CNN and USA TODAY are reporting that the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has issued a “no sail” warning for the Celebrity Mercury sailing out of Charleston, South Carolina. CNN quoted a CDC official stating the agency has yet to determine why earlier containment procedures have failed. CNN says CDC officials are currently onboard the Mercury conducting an investigating, and the agency has notified Celebrity of the “no sail” recommendation.

Celebrity Cruises has been struggling to contain continued outbreaks of suspected norovirus on the Mercury since mid-February. Celebrity issued a statement Monday, stating that a scheduled stop in Tortola, British Virgin Islands, was being skipped so the ship could return to Charleston a day earlier. The cruise line has had outbreaks on two previous cruises on Febuary 15, when 22.48 percent of the passengers became ill, and February 26, when 10.4 percent of the passengers became afflicted. Celebrity said there was a decline in the spread of illness on the current sailing, but declined to give exact numbers.

The Charleston Post and Courier newspaper has reported the source of the outbreaks may be coming from land rather than the ship. The paper reported outbreaks at three nursing homes, one school and an event held in the city.

Stay tuned for more information on this breaking story.

It was only a matter of time – in-stateroom gaming. Pittsburgh-based Allin Corporation has unveiled “DigiCasino” at the annual Cruise Shipping Convention in Miami. Allin Corporation says the casino application works on Allin “DigiHD” interactive stateroom televisions, which are currently available on a number of cruise ships.

The application offers a number of games and has a “interactive cashier” enabling guests to purchase or redeem gaming credits . The company hopes to launch the application on various ships in late 2010.

Stay tuned for more breaking cruise news as ExpertCruiser will be reporting live from Cruise Shipping Miami this week.

According to the Associated Press, Greek and Cypriot officials are confirming that 26-foot waves crashed into a cruise ship off the coast of France, smashing glass windshields and killing two passengers. Another six people suffered light injuries, a Greek coast guard statement says.

The accident occurred near the Marseilles, France on Wednesday as the Cypriot-based Louis Cruise Lines vessel Louis Majesty (formally the Norwegian Majesty) was sailing from Barcelona, Spain to Genoa, Italy carrying 1,350 passengers and 580 crew. The victims were only identified as a German and an Italian man.

Louis Cruise Lines spokesman Michael Maratheftis said the ship was hit by three “abnormally high” waves up to 26 feet high that broke glass windshields in the forward section. The ship is currently sailing back to Barcelona.

Three crew members were killed when the Costa Europa slammed into the dock at Sharm el-Sheik, Egypt, a Red Sea resort on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula. The Europa was carrying 1,437 passengers as it collided with the pier at approximately 4:45 a.m. local time Friday morning. Bad weather and high winds are believed to be the cause of the collision.

Costa, a subsidiary of Carnival Corporation, confirmed the three crew member deaths along with three passengers and a crew member who were admitted to a local hospital. The company says all guests have been disembarked and have been accommodated in hotels and will have flight arrangements back home in the coming days. Costa Europa was on an 18-day regular cruise from Dubai to Savona, with 1,437 guests on board. The ship built in 1986 is 55,000 tons and entered into the Costa Crociere fleet in 2002.