It's no secret that cruise ships and poop go hand in hand, like peanut butter and jelly and pretty much any other famous pairing. In fact, Travel and Leisure reports that just in the first half of 2025, the CDC has reported 16 separate gastrointestinal outbreaks on cruise ships, most of which were determined to be norovirus. Given this year's already high numbers, 2025 is likely to outpace both 2024 (18 outbreaks) and 2023 (14 outbreaks). These outbreaks have affected hundreds of passengers and crew members, and these numbers are likely an undercount, given recent cuts across the HHS.
Sadly, though, norovirus and other infectious diseases aren't the only poop-related incidents you might encounter on a cruise ship. Enter the upcoming Netflix documentary, Trainwreck: Poop Cruise, which recounts the harrowing events aboard the Carnival Triumph cruise ship that set sail in February 2013 with over 4000 passengers and crew members. A fire broke out in the aft engine room, which caused the ship to lose power and get stuck for five days in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. There was no air conditioning and few if any working lights. The ship had little to no fresh food and water. The toilets wouldn't flush, and raw sewage began seeping into passenger deck areas. And the whole thing, of course, was a complete and literal sh*itshow for everyone involved.
The documentary airs on Netflix on June 24, and I'll definitely be tuning in. In fact, I can't wait. In the meantime, you can watch the trailer, which definitely does its job — it's whet my appetite for more! In the trailer you can see and hear first-hand accounts of the melted cruise, including footage of showers overflowing with urine, and of the red hazard bags that folks had to use for pooping and that piled up in the corridors outside passengers' rooms. You can also hear plenty of folks repeatedly exclaiming, "what the fu*ck." Someone also sums up the whole ordeal when they state, "My God, it's chaos!" In other words, the entire incident looks like a complete nightmare. So not only will I be watching the documentary, I'll also add this event as reason #5341 to never step foot on a cruise ship!
And if you want to relive the original poop cruise incident, here's a great CNN article from back in 2013 that describes it all, including the fact that the Carnival company knew that the ship had mechanical problems, including an "ongoing generator fire hazard" and several non-functioning generators, more than a year before the cursed trip.
Previously:
• Norovirus surging in U.S.
• Norovirus outbreak on the cruise ship Iona sounds like real-life vomiting scene from 'Triangle of Sadness'
• Highly contagious norovirus outbreak hits 73 people on a Celebrity cruise to Alaska
• Thanks to norovirus, there's a whole lotta poopin' goin' on
• How does the Navy prevent norovirus?
