5 most disgusting moments in Trainwreck: Poop Cruise, from “poop lasagna” to soggy sandwiches

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As a gamer, I’ve got to say that Netflix saved the best for last with their latest trio of Trainwreck documentaries. The third episode, titled “Poop Cruise,” takes us straight into the chaos that was the 2013 Carnival ship disaster. If you have a sensitive stomach, you might want to skip this one.

Trainwreck, a documentary series, delves into major scandals involving prominent figures. The recent episodes have tackled the Astroworld tragedy involving Travis Scott and the downfall of late Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, but now there’s a new addition – Poop Cruise, which is undeniably the most revolting episode so far.

On February 7, 2013, the notorious “Poop Cruise” embarked from Galveston, Texas, as the Carnival Triumph headed out for a four-day voyage to Mexico. However, two days into the trip, an engine room fire caused a power failure on the ship, leaving it adrift in the Gulf of Mexico. Without any means of propulsion and only limited electricity, the situation soon deteriorated rapidly.

The ship was plagued with issues such as toilets overflowing, air conditioning malfunctioning, and food supplies dwindling, transforming it into a foul-smelling, sewage-filled horror for more than 4,200 passengers and staff. To put it mildly, the documentary “Trainwreck: Poop Cruise” leaves no stone unturned when it comes to the less pleasant aspects – we’ve selected the most grimy of all the incidents.

The red bag fiasco 

If you’re familiar with the concept of the Poop Cruise, then you know about the infamous red bags. When a power outage occurred and the ship’s toilets stopped flushing, the crew had to quickly think of an alternative solution.

In no time, an announcement was made that sent shivers down passengers’ spines: it was time to use the shower for a different purpose and dispose of waste in red biohazard bags. That’s right. Each passenger received a red bag, which they were instructed to fill and leave in the corridor waste bins.

Stranded passengers did their best to suppress it, some even taking anti-diarrhea medication like Imodium to delay the situation. However, as their predicament prolonged, they were forced to yield, transforming the corridors into temporary toilets that filled the air with an overpowering odor.

The “poop lasagna” 

While most passengers followed this path, others made an unusual choice. According to the Netflix documentary, they opted to fill up the unrecoverable toilets instead, leading to an intriguing problem.

Abhi, who works as a chef on the cruise ship, recounted the time when he discovered they would be stuck there for a few more days. In dire need of a restroom, he frantically looked for a suitable place.

He describes a public restroom as being incredibly disgusting, stating that he had never encountered anything so vile in his life. He goes on to explain that people were stacking used toilet paper on top of fecal matter, only to add more waste on top of it. The result, he says, was layer upon layer – a disturbing comparison to a lasagna.

No doubt none of us will be eating lasagna for a very long time. 

The soggy sandwiches

As a devoted food enthusiast, I found myself grappling with an unfavorable predicament when the kitchen was left without power. This unfortunate turn of events necessitated us discarding all perishable goods on hand, significantly reducing our culinary arsenal.

After the flames had died down, I joined my fellow gamers in scrounging for supplies to whip up some impromptu sandwiches for the 3,000 of us who were left famished. We gathered onions, tomatoes, and whatever edibles we could lay our hands on to fill them up between the bread slices.

In the newly released documentary, Ashley, one of the unfortunate travelers, comments, “You’d need to stand in line for about two hours. However, when you finally got close enough to see what you were waiting for, it resembled a wet piece of bread with tomato and lettuce.

The open bar

On a regular day, I can’t imagine anything more delightful than an open bar. However, on the infamous Poop Cruise, it transformed into a chaos of flying fecal matter, explicit displays in public areas, and utter mayhem – quite an experience I’d rather skip!

The incident started on the second day of the ship’s four-day stranding, as the team decided to unlock the bar and serve drinks for free in an attempt to boost spirits. Looking back, this turn of events proved disastrous.

Passengers eventually found solace in their drinks as crew member Stephen noted in the Netflix documentary, “Things were going smoothly, but then some passengers started relieving themselves over the ship’s side.

Abhi noted that individuals were tossing their red luggage onto the lifeboats, and he personally observed someone discard a previously used bag from the ship. However, instead of sinking, it unexpectedly returned and landed in someone’s lap.

A fellow traveler named Jayme observed an newlywed pair engaging intimately at the lounge bar. “There wasn’t even a question about covering up,” he said. “They were out in the open.” As things continued, the staff eventually chose to shut down the bar – likely for the better.

The tipping point

On the closing day of the Poop Cruise, undeniably one of the most gruesome incidents occurred. As a tugboat arrived to tow them back, unfortunately, the ship tilted, and with it, the wastewater spilled overboard.

At this point, the showers were beyond full and the toilets were bursting at the seams with human waste. Jayme describes the situation as being like if all the contents of a toilet had spilled out everywhere.

The entire space, from the bedrooms right up to the kitchens, was submerged by murky brown water. As you walked along the corridor, it felt as though you were stepping into a swamp, ‘squish, squish, squish’ echoing beneath your feet,” fellow passenger Devon explained.

Or more casually:

“From bedroom to kitchen, everywhere was filled with dirty brown water. It was like walking down a hallway and suddenly, you’re stepping into mud, ‘squish, squish, squish’ all around,” Devon shared.

Absolutely, it’s true. If you’re curious about the events following their disastrous journey and want to find out more, check out “Trainwreck: Poop Cruise” which is currently available for streaming on Netflix.

To keep up-to-date on documentaries, check out the current status of Wendy Weil Rush at OceanGate, stream the Karen Read 20/20 special without charge, and catch up on the latest developments with Marvel Studios: Assembled for free!

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2025-06-24 19:20