Carnival Triumph Fire ...stranded at sa....a crew member's perspective...

It was around 5.30am. I heard that announcement in my cabin, my eyes shot open. I heard the code being called and then the location: DG6. I knew we were in trouble, nobody calls the fire squad to a Diesel Generator at 5.30 am for a small fire. I jumped from my bed, threw some clothes on and burst out of my cabin. Safety Officer was now on the PA System, he was announcing that the marshalling area was the staging area. I ran down 4 flights of stairs from my cabin to Deck 0, I needed to get my Emergency Radio. I now cursed myself, why don’t I keep the radio in my cabin? Why did I leave it in the office? I was now on Deck 0. The staging area was now moved from the Marshalling Area up to the Medical Center, right by my office. There were now hundreds of Team Members making their way to the front of the ship, I had to go against the flow of traffic to get to my radio. I will never leave it in my office again. I grabbed my radio and went for my cell phone to call my Team. The signal on my cell was dead. SHIT, I thought. Now we’re really screwed. That means the fire has affected the power cables and wires, I knew what was coming next, a power outage. I fought back the panic and ran up 4 decks back up to my cabin. I woke up my boyfriend and my cabin phone started to ring off the hook. It was Shivash, my T&D Manager. Between gasps for air I managed to tell him “Wake up everyone, dress warm, put on full shoes, take your radio and water and report to my cabin immediately”. I knew that the rest of my Team’s living quarters were now engulfed in smoke. I wanted them far away from the Engine Room and my cabin is on Deck 4, close to the muster stations and the open deck. Within minutes they were in my cabin, I distributed water and made sure everyone was okay. I started to listen to the radio on the technical channel to try to figure out what was going on. In between orders and desperate officers trying to manage a disaster in the engine room, I managed to decipher a few things. We were in deep shit. Before I could tell my Team, the power went out. I opened my cabin door and jammed a slipper in to keep it open. The emergency lights were already on in the hallway. I scrambled to my flashlight, everyone always made fun of me for carrying it around in my purse. This flashlight proved to be the most useful piece of equipment over the next 5 days. We were just all waiting, in the dark, in silence, waiting for the next announcement and listening intensely to the radio. I thought to myself “We are the next Splendor”. I thought about it for a minute and changed my clothes, I wanted to make sure I was comfortable in case I had to climb into a life raft. As it became increasingly hotter in my cabin, we moved to the open deck. Temperatures were climbing in the engine room and Deck 0, that made me nervous. I knew that the damage was already done, I knew what was going to happen next. We were not going anywhere anytime soon. We are sitting ducks. Now we need to keep calm and come up with a plan. I looked up at the Bridge, I can see Officers pacing and Captain looking concerned. The rest is history. It’s too long of a tale to tell on here. Maybe one day I will tell you over a drink. But one thing is for certain, the crew came together as one solid, strong functioning unit. Whatever had to be done, got done. It was tough, it was hot, it was uncomfortable, it was smelly, it was tiring BUT WE DID IT. No matter how tough or how challenging or how difficult the task was, WE DID IT! Everyone came together. It didn’t matter if you were a cook or an officer or spa, we all worked together. We all made sandwiches for hours, we all formed a human chain from Deck 0 to Deck 9, we all moved red bags from one end of the ship to another, we all offered a shoulder to cry on for the guests. WE DIT IT ALL and we did amazing! Not a single crew member complained, no one ever said No to any tasks. We smiled, we laughed, we cracked jokes, we sang songs and we played pranks on each other. It wasn’t easy but it could have been worse. I am proud of the Engine Team and the Fire Squad because I know exactly what happened down there and I know what COULD have happened if these individuals thought twice about going in and doing what they needed to do. I owe my life to them. I am proud of each and every single Team Member because they put their own fears aside to look after each other and our guests. I am proud of them because we faced and emergency with strength and team work. I have never been so proud of anyone before. I didn’t cry the entire emergency but when I think about us, the Carnival Triumph Family and how well we did, I get overwhelmed with emotion. I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO PROUD OF ANYTHING IN MY LIFE BEFORE!

I AM NATALIA. I AM A STRONG ASS WOMAN. I AM A VERY PROUD CARNIVAL TRIUMPH TEAM MEMBER.

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