The 100,000 ton Carnival Cruise ship Triumph remained stranded in the Gulf of Mexico this morning with little power and running water following a weekend fire in the engine room. The U.S. Coast Guard expects a tug boat to arrive today to tow the ship back to the closest port in Mexico. From there, the 3,143 guests on board will be flown back to the United States.
The Carnival Triumph left Galveston, Texas last Thursday for a 4 day cruise. A fire broke out in the engine room on Sunday morning and left the ship without power to make its way back to port on its own. The Carnival Triumph is drifting about 140 miles off the coast of Mexico. Carnival said the fire was extinguished by an automated system. No one was hurt.
A back-up generator is providing some power, but the cabins remain without air-conditioning. Carnival confirmed that some passengers slept on deck last night. Running water and working toilets are reportedly limited. The cruise line says a sister ship is helping provide food and drinks for the passengers and 1,086 crew members.
The ship will be towed to Progreso, Mexico. It is expected to arrive on Wednesday.
Carnival Cruises will pay for passengers’ flight back home and will provide each person with vouchers for another cruise. Passengers will also receive a full refund.
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