After years of uncertainty and countless hours spent playing Call of Duty to pass the time, the crew of the abandoned Alfa Nero superyacht is finally set to receive a well-deserved six-figure payout, marking the end of their long wait.

This time last year, the superyacht Alfa Nero, a 267-foot Oceanco luxury vessel allegedly owned by Russian tycoon Andrey Guryev, was being called ill-fated. Its crew endured over two years of unpaid work, tirelessly maintaining the vessel while battling boredom and uncertainty. However, 2024 ended on a positive note for Alfa Nero.

After protracted legal battles, it was finally sold to a Turkish billionaire. By 2025, the pleasure craft had returned to business, gliding under the blissful Caribbean sun, marking a fresh chapter not just for the yacht but also for its resilient crew, who had stayed longer than anyone could have anticipated.

Now, their patience has paid off, quite literally. Following a court decision, crew members are set to receive a significant payout. What seemed like a drab, disheartening period has transformed into a well-deserved windfall. Nautilus International secured £890,000 ($1.9 million) in unpaid wages for its members who served aboard the previously sanctioned superyacht.

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According to the union, the breakthrough came on December 11, 2024, when the court ruled in favor of transferring the owed wages to their lawyers in Antigua. By January 9, 2025, the six-figure sum had finally reached the patient crew. Smiles must have been abundant, as their persistence was richly rewarded.

Andrey Guryev was the alleged owner of the Alfa Nero.

This outcome also brings hope to the crew of the Alfa Nero’s sister ship, Luminosity, who are enduring a similar plight. Ships may not pass through tunnels, but there’s certainly light at the end of this one. Charles Boyle, director of legal services at Nautilus International, acknowledged the complexities of the journey to justice, “This legal process has been long and gruelling, requiring extensive cooperation with our yacht team. But the union exists to ensure that our members receive the money they’ve worked hard to earn, no matter how long it takes.”

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Nautilus isn’t stopping with this victory. The union has applied to amend the court order to recover an additional $400,500, arguing that the court miscalculated some members’ wages. This could mean an even larger payout for the crew. All’s well that ends well, as the $120 million yacht, sold for a mere $40 million, now carefreely cruises the Caribbean and the Bahamas, available for charter and basking in its newfound freedom.