Carnival Triumph, Stranded Cruise Ship, Being Towed To Shore

The Carnival Triumph, a Carnival Cruise ship that was stranded in the Gulf of Mexico with more than more four thousand people on board, is being towed to shore by three tugboats and should arrive in Mobile, Ala. on Thursday afternoon.

On Sunday, a fire in the ship’s engine room ultimately caused the jet propulsion system to shut down. This meant the boat was unable to remain steady in the choppy sea, and it also disabled many of the ship’s bathrooms, which created highly unsanitary conditions on board.

"From what I understand, they're walking around in a lot of urine and fecal matter, and the sewers are backing up," Kim McGerreghan, whose daughter and ex-husband are on the ship, told CNN.

"The odor is so bad, people are getting sick and they're throwing up everywhere," Brent Nutt, whose wife is on board, added.

Food has also been sparse, with people apparently resorting to eating onion and cucumber sandwiches.

In response to the debacle, Carnival is arranging hotel rooms and travel arrangements for passengers once they dock in Mobile. Carnival has also cancelled fourteen trips between now and mid-April, and will offer customers refunds as well as discounts on future trips.—Hal Sundt