Report: Cruiser steals painting from ship

Jason · October 4, 2012

An American who sailed to Bermuda last week on a Norwegian Cruise Line ship has admitted to stealing a copy of a Rembrandt painting from the vessel, Bermuda's Royal Gazette is reporting.

The Royal Gazette says Kevin Hudgeons, 43, of Kentucky, on Monday was fined $500 for the theft by a Bermuda judge. The news outlet says he had been caught on Friday trying to leave the 2,348-passenger Norwegian Star with the large painting, which is the size of a door and worth more than $13,000. Security camera video reportedly shows him removing it from a wall and carrying it to his cabin.

When confronted by security guards, Hudgeons said he was "going to mail it home," the Royal Gazette quotes a prosecutor as saying.

A defense lawyer for Hudgeons told the court he was on medication to treat opiate withdrawal and had been reported to be acting oddly by his wife, the news outlet says. She argued that he thought he had won the painting in a raffle.

The incident comes less than a month after a passenger on a Royal Caribbean ship visiting Bermuda admitted to stealing more than $3,000 worth of items from the vessel's spa.

By Gene Sloan, USA Today

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WeCruiseToo · October 4, 2012

Is it wrong that I find this really funny? I know the cruise line will charge you if you take a beach towel or a bathrobe with you, but a door-sized work of art? Wow… :ohmy:

Jan115 · October 5, 2012

I agree. The idea of trying to walk off a ship with a $13K painting the size of a large door is so absurd, we can't help but laugh. He thought he won it in a raffle? Heck of a contest. Where do I sign up!

BrianDavidBruns · October 6, 2012

Too funny. I've had small artwork walk away from my ship art auctions in the past, and a colleague had a six-foot tall painting with dayglo colors disappear once (they only found the discarded frame), but there is indeed something odd about this one!