GALVESTON — Several passengers and crew aboard a Princess Cruises ship were injured Saturday when the vessel took a sharp turn in open water.
Two hours after the 2,600-passenger Grand Princess left the Port of Galveston at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, a passenger suffered a heart attack and required urgent onshore medical attention.
After the decision was made to turn the ship around, the vessel experienced a “roll greater than normal” during the execution of the turn, a Princess Cruises spokesman said.
When the ship turned, 14 passengers and nine crew members suffered cuts and bruises. They were treated on the ship.
“The safety and well-being of our passengers and crew are our top priority, and we sincerely apologize for any distress this incident may have caused,” said Karen Tetherow, manager of media relations for Princess Cruises.
An unidentified passenger aboard the ship sent an e-mail to The Daily News on Saturday night saying the vessel had come to a stop while the sick passenger was being removed.
U.S. Coast Guard personnel met the ship about eight miles offshore and took the sick passenger ashore.
The ship then continued on its planned seven-day cruise to the western Caribbean, and is scheduled to return to Galveston early Saturday morning.
The Grand Princess began sailing weekly from Galveston in November and will continue its departures through April.
