It Was the Worst of Times — Remembering the Infamous Carnival Poop Cruise of 2013

For some reason, cruises really get a lot of flak from folks who have usually never been on one. If you book the right one, how could anyone be mad at a floating good time?

There are tons of things to do on the ship itself, such as swimming, live entertainment, spa days, and an all-you-can-eat buffet that might have a chocolate fountain if you're lucky.

Depending on where you're traveling, there are always days set aside where passengers can disembark and take advantage of the sights.

Whether it's an island paradise or a city worth exploring, it's just enough time to drink things in before it's time to return to the enormous ocean hotel. Before we get ahead of ourselves, there is one ill-fated adventure worth mentioning, and it happened on the Carnival Triumph.

Hold onto your bottoms because this was a bumpy ride.

According to CNN, the Carnival Triumph set sail from Galveston, Texas, on Feb. 7, 2013. Three days later, a fire broke out in a diesel generator off the coast of Mexico.

Although the blaze in the engine room was quickly put out, the damage resulted in a loss of power, which meant the ship was relying on a backup generator. Without propulsion, the Carnival Triumph would have to be towed back to port, reported ABC News.

Although this was clearly inconvenient and a disappointment for the ship's 3,143 passengers, things got much worse. During the five days they were stranded, things fell apart in a way comparable to Lord of the Flies.

As food began to run out, passengers were stuck waiting in line for hours to receive the bare minimum. Arguments frequently broke out over provisions. Without anyone properly managing what people took, folks at the end of the food lines were left with very little.

Those with cell phones could detail the horrors of the cruise with friends and family on shore, per The Independent. There was no electricity or air conditioning, but that's almost quaint compared to the plumbing issues.

Kim McKerreghan spoke with CNN while her 10-year-old daughter and ex-husband were trapped on the ship. She told the outlet that conditions had gotten so bad that passengers were asked to "use the restroom in bags."

Because the toilets were overflowing, the carpets were soaked with urine and fecal matter. "It’s disgusting. It’s the worst thing ever," said passenger Ann Barlow.

This led to people sleeping in tents on the deck of the ship. Many had to fight the urge to vomit due to the overwhelming stench. The ship finally arrived in Mobile, Ala., on Valentine's Day.

Documents obtained by CNN later revealed that Carnival was well aware of numerous issues with the Triumph before the Poop Cruise incident. The ship set sail with only four working generators, of six, despite previous fire hazards. The diesel generator that caught fire was long overdue for maintenance, per maintenance reports.

There were also problems with leaking fuel lines in other ships, which created problems similar to what happened on the Triumph.

When all was said and done, Carnival spent $115 million on the Triumph and renamed it the Carnival Sunrise, per Time.

Each passenger received a full refund, $500, transportation reimbursements, and a voucher for another cruise.