Cruise ship full of sick passengers docks in Galveston

  GALVESTON, TX -- A Crown Princess cruise ship on which about 100 passengers came down with a stomach virus during a 20-day trip to Italy has docked in Galveston.

Officials said about 96 passengers and six crew members contracted norovirus, a highly contagious gastrointestinal illness that includes vomiting, diarrhea and fever.

Sick passengers were quarantined for three days. They received medical care in their rooms, which were also sanitized three times a day.

"I thought I was gonna die," said 63-year-old Gail Olezene of San Antonio. Olezene said she got sick three days after the Crown Princess left for Italy.

She was upset the company charged her for the medical care she received.

"We got sick on their ship, and they charged us to make us better," Olezene told the Houston Chronicle. "The fact that they charged us anything was outrageous."

The ship left Venice on Dec. 2 and arrived in Galveston early Saturday. On Thursday, officials with Princess Cruises released a statement saying the number of sick passengers aboard the ship had returned to normal levels.

Spokeswoman Karen Candy said the ship would be disinfected in Galveston.

Passenger Cathy Michaud, 65, said the ship was sanitized when the virus spread, and extra precautions were taken.

"We couldn't even touch the salt shakers," she said.

Rosemary Nonhof, a 67-year-old from Spring, Texas, said she enjoyed the trip -- even though she caught the virus.

"I'd rather be sick on a cruise than sick at home," Nonhof said.

(Copyright ©2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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Disney Magic cruise ship sails out of Galveston

GALVESTON, TX (KTRK) -- The Disney Magic cruise ship made its maiden voyage from Galveston to the Caribbean on Saturday.

It was quite the sight to see the black hull of the Disney ship, since most people on the island are used to seeing the white hulls of Carnival and Royal Caribbean ships.

About 100 people came out to watch the Magic slip into its berth.

For years, the main industry in Galveston has been tourism, and the cruise business is part of that. But on Saturday, you could say the island's ship really came in.

Early Saturday morning, the Disney Magic sailed into the Galveston ship channel to a Texas welcome. The Disney cruise line is new to these waters.

Guests in the first group to sail from Texas on a Disney ship boarded early -- some in T-shirts they designed themselves.

It is the characters Walt Disney brought to life to which kids young and old can relate, but the magic of Disney goes beyond that. There are luxury touches on the Magic, such as a rainforest spa for tired travellers and opulent dining rooms -- one for adults only.

But it's the family-friendly element that's attracting guests, like the Lawsons from Oklahoma. This is their very first cruise, and they're here because the Magic's new home port is Galveston...

"That's what made the decision to go ahead and do it," Adam Lawson said. "We wanted to go but couldn't afford the airfare to Florida plus the cruise. So you just got in the car and drove."

They arrived a day early for the cruise, which means they spent money on the island. That's a ripple effect of having a high-profile ship like this. Travel agents expect a lot of that.

"It has been such a phenomenal savings opportunity for our clients," said Theresa Corey with Fairy Godmother Travel. "They love saving on the airfare. They don't have to fly into Anaheim or Orlando."

The Magic sailed down the channel late Saturday afternoon, bound for the western Caribbean and two ports of call.

The inaugural voyage from the port of Galveston is a six-night cruise. Four- and eight-night cruises are being added next year.

Disney is the parent company of ABC13.

For more information about cruises on the Disney Magic, visit the Disney Cruise Line website.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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Suit: Cruise operator negligent in passenger death

  GALVESTON, TX -- Carnival Cruise Lines is being sued for negligence by relatives of a woman who bled to death after falling on a water glass in her room last year.

The suit this week in federal court in Galveston says 39-year-old Angel Holcomb, of Hitchcock, became ill after several drinks at the ship's casino, became severely drunk and accuses Carnival of failing to ensure she didn't become impaired.

According to the suit, she went to the bathroom in her room for some water, fell and cut an artery. Her fiance called for emergency help but the suit alleges crew members weren't trained properly. She eventually had a heart attack brought on by blood loss.

The Galveston County Daily News reported Thursday Carnival officials declined to comment on pending litigation.

(Copyright ©2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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