Carnival Triumph passengers seem to be in a living hell right now as the cruise ship was adrift off the coast of Mexico. The passengers are being subjected to horrible conditions, but to try to make up for it, crew members are handing out free alcohol to passengers.
An engine fire destroyed the ship's water and plumbing system on Sunday at the Carnival Triumph was 150 miles off the coast of Mexico. More than 4,000 passengers and crew members have been stranded on the ship for days as it is slowly being pulled by two ships to a port in Mobile, Alabama.
For the thousands of passengers, the crawl is agaonizing. Passengers claim that there is no working water and few working toilets.
Passenger Rob Mowlam said passengers were handed plastic bags to "use for their business," the Daily News reports.
There is also limited food and no air conditioning which has led many passengers to sleep on the deck to cool off.
"He said up on deck it looks like a shanty town, with sheets, almost like tents, mattresses, anything else they can pull to sleep on," Rob's father, Jimmy Mowlam said.
"Elderly and handicap are struggling, the smell is gross," passenger Ann Barlow text-messaged ABC News. "Our room is leaking sewage."
While there is limited food, there is reportedly alcohol being given out for free by crew members, which has some concerned.
"He was concerned about what that was going to lead to when people start drinking too much," Jimmy Mowlam said about his son.
Once the Carnival Triumph reaches Mobile, it will be out of service for several months. It's next 12 sailings have been canceled by Carnival.
Carnival Cruise Line President Gerry Cahill apologized for the experience that the passengers are going through.
"No one here from Carnival is happy about the conditions on board the ship," Cahill said according to NPR, "and we obviously are very, very sorry about what is taking place. There is no question that conditions onboard the ship are very challenging."
"Every action we are taking is to get our guests home as quickly as possible," Cahill said, "and to make them as comfortable as they can be, onboard."
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
