Carnival cancels 12 more cruises on troubled ship

HOUSTON (AP) — Carnival Cruise Lines has canceled voyages through April aboard the Triumph, a ship that has been plagued by mechanical problems in recent weeks and was finally left powerless in the Gulf of Mexico after an engine-room fire.

Carnival's announcement of the 12 canceled trips came today as the Triumph was being towed by two tugboats to a port in Mobile, Ala., with more than 4,000 people on board, some of whom have told relatives that conditions on the ship are dismal and that they have limited access to food and bathrooms.

Two other cruises were called off shortly after Sunday's fire.

Debbi Smedley, a passenger on a recent Triumph cruise, said the ship had trouble on Jan. 28 as it was preparing to leave Galveston. Hours before the scheduled departure time, she received an email from Carnival stating the vessel would leave late because of a propulsion problem. Passengers were asked to arrive at the port at 2 p.m., two hours later than originally scheduled.

The ship did not sail until after 8 p.m., she said.

On its most recent journey, the Triumph lost power Sunday after a fire in the engine room. The ship floated aimlessly until Tuesday when two tugboats met it in the Gulf and began towing it to Mobile, Ala.

Carnival disputes the accounts of people on board who say the ship is filthy, saying they are doing everything to make sure passengers are comfortable.