Stranded Cruise Ship, Carnival Triumph, Finally Docks

The Carnival Triumph, which had been stranded in the Gulf of Mexico since last Sunday, made it to port on Thursday in Mobile, Ala., capping off an epically horrible vacation cruise. The Triumph lost power when a fire started in the engine room on Sunday, leaving passengers living in highly unsanitary conditions that included food shortages, minimal bathroom access and no air conditioning. Some passengers reported wading through sewage in the hallways, while others had difficulty acquiring necessary medications for assorted health problems

In response to the debacle, Carnival has cancelled a dozen upcoming trips and also made travel arrangements for the more than three thousand passengers on board, who had set off from Glaveston, Tex., last week. In addition, the cruise line has added $500 dollars as part of their reimbursement package.

"It's degrading," Veronica Arriaga told ABC News of the experience and subsequent reimbursement plan. "Demoralizing, and then they want to insult us by giving us $500."

Despite the ordeal, some passengers seemed to take the experience in stride, even singing “Sweet Home, Alabama” as the ship pulled in, according to the Los Aangeles Times. —Hal Sundt