In 2013, the world was captivated by the story of the Carnival Triumph luxury cruise ship, which stranded 4,000 passengers without power and plumbing in the Gulf of Mexico due to an engine fire.
‘Trainwreck: Poop Cruise’ – An Emmy Contender?
In 2013, the world was captivated by the story of the Carnival Triumph luxury cruise ship, which stranded 4,000 passengers without power and plumbing in the Gulf of Mexico due to an engine fire. Guests were initially instructed to “go No. 1” in the showers and “go No. 2” in red biohazard baggies. However, after four days, the raw sewage had become so backed up that social media dubbed it the “Poop Cruise.”
Netflix’s Gory Chronicle
Now, Netflix’s Trainwreck: Poop Cruise, directed by James Ross, chronicles every gory detail, from the tent cities to the squishy carpets. Warning: you will feel queasy when you reach the “poop lasagna” scene. But will Emmy voters embrace the program next year?
A Unique Anthology
Trainwreck is an anthology docuseries revisiting some of the most bizarre news stories of yesteryear, told from the perspective of those involved. The first installment, released in 2022, explored the infamous Woodstock festival of 1999. Other stories include the boy in the balloon, the devastating Astroworld tragedy, and the cult of American Apparel.
Emmy Eligibility
Since Trainwreck: Poop Cruise premiered on June 24, it will be eligible for the 2026 Emmys in the Documentary/Nonfiction categories. While a program about floating defecation may not seem like typical Emmy fare, there is recent precedent for the Television Academy rewarding projects that aren’t, shall we say, sophisticated.
Recent Emmy Nominees
Last year, the nominated doc Quiet on Set gave viewers an icky feeling as it explored the Dark Side of Kids TV. Two years prior, We Need to Talk About Cosby received a bid for diving deep into Bill Cosby’s criminal sexual misconduct allegations. In 2022, The Tinder Swindler was nominated for telling the vile true tale of an international catfish. Both Framing Britney Spears (2021) and Controlling Britney Spears (2022) received back-to-back bids for covering the pop star’s personal troubles over her conservatorship.
Comparisons with Fyre Festival
And then there’s Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened (2019), which, like Trainwreck: Poop Cruise, recounted the story of paying customers stranded in dire conditions. The Fyre Festival was a disastrous music fest in the Bahamas in 2017, which failed to deliver on its promise of an opulent experience. Remember those grotesque cheese sandwiches?
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Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened was nominated for four Emmys: Best Documentary/Nonfiction Special, Best Directing, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing. That’s good news for Trainwreck: Poop Cruise, as it demonstrates that voters can overlook a cringey story as long as the documentary is told respectfully.
Survivors’ Stories
Survivors featured in the doc include father Larry and daughter Rebekah, newly married husband Devin, bachelorette partygoers Kalin, Ashley, and Jayme, ship employees Jen, Abhi, and Hanna, plus CNN anchor Brooke Baldwin and maritime lawyer Frank Spagnoletti.
Following the events of the 2013 disaster, survivors were unable to sue Carnival because they had signed away their rights when purchasing their tickets. The company spent tens of millions of dollars salvaging and cleaning the Carnival Triumph, which still sails today under a new name, the Carnival Sunrise. Future customers are encouraged to bring their own buckets.
Upcoming Episodes
Here’s a look at what’s coming up next in the Trainwreck docuseries:
- The Cult of American Apparel — July 1
- The Real Project X — July 8
- Balloon Boy — July 15
- P.I. Moms — July 22
- Storm Area 51 — July 29
