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Nightmare nearly over for passengers on crippled cruise ship

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    Jonathan Serrie reports from Mobile, Alabama

  • Duration 6:42
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But first -- -- Thursday night.

In line for cold food use plastic bags is bathrooms.

-- your days in the dark and the heat without air conditioning.

And for thousands of people on board that carnival cruise ship triumph relief is still many hours away.

New photographs just in from passengers show the conditions on board that thing you can see they've built the tent city outside some -- been sleeping there.

We've also seen images of raw sewage in the holes one passenger described the experience is being like Katrina -- the -- home.

An engine fire on Sunday knocked out the ship's power and propulsion it was stuck in the Gulf of Mexico no way to move at all.

Tugboats have been towing it back to land very slowly about as fast as you can walk speeds of sometimes it's a mile an hour -- so.

Now it's up to six miles an hour they tell us in this afternoon another six setback when one of the tow lines broke.

Eventually they replaced it but still very slow going the tugs are bringing that ship into port in Mobile, Alabama.

-- dauphin island in the mobile bay and eventually to the port of mobile.

Those waiting for passengers to arrive say they -- hearing of awful conditions on board.

Texas mourn for 36.

-- that I can -- house.

No air condition no restroom -- create a half day.

An executive with carnival says the cruise line is doing the best it -- under the circumstances.

We have delivered additional provisions to the -- triumph.

That happened last night and the ship is an excellent shape now.

And will be fully provisions of a ride all the food services for the gas.

Certainly by the time the ship -- later this evening that's great so everything will be all set by the time the ship reaches -- eventually.

Jonathan -- -- fox up story live at the -- mobile tonight just getting the people off this thing -- gonna take hours.

Yes going to be -- -- -- deal with the loss of power the ship has only one functioning elevators so by and large most of the passengers are going to have to use the stairwell.

Those who need help won't get help from carnival crew members but the rest of them carrying their own luggage down the stairwell.

Listen to this.

Our best us but right now once the ship ties up.

We eight estimate -- it will take four to five hours to complete.

So it will be those tickets some time but we do have a good and place and we have a lot of people in place.

The latest estimates have the ship arriving at this cruise terminal sometime between 930 and how.

Half past midnight.

Central time so it's going to be a very late night for thousands of carnival cruise ship passengers shot in many hours after that obviously before they get them all off there and then it's not over.

-- that's right it won't be over for about for most of the passengers a few of them have family and friends meeting them here in mobile but most of those passengers more than 3000 passengers on that ship.

Total most of them will be boarding tour buses taking them either to their home ports in Texas or some.

Going to New Orleans to overnight and -- -- charter flights so this is homecoming process that is going to go.

Well into Friday shot.

All right Jonathan Sarah go back to him as events warrant first let's get to Ed book who took -- cruise with his fiancee to celebrate their fourth anniversary together print what is celebration.

There is here's a picture of -- one of those biohazard bag some pastors have used as makeshift toilets.

He is a lot joins us live now from the ship it how you're holding up.

Our world not -- well hurt they're doing the best they can.

You know where we're glad to see -- land enough hope to to port city but I heard Hariri or yes -- -- -- -- -- we're not all thrilled about it.

That is to trying to get off.

They ship but our bags.

-- that's that's not going to be easy yet that you've you've sent us some pictures in I wanna show our viewers ones of these cots.

Where a lot of is is this your sleeping arrangement we're looking at here where is that.

Does it hurt either different architecture -- -- -- that are on the Villa outside deck -- kind of a tent -- situation because as young as.

End I don't know a lot of the interior.

Were outside the extra -- you are the -- boats aren't all that a lot of mat is out here and stuff.

And I'm looking phone chargers here it's my -- only a couple of places on the whole ship for thousands of people to charge their phones.

That's the church and those are charging are you -- speculative.

And hurricane party that's where everybody's.

An option to charge your batteries as always can do.

I'm intact running low on battery myself but.

-- Yeah I got a guy get -- -- it looked -- True they're doing a great job but yet he's been pretty rough trip.

Tent cities up on the deck -- -- it's that one person called these refugee camps.

Refugees from the bowels of the ship.

Yeah that's the field but first or first or floors every one is up spare.

Now so I was very difficult -- he does sewage smell each and -- black a polite and error.

An air conditioning.

It is my understanding that down in the ship it's pitch black and describe what you.

What conditions are like describe the smells -- setter.

Well I cannot stand smell like old -- water stale air goes nowhere -- true.

You know there was some sewage spillage and everybody of course -- -- bio bags although the crew picked him up very quickly as you put him outside.

-- you just can't argue without a flashlight downstairs so everybody on the lower floors has had become my taxpayers.

And the bureaucrats just -- it.

Well I hear what you finally get off their 3:4 o'clock in the morning whatever it is.

That the cruise line's gonna give you some money and -- refund and a free ticket to do it again are you excited.

I am excited I think that's very good of them to do that.

So you so you'll cruise again.

Well I would absolutely brilliant and I expect that strikers and -- just because let.

Crew -- -- a valiant effort here.

Well that's the attitude I tell you what Ed -- -- there with just -- You're not they might beyoncé and and -- We thought we are getting away -- little.

Toward de Jong Cha and security back to work on Monday but we've yes this entire week which is -- problem.

So don't.

I'm guessing work might give you pass it especially if they're watching right now -- book.

Who's one of the 13143.

Passengers in more than a thousand crew members still on there good luck in mobile.

Thanks a lot.

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