Engine room fire leaves cruise ship out of Galveston stranded near Mexico

GALVESTON, TX (KTRK) -- A Carnival cruise ship out of Galveston is adrift in the Gulf of Mexico without enough power to get to port.

The ship is sitting 477 miles southeast of Galveston and the Coast Guard confirms it has been in contact with it.

The cruise line says the thousands of people on board are fine, but the husband of one woman on board the Carnival Triumph says his wife has a very different story.

When the 3,143 vacationers boarded the ship Thursday, they thought they'd be home Monday.

"We did the 4-night because I've never cruised before," said passenger Debra Gillis from Dallas.

But a fire in the engine room of the Carnival Triumph Sunday morning knocked out power to the ship, according to the Carinval cruise line, and it's now adrift in the Gulf.

Bethany Nutt and a bunch of girlfriends are on that ship. Her husband told me on the phone Sunday night he had no idea there was a problem for seven hours after the fire.

"Carnival called me to tell me that there was a problem," he said. "There was a fire in the engine room and that the fire was contained and everything was all OK."

The ship has no cell phone service and Bethany couldn't call until another Carnival Ship, the Elation, pulled up alongside the Triumph.

Brent Nutt didn't like what she had to say.

"She was crying and stuff and said that they had no power. They have no running water. They have no way to use the bathroom," he told us.

Carnival says the've been working on restoring the plumbing and that "many of the toilets are now back online."

In a news release, Carnival says Wednesday, the Triumph will be towed to Progreso, Mexico and from there, the cruise line will arrange travel home for its passengers.

All of the passengers on board right now will get full refunds plus transportation expenses, but for Brent, who says he doesn't know when he'll talk to his wife next, it's not enough.

"If they would tell you the truth, it would not be so bad," he said.

The ship's next two voyages are cancelled. They were scheduled to depart Monday and Saturday. If you have a ticket, you should receive a full refund, reimbursement on travel expenses and a discount on a future cruise.

Concerned family and loved ones of guests and crew may call 888-290-5095 or 305-406-5534.
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