Carnival Cruise Passengers Worsening Conditions. It will not be until Thursday when a crippled Carnival Cruise Lines vessel in the Gulf of Mexico is expected to reach Mobile, Ala.
Until then, according to an ABC News report, passengers are dealing with worsening conditions that are frustrating and threatening to sicken many on board.
This is the third day that the Carnival Triumph has been floating freely in the Gulf of Mexico after fire cut essentials to passengers over the weekend. Food is scarce, the electricity is off, and the sanitary conditions on board are deplorable, according to at least one passenger who was using the fleeting cell phone service aboard the ship to text messages to the news source.
Passengers aboard the ship were fed cucumber and onion sandwiches last night for dinner and many spent the night sleeping in tents on the decks of the ship because their cabins had become overrun with the stench of urine and waste because the toilets inside are not flushing and water is spilling everywhere. On Sunday, some passengers opted for empty buckets they found on board to serve as a makeshift restroom.
Working Bathrooms Is Extremely Limited
Access to working bathrooms is extremely limited for the 4,200 people (3,143 passengers and 1,086 crew members) aboard the ship. A plan to dock in Mexico much sooner than Thursday was abandoned because the cruise vessel had floated 90 miles off course on Monday due to a strong ocean current.
Officials now believe they can reach the Alabama coastline by Thursday but based on the frustration level that’s likely building aboard the ship, it will be a long three days.
There is no refrigeration on board and supplies are being brought by other Carnival vessels that are floating nearby. The Coast Guard is also attempting to rescue passengers who may be in need of emergency services.
Carnival is countering reports from passengers on the deck of the ship by saying that supplies are plentiful to survive until Thursday and that it is working on the sanitation issue on board. Gerry Cahill, Carnival’s CEO, told ABC this week that “guests are safe” and that his company is “doing everything we can to make them as comfortable as possible.”
A tugboat was linked to the Triumph on Monday night, according to the report and will start on Tuesday at some point to drag the massive cruise ship to Alabama from its current position somewhere near the Yucatan Peninsula.
Currently the Triumph does not have engine power so it’s just floating in the water. No one was injured during Sunday’s fire but the emergency did impair the engines and relegated the ship to relying on a back-up generator for power.
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