travel Weekly Reports On This Unfolding Story.

In Journalist Johanna Jainchill's story this week for Travel Weekly, her reporting includes these excerpts:

“Crew members from Victory Cruise Lines' two ships, the Victory I and Victory II, were removed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) during the ships' routine operations in the Port of Detroit, according to the cruise line.

A CBP spokesperson said the federal agency is involved in an ongoing operation on the Great Lakes and that due to the nature of this operation, they are unable to provide further details at this time.

“‘We are actively cooperating with federal authorities to clarify the circumstances, and my priority is always our crew and the experience for our guests,” said John Waggoner, the founder and chairman of Victory. “We wish to thank federal, state and local representatives across the Great Lakes for their prompt and continued attention to this matter.'…..”

Read the FULL Travel Weekly story here.

I reached out to another source in the region, and soon learned not only was this true but that it was not an isolated incident. My other contact was informed by a local pilot that nine crew from Viking Cruises' Viking Octantis were removed in Detroit and three more in Duluth. He said they were forced to sign a paper saying they were guilty of “something to do with child pornography and sent back to the Philippines as well as having their visas revoked, otherwise, it they did not sign, they would be taken to prison with no evidence presented and no due process”.

Peter Knego reports that Crew Members have been removed from Victory I and II — Victory I in Detroit. * Photo: Peter Knego

Crew Are Vetted by International Agencies

This is especially puzzling because all crew are culled and vetted by international agencies. In Victory’s case, that is the Anglo-Eastern Group, who work in tandem with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. This is in addition to them being vetted by their home countries. For the Filipino workers, that initial vetting is done by the equivalent of the FBI in the Philippines. Once cleared, these crew members are issued special work visas called C1D’s that are mandatory for employment on U.S. based ships.

During the Victory I incident, which occurred in open view on the Detroit River Walk, a female cabin attendant from Nicaragua was seen being detained. It was later relayed through another crew member that she is close with that she refused to sign the “confession” papers and was forced to spend the night in a place termed “the tunnel” and ultimately sent back to her home country, but thankfully not some remote prison.

One waiter on Victory I was allegedly accused of child pornography based on a photo he posted of his infant son in a bassinet in 2008. Despite his informing the CBP agents that the image was of his own son, his visa was revoked and he was deported.

In another case, I was informed that “the CBP let one of the accused stay because he was an engineer and the ship would not have been able to leave port without him. The captain was told he better get a replacement as when the boat got back to Detroit, that engineer would be removed.”

My contact shared that “Crew morale is terrible. Some are thinking of leaving now while they still can. If too many leave, the boats can’t sail. Passenger mood is subdued. The captain has met with the passengers and crew. None of the crew is to talk to the media.”

This is such a heartbreaking development and also may be a harbinger for what is yet to come with other ships with foreign crews based in the U.S. I was told by my source that one of the Victory officer’s brothers was recently on a Miami-based Celebrity ship where 40 crew were deported in a similar raid. That, unfortunately, I cannot confirm, although I have no reason to doubt it is true. What puzzles me is that the companies involved are keeping so quiet, which is enabling CBP to make these broad sweeps with no consequences for their actions.

Instead of keeping quiet, wouldn’t it be much more beneficial for the cruise lines to band together, provide legal support for those accused and to make these indiscriminate raids known to the cruising public?

Unlike the many undocumented immigrants currently being detained and or deported by ICE agents across the U.S., these workers have already been vetted and have visas.

Further, they are not living in the U.S. or even seeking to do so. The consequences of them not only losing their jobs but being either imprisoned or deported with a 10-year visa suspension based on mere accusations and being provided no legal recourse are devastating to not only the individuals but to the families and loved ones they are often supporting through their work.

It is also seriously affecting the morale of their fellow workers on the ships thus far involved and many crew are either self deporting or considering doing so in order to not have their work visas suspended for ten years.

In the Victory case, according to my source, a positive and necessary development is that owner/CEO John Waggoner embarked the Victory 1 at Mackinac Island and is addressing the issue with both crew and passengers.

My witness stated that Waggoner described these incidents as “an unprecedented atrocity.” Waggoner has committed to providing legal assistance to any crew who are affected and has a legal team ready to assist when the ship arrives in Chicago on July 17.

Peter Knego reports that Crew Members have been removed from Victory I & II, ship recently christened by CEO John Waggoner — Victory I christening ceremony in Toronto in April 2025. * Photo: Peter Knego

In the short term, I fear if Victory loses more crew members, it may force them to cancel sailings, operate only one of the two ships and/or divert their ships from U.S to Canadian ports. This would be such an unnecessary and devastating result of these raids as the product, crew and itineraries Victory is providing are so rich and unique.

In the long term, if these raids continue without any consequences, I feel the results could be catastrophic for the U.S. based cruise industry.

Obviously, if a crew member is proven guilty of child pornography or other crimes after being properly represented, then, of course, deportation or imprisonment is warranted. But to round up people, threaten them and force them to sign documents with no legal recourse is wreaking havoc on peoples’ lives and contrary to everything this nation stands for.

We can do better.

This is a developing story, so please stay tuned for updates about the crew members removed from Victory's two ships.