It’s Netflix’s “summer of disaster,” with the streamer rolling out a new documentary each week under the Trainwreck anthology banner. Each of the eight films revisits a real-life event that spiraled out of control, from music festival tragedies to viral hoaxes and reality TV fiascos. These stories dominated headlines at the time, and now each of the installments give the ugly tales a deeper dive. At TV and City, we’re covering them all.
Trainwreck: Poop Cruise hits Netflix on June 24.
By Elazar Abrahams
In February 2013, more than 4,000 passengers boarded the Carnival Triumph cruise ship for what was supposed to be a quick, sun-drenched getaway to Mexico. But shortly after setting sail, an engine room fire knocked out power to the entire vessel, leaving it stranded in the Gulf of Mexico without propulsion, air conditioning, or functioning toilets. As raw sewage began to leak throughout the ship, media outlets gleefully dubbed the voyage “the Poop Cruise.” Viral photos and videos showed the deteriorating conditions on board, while frustrated passengers awaited rescue. The incident became an embarrassing PR nightmare for Carnival, which scrambled to contain both the literal mess and the media fallout.
Trainwreck: Poop Cruise is the least consequential of the three installments so far, but arguably the most entertaining. Compared to the tragedies of Astroworld and the toxic political circus of Rob Ford, this is a lighter, stranger tale — no one died, and while the experience was undoubtedly miserable for those on board, life moved on. The documentary plays into that tone, highlighting amusing contrasts between past and present. One woman who was a young girl at the time is now a college student reflecting on the experience with her father, while an entire bachelorette party reunites to recall their ill-fated trip.
The interviews with Carnival staff add valuable perspective, and it is refreshing to see that this is one of the rare Trainwreck subjects where the responsible party actually tried to make amends. Carnival issued full refunds, offered free future cruises, and adjusted its terms and safety practices going forward, a stark contrast to the deflection and denial seen in the Astroworld and Rob Ford stories.
Still, like the other Trainwreck entries so far, the documentary does not deliver much beyond the surface-level headlines. For those who remember the “Poop Cruise” media frenzy, there is little here that feels newly revealing. But as a piece of summer entertainment, it is an easy and oddly fun watch.
I give Trainwreck: Poop Cruise a B-.
TV and City 