Thread: Bizarre Story Involving MV Fairwinds

A woman says she was kept prisoner aboard the MV Fairwinds for years.

Here is part of the story, from Scientologists Hold Woman on Ship


Lateline, a news and current affairs programme in Australia, has been told by a resident that the Church of Scientology kept her prisoner on its The Freewinds cruise ship. Valeska Paris claims that David Miscavige, the church’s leader, sent her to the ship when she was 17 so that her mother couldn’t take her away from the belief. The woman, who is now 29, wasn’t allowed to leave the ship without an escort for the first six years. . .

The MV Fairwinds is owned by a trust controlled by the Church of Scientology.

In October, I did a short blog entry about the ship in Cruising Musings. An excerpt follows:


Here's a photo I took of the MV Freewinds several years ago in Barbados.

A little bit of her history:


She sailed the Caribbean, under charter to Commodore, as the Boheme from 1968 - 81, and was the first ship to sail a year-round seven night itinerary from Miami.


(snip)

Today, she is owned and run by companies connected with the Church of Scientology, and is used as a floating platform for their educational programs

Originally Posted by canarymoon

A woman says she was kept prisoner aboard the MV Fairwinds for years.

Here is part of the story, from Scientologists Hold Woman on Ship


Lateline, a news and current affairs programme in Australia, has been told by a resident that the Church of Scientology kept her prisoner on its The Freewinds cruise ship. Valeska Paris claims that David Miscavige, the church’s leader, sent her to the ship when she was 17 so that her mother couldn’t take her away from the belief. The woman, who is now 29, wasn’t allowed to leave the ship without an escort for the first six years. . .

What?!

OK -I've got to RE-read this one.

Thanks for posting....I think.

It's a strange one, that's for sure!

Originally Posted by canarymoon

It's a strange one, that's for sure!

Totally strange ....

With all the reports regarding Scientology anymore, nothing anyone claims would surprise me.

I agree that it is a ship but not currently a "cruise ship" as we refer to them.