Netflix has launched a new series of documentaries centred around bizarre 'train-wrecks' - mostly man-made disasters - began in 2022. The docu-series covers some of the most infamous scandals, ranging from festival fiascos like the Woodstock '99 debacle to political disasters involving figures such as the 'Mayor of Mayhem', Rob Ford. Their most recent entry is Trainwreck: Poop Cruise, based on the infamous 2013 Carnival Triumph disaster that (pun intended) really left a stink. Netflix To Stop Working on 1st Generation Amazon Fire TV Devices Starting June 3, 2025, Affected Users To Get Discount on New Fire TV Stick: Reports.

The crisp 55-minute documentary, directed by James Ross, revisits this man-made disaster that left everyone red-faced - from the cruise line’s management to the unfortunate passengers stranded aboard. Let’s just say this: if you're planning to watch Trainwreck: Poop Cruise, maybe skip dinner beforehand - we can't guarantee which orifice your last meal might escape from.

So, what was this infamous incident?

The 2013 Poop Cruise Incident

What began as a four-day luxury escape aboard the Carnival Triumph in February 2013 quickly spiralled into a nauseating nightmare dubbed the 'poop cruise.' An engine room fire disabled the vessel off the Yucatán Peninsula, causing it to lose propulsion and other critical systems. Tugboats were dispatched to drag the ship slowly back to Alabama, but for the 4,200 passengers and crew, the nightmare was only just beginning.

With limited power, air conditioning failed, plunging cabins into sweltering darkness. Toilets stopped functioning almost immediately, setting off the first wave of a sanitation crisis that would soon define the journey. Passengers found themselves trapped not just at sea, but in an increasingly unliveable environment where even the basics became scarce.

Watch the Trailer of 'Trainwreck: Poop Cruise':

Conditions on the disabled Triumph deteriorated with shocking speed. Hallways became rivers of raw sewage as toilets overflowed and plumbing systems failed. Passengers were forced to use red "hazardous waste" bags, lining the corridors with human waste when collection points began to overflow. Food and clean water dwindled, with reports of passengers queuing for hours for spoiled meals.

The stench was overpowering, saturating the air, while people took to sleeping on open decks to escape the sweltering, reeking cabins below. Photos of the grim conditions, shared over patchy satellite connections, and news footage of passengers asking for help from the deck quickly went viral and shocked the world.

After four agonising days, the Triumph finally docked in Mobile, Alabama, to a media frenzy. Passengers disembarked and shared horror stories of overflowing toilets, food shortages, and outright humiliation. The incident became a PR nightmare for Carnival Cruise Lines, resulting in lawsuits, public outrage, and tighter scrutiny from maritime safety authorities.

'Triangle of Sadness'

The poop cruise incident also appears to have inspired part of Swedish director Ruben Östlund’s black satirical survival comedy Triangle of Sadness, which released in 2022 and is notable for being the final film of late South African actress Charlbi Dean. Triangle of Sadness Movie Review: Ruben Östlund's Satirical Comedy Will Keep You Entertained With its Sharp Wit and Absurdist Scenarios.

While the scene in question doesn't mirror the real-life events exactly, the segment where cruise passengers suffer food poisoning as the drainage fails during a storm - and end up slipping in their own vomit and faeces as sewage floods their rooms and corridors - feels a little too familiar, doesn’t it?

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 27, 2025 06:34 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).