Progreso, Yucatán — Five years after making international headlines for all the wrong reasons, the Carnival Triumph docks today at Progreso, just as it does regularly.
It’s a five-year anniversary the cruise line and passengers would surely rather forget.
The whole world seemed to be watching as the Carnival Triumph finally reached land and docked at Mobile, Ala. This followed five days stranded at sea with no hot water or toilets, but plenty of smells.
Problems began Sunday, Feb. 10, 2013, as the Triumph was headed to Progreso. An engine fire started in the engine room, knocking out the power on the ship when it was about 140 miles off the Yucatecan coast.
After tugboats were dispatched from Mobile, the Triumph arrived in Mobile Bay by Valentine’s Day.
Many of the 4,000 people on board called it the cruise from hell, complaining of food shortages, raw sewage in the hallways and a terrible smell. That led to another unfortunate phrase that circulated: reporters repeated the phrase “poop cruise” more than once.
The news spread worldwide, with help from CNN’s aerial footage showing the Triumph as it was escorted across the Gulf to the U.S. Decks stacked up with passengers waving white S.O.S sheets could be seen draped over the railing.
Passengers had escaped to the upper decks to get away from the stench of the ship.
Now, five years later, the Triumph is on its way to Progreso, according a Thursday-morning check at seascanner.com. The ship is based in New Orleans and, aside from Progreso, travels to the Western Caribbean.
Source: WKRG-TV, Mobile, Ala.
