Carnival Triumph Heads Back To Gulf Of Mexico, Under Power

By Bill Chappell / NPR

Published May 8, 2013 at 9:52 AM PDT

This story was published more than 11 years ago.

The cruise ship Carnival Triumph, seen here as it arrived in Mobile, Ala., in February, has now disembarked for the Bahamas. The powerless ship was towed to port with 3,143 passengers aboard in February.

The Carnival Cruise ship Triumph is traveling again, having left the terminal in Mobile, Ala., where it was forced to dock in February after severe problems with its engines led to its being towed across the Gulf of Mexico.

The odyssey of the ship, whose 3,143 passengers endured days without consistent running water and electrical services, attracted national attention as it drifted at sea before heading to the Alabama coast.

Triumph is scheduled to sail to Freeport, Bahamas, for more repairs. As AL.com's John Sharp reports, the trip to the shipyard will also include an upgrade to the ship's entertainment areas, as part of Carnival's "Fun Ship 2.0 enhancement project."

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Carnival Corp. has sought to quash lawsuits stemming from the doomed trip, which stretched out from four days into a week. The cruise company refunded passengers' money for the trip, and offered a free cruise in the future.

In April, the Triumph broke free of its mooring in a storm, leading to the death of a worker in the Mobile repair yard.