Getting stuck in a public bathroom is bad enough but imagine being trapped on a cruise ship surrounded by thousands of people and overflowing toilets. That’s a nightmare come true.
In 2013, that exact nightmare became a reality for 4,000 passengers aboard what’s now known as the notorious ‘poop cruise.’ Their harrowing story is being told in an upcoming Netflix series.
Each episode of this anthology series features stories told by people who actually lived through these wild moments. Netflix says it will shine a light on some of the most outrageous and unbelievable happenings that dominated the news—from sketchy music festivals to political disasters and everything in between.
The first season dropped in 2022 with an explosive deep-dive into the chaos of Woodstock 1999. Now, the show is back, releasing one episode a week. This new batch will explore events like Astroworld, the ‘cult of American Apparel,’ and yes—the unforgettable cruise disaster that turned into a floating sewage mess.
According to reports from the time, what was supposed to be a relaxing four-day trip from Texas to Mexico quickly turned into something nightmarish and overwhelmingly smelly.
What happened on the ‘poop cruise’?
It all began with a fire that broke out in the ship’s engine room. But as bad as that sounds, the fire itself wasn’t the worst part for the thousands stuck onboard.
The flames ended up destroying the power cables that ran through the entire ship. With no electricity, everything came to a standstill—there was no lighting, no air conditioning, no refrigeration, and most importantly, no working toilets.
The situation quickly went from bad to unbearable. In a sneak peek of the episode, it’s revealed that passengers were wading through puddles of urine and being told to use red biohazard bags as makeshift toilets. Tensions rose, and people began turning on each other in the chaos.
Back in 2013, some people who were onboard told People magazine that they saw feces smeared on the walls and couldn’t stop gagging from the awful stench and filth surrounding them.
‘It got bad fast’
With no lights and the smell inside the cabins getting unbearable, passengers gathered in shared spaces like the ship’s open deck to sleep. Meals became odd combinations like cucumber and onion sandwiches just to keep people going.
In the Netflix teaser, both guests and staff—including chefs and crew members shared how they were suddenly thrown into full-on crisis mode as soon as the power went out.
One person recalled the chaos, saying: “I’m telling you, it got bad fast.” A staff member described the awkward reality that there really was nowhere to go when nature called.
Others shared how fights began breaking out. In an attempt to take back control, some passengers built a makeshift ‘shantytown’ on the upper deck using whatever materials they could find.
What did Carnival say about the ‘poop cruise’?
At the time of the incident, Carnival’s President and CEO, Gerry Cahill, offered an apology and said: “I want to again apologize to our guests and their friends and families. The situation on board was difficult and we are very sorry for what has happened.”
He also added: “We pride ourselves on providing our guests with a great vacation experience and clearly we failed in this case.”
While new Trainwreck episodes will begin airing from June 10, the one covering the ‘Poop Cruise’ disaster is scheduled to drop on June 24 on Netflix.
