Cruise passengers were stuck on the Carnival Triumph cruise ship in February 2013 for nearly five days without power or working toilets. Now, those who were on board are sharing their stories in the Netflix documentary Trainwreck: Poop Cruise.
It’s the latest installment in Netflix’s Trainwreck series, which previously covered Woodstock ’99 and the 2021 Astroworld tragedy. In the 55-minute documentary, guests and crew members detailed the deteriorating conditions as waste piled up with nowhere to go.
At the time, the cruise was a media spectacle as those back home received periodic updates as cruisegoers detailed the filth and overwhelming stench they were forced to live with. Now, Netflix is revealing photos, video and firsthand accounts of everything that went wrong.
Keep scrolling for everything you need to know about Trainwreck: Poop Cruise.
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What Caused the So-Called Poop Cruise?
The infamous poop cruise began when a fire broke out in an engine room as the Carnival Triumph was on its way back to Galveston, Texas, to wrap a four-day journey. Though the fire was quickly extinguished and no one was hurt, the damage cut power to the ship and left its toilets unusable.
What Did Passengers Endure While Stranded?
By the first day, it became clear that waste was going to be a problem, as the staff instructed guests to urinate in the showers and to defecate in red plastic biohazard bags. Guests were then asked to leave the bags outside their rooms for collection as they piled up in the hallways.
The odor, marinating in the intense heat compounded by no working air conditioning, soon became overwhelming. One guest in the documentary recalled continuously taking Imodium in an effort to avoid using the bathroom.
In an effort to escape the heat, many guests moved their mattresses out of their rooms and onto the deck, where they could at least try to sleep in fresh air.
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In an effort to raise morale, the crew eventually decided to open the ship’s bar for free drinks, but it led to people urinating over the railings and throwing the red bags overboard (one crew member even recalled the wind blowing the bag back in a guest’s face).
Attempts to help those on board began almost immediately, with additional food and supplies arriving via boat within 24 hours. The supply crew was, however, unable to do anything about the lack of electricity, nor could they improve the sanitary conditions.
A rescue attempt by a group of tugboats proved to do more harm than good as the weather took a turn for the worse and the boats pulling on the ship caused it to tilt, sending sewage spilling out of the toilets and onto the floors.
“You would be walking down the hallway and all of a sudden you would hear, ‘Squish, squish, squish, squish.’ And you know what you’re standing in,” one guest recalls in the documentary.
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What Has Carnival Said About the Documentary?
Carnival released a statement around the documentary’s release, saying the incident was a “teachable moment for the entire cruise industry.” It also touted the health and safety upgrades the cruise line has made since the incident.
“A thorough investigation following the incident revealed a design vulnerability which was corrected and led Carnival Cruise Line to invest more than $500 million across our entire fleet in comprehensive fire prevention and suppression, improved redundancy and enhanced management systems, all in support of our commitment to robust safety standards,” the statement reads. “This is in addition to our vigorous Health, Environmental, Safety and Security (HESS) protocols that guide the entire Carnival Corporation fleet as we maintain our commitment to industry leadership in this area.”
The statement concludes, “We are proud of the fact that since 2013 over 53 million guests have enjoyed safe and memorable vacations with us, and we will continue to operate to these high standards.”
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What Was the Poop Cruise Fallout?
At long last, the ship was tugged to shore in Mobile, Alabama, after almost five days at sea. Guests on the poop cruise received “a full refund, transportation expenses, a $500 payment and a free cruise,” according to the documentary.
As for the Triumph itself, Carnival spent more than $115 million upgrading and refurbishing it, and it still sails today under the name Carnival Sunrise.
Maritime lawyer Frank Spagnoletti represented numerous passengers in a series of lawsuits after the fact, all of which were settled. The company was protected at the time by a clause in the cruise ticket contract that said it “makes absolutely no guarantee for safe passage, a seaworthy vessel, adequate and wholesome food, and sanitary and safe living conditions.”
The clause has since been removed from Carnival’s policy.
How Can I Watch ‘Trainwreck: Poop Cruise’?
Trainwreck: Poop Cruise is available to stream now on Netflix.
