MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

“Crown Princess” surprise roll leaves 240 injured

Over 200 passengers were injured Tuesday when a luxury cruise vessel came close to capsizing off the coast of Florida. The unexpected roll sent holidaymakers flying off their sun loungers against railings and virtually emptied the swimming pools.

Stairwells and lift shafts of the 113.000 tons Crown Princess became waterfalls as the ship's four pools emptied over the 15 decks, which were left strewn with broken glass and blood. The vessel was carrying 3.400 passengers.

According to Princess Cruises the incident, suspected to have been caused by a faulty steering mechanism, happened 18 kilometres off the coast of Florida.

The company reported that approximately 240 passengers were treated on board with different injuries, 98 of which were transferred to hospitals in Florida. "All have since been released, except for three passengers and two crew members. They are expected to make full recovery".

Guests said they were left facing the sea or the sky as the 951ft vessel lurched to starboard. Elderly guests were thrown from their wheelchairs. A honeymooner, John Joyce, said: "I watched the grand piano come tumbling by. I just assumed my wife was already in the ocean."

Gymnasium equipment was overturned and slot machines in the casino were uprooted. Guests having treatments in the spa found themselves sliding along corridors on their massage tables.

The ship's poolside cinema had been scheduled to screen Titanic hours later.

Emergency services closed a road for a helicopter landing zone after the 1,157-cabin vessel, limped into Port Canaveral to disembark the injured. Inspectors from the US National Transportation Safety Board boarded the ship, which was built in Italy and has been in service for a month, to investigate.

The Crown Princess had left Port Canaveral on Tuesday and was heading to New York after a nine-day trip round the Caribbean that included stops in the Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.

Princess Cruises has two South America journeys planned for this coming 2006/07 season.

A 21 day Connoisseur Voyage travelling from Rio de Janiero to Buenos Aires, Golden Princess will visit Puerto Madryn and the Falkland Islands, before crossing Drake Passage to the Antarctic Peninsula. The ship will also sail around Cape Horn and to the ports of Ushuaia, Punta Arenas and Montevideo. Regal Princessis scheduled to sail along the mighty Amazon River.