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Poop Cruise makes 'Number 1' in TV ratings
If you're looking for something new to binge watch on TV this weekend, and if you have a strong stomach, then you might just enjoy the latest offering from Netflix about the Cruise Holiday gone wrong, better known as the 'Poop Cruise'.
Luxury Cruise holidays have grown in popularity over the past decade or so, with thousands upon thousands of us choosing to sail around the Mediterranean, the Bahamas or the Scandinavian Fjords, to name just a few of the destinations on offer every year.
Netflix timed it well with the release of this latest holiday horror for the senses documentary entitled 'Trainwreck – Poop Cruise' which shows graphic footage of the aftermath of a fire onboard the Carnival Triumph Luxury Liner in 2013. Pic: Courtesy of Netflix © 2025
The new documentary – and the clue is in the name, looks back on the really 'crap' time thousands of holidaymakers had on board the luxurious vessel, and memories of that infamous time are still burned into the minds of the unfortunate passengers and crew who found themselves trapped on board, with no toilets, for five long days.
After the 14-storey ship lost its electricity as a result of a freak accidental fire in the engine room, passengers were no longer able to flush the toilets, and the situation quickly turned desperate and very unsanitary for the 4,000 people who were trapped onboard the ship in the Gulf of Mexico for almost a week.
The journey was supposed to be a four-day pleasure cruise from Galveston in Texas to Cozumel in Mexico, but the blaze, which was contained to the engine room of the enormous vessel, turned out to have huge repercussions for the whole ship. GULF OF MEXICO – FEBRUARY 11: In this handout from the U.S. Coast Guard, A member of the GCG Vigorous watches as the cruise ship Carnival Triumph sits idle February 11, 2013 in the Gulf of Mexico. According to the Coast Guard, the ship lost propulsion power February 10, after a fire broke out in the engine room. (Photo by Paul McConnell/U.S. Coast Guard via Getty Images)
The flames destroyed cables supplying the whole luxury liner with electricity and resulting in no power, lighting, refrigeration, or air-conditioning, but even worse than all of those, no way to flush the toilets.
Passengers interviewed for the documentary told tales of the entire ship stinking of urine and worse, and of being initially being told by crew that they could do a 'number 1' in the showers, passengers were then instructed to collect red plastic 'Poo Bags' from the crew, and after use, these bags which would then be disposed of in bins on board the vessel.
There were stories of queuing up for cold sandwiches, and of food running out, of people making up makeshift beds on the ships deck because the heat in the cabins was unbearable with no air-con and flooded floors, and tensions running high among passengers. Kalin, Ashley and Jayme in Trainwreck: Poop Cruise. Pic: Netflix © 2025
Along with interviews with passengers, and crew members who were on board, the hour-long Netflix special also features camera footage from holidaymakers, showing hallways and cabins destroyed with fecal matter and urine.
With no power, the ship was drifting aimlessly in the Gulf of Mexico for days before finally being towed to Mobile in Alabama where the passengers eventually disembarked. Carnival Cruise Lines is believed to have reimbursed everyone for their ruined vacations.
The company is also thought to have spent more than $500 million dollars to implement a range of new measures across their entire fleet of ships, dealing with everything from fire prevention to enhanced management systems on board their luxury vessels.
The documentary is streaming now on Netflix.
