Carnival Triumph Tow Rope Breaks, Prolongs Passengers’ Misery
(Passenger Kaitlyn Robertson)
The passengers of the Carnival Triumph (probably) never imagined that they’d get to extend their trip by several days. They certainly didn’t picture themselves living like 19th-century steerage passengers, if 19th-century steerage passengers had cans of Pringles and defecated in plastic bags.
The cruise ship, as you may recall, had an engine room fire on Sunday, stranding the ship in the Gulf of Mexico with minimal power, sanitation, and access to hot food. If the passengers of the Triumph needed anything, it was for their return to shore to be delayed even further. Naturally, earlier this afternoon the rope attaching the ship to the tugboat that’s bringing it to the port of Mobile. That held up the slow, slow voyage for about an hour until the rope could be repaired. Towing a giant ship is a slow process, and they’re due at the port of Mobile sometime between 10 p.m. and midnight.
Passengers are now close enough to shore that they can wave signs at CNN’s helicopters and post to Twitter and Instagram.
(A charging station – photo by Kaitlyn Robinson)
Instagram user Robinson posted that a gift shop opened for a few hours, accepting cash only. Passengers could get Pringles for only $6 per can.
They opened the gift shop Tues for a couple hours and the line wrapped all the way around the lobby- Pringles were like gold but they had to limit everybody to 2 cans per party! They were six dollars a can too
https://twitter.com/haleymeyerr/status/302132706106560512
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While passenger Brooke Carrico says it’s been a bonding experience for passengers, there will always be pampered, entitled cruisers. Even when there are three-hour lines for food while passengers slosh through poop.
It takes a few hours for all of the more than 4,000 passengers and crew to get off the ship: a process that will take even longer on the Triumph since it only has one working elevator.
UPDATE: Triumph Closing In On Port of Mobile [WKRG]
Cruise ship nightmare nearing end for passengers after hellish trip
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