Several Houston and Galveston area news outlets including KHOU-TV and The Houston Chronicle are reporting about passengers being injured onboard Princess Cruise Lines Grand Princess on February 4. The ship returned to Galveston on the 11th, but reports of the incident started trickling back from the ship not long afterwards when passengers started sending e-mails off the ship to friends, family and reportedly KHOU-TV.
The incident occured just two hours after the ship set sail on the Fourth. A passenger onboard suffered a heart attack, and according to a cruise line spokesman, after consulting with the Coast Guard the decision was made to turn the ship around. However, somebody onboard decided not to slow the ship down before executing the sharp turn causing the ship to roll sharply as the ship came about.
According to Princess Cruise Line spokesperson Karen Tetherow, the turn broke glassware and china onboard and several crew members and passengers suffered minor injuries. In addition passengers reported that the pools had spilled over into a dining area and some staterooms.
There's no word on the condition of the passenger who suffered the heart attack that prompted the ship to turn back. We do know he was transferred to a Coast Guard cutter who took him to shore for further treatment. 
More cruise related technology news, and it also comes from Seatrade Insider (registration required) which is reporting that MSC has completed wireless internet installations oboard the MSC Opera and MSC Lirica and plan to phase the service in onboard the rest of the MSC fleet.
Access will be available at designated hot spots located in public spaces onboard, including the guest reception areas, pool areas, libraries, coffee bars and certain other bars and lounges. No word yet on how much the service will cost. 
I guess if this wasn't a popular enough service the cruise lines wouldn't be adding this capability to their ships...
According to Seatrade Insider (registration required) Oceania Cruises and SeaMobile Inc have signed a deal that will bring cellular coverage to the ship while at sea. There arean't a lot of details yet, however what is known is that passengers will be billed for their calls by their cellular carrier.
It's probably a pretty good bet that the service will only available to those with GSM phones, in the US that means Cingular, T-Mobile and their affiliates. If you're a Sprint or Verizon customer you're probably out of luck. 
Hot on the heels of Royal Caribbean's project Genesis, Norwegian Cruise Lines has a unique announcement of their own... a full size 4 lane bowling alley onboard their latest ship the Norwegian Pearl. The alley will be part of a new entertainment, sports bar and night club area onboard called Bliss.
Bliss will have two personalities, during the day it will be a sports bar with a four lane bowling alley, multiple flat screen televisions, air hockey, foosball and arcade games. In the evenings the mood changes into that of a high energy ultra-lounge with with the plasma screens adding video tracks to the non-stop music spun by Norwegian Pearl’s own Vibe Master. A spacious dance floor, a full bar, and mood-lit bowling all add to the atmosphere of a totally unique seagoing experience.
More information and NCL's announcement after the jump.
NCL’S NEW NORWEGIAN PEARL TO OFFER CRUISE INDUSTRY FIRST: ONBOARD BOWLING ALLEY
MIAMI – February 7, 2006 - NCL’s next ship, Norwegian Pearl, will bowl over the cruise competition with a “striking” innovation – a full size, four lane, ten-pin bowling alley. The bowling alley is part of an all-new, all-day entertainment, sports bar and nightclub complex called Bliss. During the day, Bliss is a sports bar with a four lane bowling alley, multiple flat screen televisions to show sports events, and air hockey, foosball and other arcade games.
In the evening, in a complete change of mood, Bliss transforms into a hip, high-energy ultra-lounge, with the plasma screens adding video tracks to the non-stop music spun by Norwegian Pearl’s own Vibe Master. A spacious dance floor, a full bar, and mood-lit bowling all add to the atmosphere of a totally unique seagoing experience.
The venue is designed in deep reds, blues and purples and appointed with modern furniture including plush seating with high back chairs, day beds with cushions and pillows and comfortable banquettes near the bowling lanes.
“Bowling is one of America’s most popular recreational sports, with more than 69 million* participants in the United States,” said Colin Veitch, president and CEO of NCL. “We are constantly pushing the Freestyle Cruising theme on our ships – bringing our guests all kinds of unexpected opportunities to relax and have fun as the mood takes them. What better than to bring one of the most popular landside activities in the nation onto a ship.
“Will the ball roll perfectly true? Much of the time yes, and some of the time no. We won’t be hosting the world bowling championships; it’s just fun we’re shooting for! Bowling, drinking, dancing, and laughing with your friends and family. That’s a strike every time in our book!” Veitch said.
The entertainment complex during the day is also the perfect venue to host bowling parties for guests of all ages. Gutter bumpers will automatically pop up for kids’ bowling parties – or for adults who might need a little help with their scores.
With its finger on the pulse of what today’s more casual travelers want on vacation, NCL has debuted several novel onboard entertainment options in recent years. In 2005, NCL was the first cruise line to offer, on Pride of America, an onboard bungee trampoline, as well as a giant gyroscope, an exhilarating, open-air sphere originally designed for training astronauts in weightlessness.
In addition to the new bowling alley, Norwegian Pearl will also feature all the attributes of NCL’s dynamic modern Freestyle Cruising fleet including multiple restaurants, vibrant public rooms, versatile, family-friendly accommodations and NCL’s popular new style of accommodations - Courtyard Villas - which along with each ship’s two Garden Villas make up the biggest, most luxurious, most innovative suite complexes at sea. « Newer Articles — Older Articles »
