Latest news with #GerryCahill
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Daily Mirror
'I was on vile "Poop Cruise" where sewage ran into cabins - the smell haunts me'
The infamous 'Poop Cruise' - where passengers were left stranded without any power and had to poo in bags - made global headlines back in 2013 as the chaos unfolded Netflix documentary series Trainwreck explores some of the most bizarre, jaw-dropping, and at times downright revolting events in recent history. One particularly unforgettable episode focuses on a maritime disaster that made global headlines: the infamous 'Poop Cruise'. In February 2013, the Carnival Triumph cruise ship set sail from Galveston, Texas, with more than 4,000 passengers and crew onboard, bound for a leisurely four-day Caribbean getaway. But the holiday quickly unravelled into chaos. On the third day, a fire erupted in the aft engine room. Though the blaze was quickly extinguished and no injuries were reported, it critically damaged the ship's main power systems. The Triumph was left drifting in the Gulf of Mexico without propulsion, or basic functioning utilities. With the power out, vital systems failed, including air conditioning, refrigeration, and most importantly, the sewage and sanitation infrastructure. What followed was a nightmare. Toilets stopped working. Raw sewage began leaking into hallways and cabins, filling the ship with a stench described by passengers as unbearable. Many were forced to relieve themselves in plastic bags and red biohazard bags, as bathrooms became unusable. With the air conditioning offline, temperatures inside soared, making the interior suffocatingly hot and humid. Dozens of passengers chose to sleep on open decks just to escape the heat and foul odours. Food quickly became scarce. Without refrigeration, the crew did what they could, serving cold sandwiches and sparse meals often consisting of little more than bread and vegetables. Water was rationed, and tensions steadily rose. Although communication with the outside world was limited, word of the ship's grim conditions quickly spread. Images of the stranded vessel and its desperate passengers went viral, drawing international media attention. After five gruelling days, the Carnival Triumph was finally towed to port in Mobile, Alabama, bringing an end to the ordeal, but not to the controversy. In the aftermath, investigations uncovered troubling details. CNN obtained documents showing only four of the ship's six generators were functioning before departure, and that Carnival had prior knowledge of both fire hazards and fuel line issues. Records revealed nine separate fuel line incidents in just two years, raising serious questions about the company's maintenance practices and safety protocols. As lawsuits mounted and scrutiny of the cruise industry intensified, Carnival found itself in damage control. Then-President and CEO Gerry Cahill issued a public apology, saying: 'I want to again apologise to our guests and their friends and families. The situation on board was difficult and we are very sorry for what has happened. We pride ourselves on providing our guests with a great vacation experience and clearly we failed in this case.' Kimberly Townsend, a 54-year-old mother of two and grandmother of three, was among 31 passengers who sued Carnival, holding the company accountable for what they describe as a disastrous voyage. In her testimony, Townsend gave a vivid and emotional account of the harrowing days spent aboard the disabled ship stranded in the Gulf of Mexico. She described terrified passengers crowding the decks, worried for their safety, while foul-smelling toilets overflowed into hallways. There was no power, near-total darkness, long waits for limited water, and a severe lack of food. Townsend recalled finally managing to reach her mother by phone once the crippled ship was towed into Mobile, Alabama - arriving days late from what was meant to be a dream vacation. She told the court she had begged her mother to come get her right away. As she recounted the moment, her voice faltered, she looked down, and began to sob in the witness chair. She was one of several passengers from the Carnival Triumph who took the stand, some breaking down in tears, as they spoke about the ordeal and the emotional toll that still lingers a year later. 'I did not get physically injured. I got mentally injured,' testified Jean Cripps, a 74-year-old grandmother who suffers from Parkinson's disease. She went on the cruise with her husband, Alton, who has diabetes and a hurt leg that forced him to retire disabled. The elderly couple was on the cruise as a present from their son, David, and grandson, Easton, who went with them. 'It never ends, the whole experience never ends,' testified Cripps. 'It's over and over again. We had two good days,' she said, referring to the first days of the cruise. 'But that's not what I think about. I think about the smell, the stench and the bad things. All the memories come flooding back, and I can't stop them.' Among the worst memories, Cripps testified, was the fear that the ship, which listed severely after the fire, would actually turn over and sink. 'It was a horrible experience,' testified Michelle Key, 48, who went on the cruise with her mother, Fleda Key, 68. 'I walked through water and faeces and urine, no telling what else,' she testified. 'We would slip and slide through greasy, gross, slippery muck,' she said, adding 'it was very difficult' for her mother. Fleda Key described having terrible diarrhoea on numerous occasions and having difficulty finding any toilets that were not overflowing. 'There was lots of urine and faeces all the way up to the rim of every one,' she said, explaining she 'choked away the smell'. Like many of the witnesses, she testified that she lived for days in total fear that they might not finish the voyage alive. 'I was fearful, downright afraid and scared,' said Fleda.
Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
What happened on the Carnival Triumph ‘poop cruise'? Netflix Trainwreck documentary explained?
NEW Netflix documentary series Trainwreck explores some of the world's weirdest and most wonderful events, as well as its most disgusting. Here we look at an episode of the show dedicated to an extreme example of the latter that took place on the Carnival Triumph — aptly titled Poop Cruise. 4 The Carnival Triumph ran into trouble in the Gulf of Mexico in February 2013, causing the sewage system to fail Credit: Getty 4 Things got so bad passengers slept on the the deck Credit: AP:Associated Press 4 A passenger kissing the ground after stepping off the Carnival Triumph in Alabama Credit: AFP What happened on the Carnival Triumph? In February 2013, the Carnival Triumph cruise ship became the center of an international media storm after a disastrous voyage that would later be dubbed the 'poop cruise'. The ship, carrying more than 4,000 passengers and crew, set sail from Galveston, Texas, for what was supposed to be a relaxing four-day trip to the Caribbean. But the journey took a dramatic turn for the worse on day three when a fire broke out in the aft engine room. Although the crew quickly extinguished the blaze and no one was hurt, the fire knocked out the ship's main power supply. This left it adrift in the Gulf of Mexico without propulsion and most of its essential systems. With the loss of power, the Triumph's air conditioning, refrigeration and, most critically, its sewage and sanitation systems failed. This unsurprisingly created nightmarish conditions for everyone on board the stricken luxury liner. Toilets stopped working and raw sewage began seeping into hallways and cabins, producing an overwhelmingly unpleasant stench, as well as an unsafe and unsanitary environment. Many passengers reported that they had to use plastic bags and red biohazard bags for waste — the restrooms were totally unusable. The lack of air conditioning made the interior of the ship unbearably hot and humid, prompting many to sleep on open decks in an effort to escape the oppressive heat and foul smell. Crippled cruise ships docks in Alabama Food supplies quickly dwindled as refrigeration units failed. While the crew did everything within their power to provide meals with what little they had, passengers were soon eating cold sandwiches and makeshift meals, often consisting of little more than bread and vegetables. Water was rationed, with the overall atmosphere on the ship growing tense as the days dragged on. Communication with the outside world was limited, but news of the dire conditions spread quickly, with images of the ship and its suffering passengers quickly spreading around the world. After five days stranded at sea, the Carnival Triumph was finally towed to port in Mobile, Alabama, ending the horrific ordeal. The situation on board was difficult and we are very sorry for what has happened. We pride ourselves on providing our guests with a great vacation experience and clearly we failed in this case Former Carnival President and CEO Gerry Cahill But the fallout was just beginning, with investigations revealing that Carnival had been aware of certain maintenance issues and fire risks on the ship prior to the voyage. This raised serious questions about the company's safety protocols and preparedness. CNN obtained documents showing only four of the six generators working, and the company knew about the fire hazard posed by the generators when they set sail. These documents revealed that the company was also aware of the fuel line leaks that contributed to the fire, CNN reported. The documents also showed that there had been nine incidents with fuel lines in just two years. 4 Netflix's poster for Trainwreck: Poop Cruise Credit: Netflix Lawsuits followed and the cruise industry as a whole faced renewed scrutiny over its emergency procedures and passenger safety standards. Former Carnival President and CEO Gerry Cahill said: "I want to again apologize to our guests and their friends and families. 'The situation on board was difficult and we are very sorry for what has happened. "We pride ourselves on providing our guests with a great vacation experience and clearly we failed in this case." Poop Cruise Netflix's documentary series Trainwreck revisits this infamous event in an episode titled Poop Cruise Offering first-hand accounts from passengers and crew who endured the ordeal, the doc recounts how the technical failures occurred and squalid conditions this created. Exploring how quickly a dream vacation can transform into hell on earth, Poop Cruise also looks into the psychological impact of the experience on the people involved. Episodes of Trainwreck started dropping on Netflix on June 10, 2025, with Poop Cruise available for streaming from June 24.
