Cruise ships marketed as floating resortswith restaurants, pools, entertainment and sea views all wrapped into one single holiday. But if something goes seriously wrong at sea, the same ships can quickly become one nightmare.
TikTok creator Preston (@ship_facts), whose account focuses on facts about ships and cruise ships, recently shared the story behind one of the most infamous cruise incidents in modern history.
In a video that garnered over 35,400 views, Preston explained what he says happened on the Carnival Triumph in 2013 when the ship became commonly known as the “poop cruise.”
What happened on the Carnival Triumph?
“This is what actually happened on a cruise ship that became known as the Poop Cruise,” says Preston.
According to Preston, the incident happened in 2013 while the Carnival Triumph sailed in the Gulf of Mexico.
“In 2013, a cruise ship known as the Carnival Triumph experienced one of the most infamous cruise incidents in modern history,” he says.
Preston says the problem started when a fire broke out in the ship.
“An engine fire in the aft section of the ship caused a complete loss of power to large parts of the vessel,” he explains.
According to Preston, that loss of power affected several key systems on board. These included propulsion, air conditioning, refrigeration and sanitary systems.
The last part, he says, is where things got particularly bad for the passengers.
“Now, here’s where things quickly escalated,” says Preston.
Preston says there were thousands of passengers on board and many parts of the ship no longer had functioning toilets.
“With thousands of passengers on board and no working toilets in most parts of the ship, conditions became extremely difficult very quickly,” he says.
According to Preston, the ship was left adrift at sea. On board, emergency crews worked to restore power and get the vessel into port.
Meanwhile, he says, passengers had to be moved into more stable areas of the ship while crew members worked to manage food, safety and sanitation with limited resources.
Preston says the ship was eventually towed to Mobile, Alabama, after being stranded for nearly five days.
According to Preston, the infamous nickname came from the sanitary problems passengers faced after the ship lost power.
Did the incident change cruise ships?
According to Preston, the Carnival Triumph incident also had a lasting effect on the cruise industry.
“But here’s the important part,” he says. “This incident completely changed how cruise ships are designed and operated today.”
Preston says modern cruise ships now have stronger backup systems, improved power distribution and better emergency response protocols.
These systems, he explains, are meant to prevent another situation like the one experienced by passengers on the Carnival Triumph.
“While cruise ships are incredibly safe today, events like this are exactly why these safety systems exist,” says Preston.
What happened to the ship after?
Despite the nickname, Carnival Triumph did not disappear after the incident, with Carnival later repairing the ship and returning it to service. So in 2019, the shipping company gave the ship a major makeover and renamed it Carnival sunrise.
According to Carnival, the ship received a nearly $200 million renovation. It added new onboard dining, drinking and entertainment spaces.
Passengers also received compensation after the ordeal in 2013. Carnival said at which time guests from that sailing would receive a full refund, reimbursement of transportation expenses, a future cruise credit and an additional payment of $500.
However, the compensation did not erase the public memory of what happened. More than a decade later, the Carnival Triumph incident was turned into a Netflix documentary titled “Trainwreck: Poop Cruise.”
BroBible has reached out to Carnival Cruise Line and Preston via email for comment.
