A steering problem caused a new cruise ship to roll abruptly Tuesday, throwing passengers and crew to the deck and injuring dozens, including two critically, officials said. One passenger said seawater flooded several upper decks of the Crown Princess, forcing water from a swimming pool "like a mini-tsunami," and breaking windows and furniture. The vessel, with about 3,100 passengers and 1,200 crew, had just departed Port Canaveral on Florida's east coast en route to New York when it listed badly to its left side, said Coast Guard spokesman Petty Officer James Judge. He said the ship reported problems with its steering apparatus. The ship then righted itself before returning to port, where the Coast Guard said all passengers and crew had been accounted for. Besides an adult and a child who were critically hurt, 12 people were seriously hurt and about 70 had lesser injuries, said Cape Canaveral Fire Rescue Capt. Jim Watson. Thirty-three people were taken to hospitals, he said. Most had bruises and minor back and neck injures. Tom Daus, 32, was sunbathing on the ship's upper deck when the ship began to list. "It became very disastrous because ... tables, glasses, lounge chairs went flying," he told The Associated Press in a cell phone interview. "I was just holding on for dear life onto the bannister of the ship."
