Traumatizing new Netflix documentary details true story of 'poop cruise' that lost power with 4,000 passengers onboard

A new Netflix documentary threatens to put us off cruises for life as it unearths one particularly traumatizing time for thousands of passengers.

You might think being trapped in a toilet cubicle is bad enough, but what about being stuck on a floating petri dish among thousands of other peoples' bodily fluids?

That nightmare became a reality for 4,000 innocent people aboard the so-called 'poop cruise' of 2013, and has now come to light in an episode of an upcoming Netflix documentary.

The streaming platform has teased a new show, Trainwreck, will soon be coming to our screens to tell some of the world's wonderful, weird, and apparently disgusting headline-worthy events.

It speaks to witnesses and survivors alike on each event per episode of the anthology to get their perspective which is meant to 'focus on some of the wildest and most bizarre events to dominate mainstream media', Netflix promises, from dodgy festivals to political scandals and general disasters.

The first instalment landed in 2022 to unearth the infamous Woodstock 1999 festival, and, as of this month, it will release one episode per week on other magnificent mishaps in modern history - from Astroworld to the 'cult of American Apparel' and, yes, the cruise ship that became a floating biohazard.

How the lavish Carnival Triumph cruise liner became overrun with raw sewage is all revealed in the 'Poop Cruise' episode, but reports at the time stated the luxury cruise, a four-day trip from Texas to Mexico, turned sour... and excessively smelly pretty quickly.

Food and some supplies were dropped onto the ship at the time (Lt. Cmdr. Paul McConnell/US Coast Guard via Getty Images)

What happened on the 'poop cruise'?

It all started when a fire broke out in the engine room, but that wasn't the biggest threat to the health of the thousands of people on board.

The blaze destroyed electrical cables that fueled the entire vessel - leaving it drifting aimlessly with no power, refrigeration, light, air control or flushing toilets.

The situation spiralled as the teaser for the episode reveals passengers stood ankle-deep in urine and turned on each other - around the same time they were told to go for a number two in red, biohazard bags.

The synopsis continues to explain how 'raw sewage leaks all over the ship, food supplies start dwindling, and passengers begin to revolt', while the stricken ship remained stranded out at sea.

Speaking to People in 2013, other passengers said they saw feces on the walls and they were 'gagging' from the smell and sight.

The passengers took matters into their own hands (Netflix)

'It got bad fast'

As for the loss of light, and to get away from the stench, people cozied up together in large communal areas like the deck to sleep, while their meals were things like 'cucumber and onion' sandwiches.

In the Netflix teaser, passengers and staff, from chefs to crew, said they were launched into an immediate 'crisis mode' once the power went dead.

"I'm telling you, it got bad fast," one admitted, while a staff member described how there was nowhere to go when nature called.

"I would never expect having to poop in a red bag," said another.

Others revealed how 'fights broke out' and passengers took matters into their own hands by creating a 'shantytown' on the upper decks.

What did Carnival say about the 'poop cruise'?

At the time, then-Carnival President and CEO Gerry Cahill 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.

"We pride ourselves on providing our guests with a great vacation experience and clearly we failed in this case."

While Trainwreck episodes are expected to roll out as of June 10, the 'Poop Cruise' episode will be available to watch on the platform as of June 24.