Ill-Fated Cruise Was Chance to “Get Family Time In”

A Sherman Oaks couple survived five days at sea when an engine fire aboard the Carnival Triumph left them and thousands of passengers and crew stranded in the ocean.

“Awesome. Oh my God, it feels amazing to be home,” said Teresa Vasquez and Devin Marble, who were passengers on the ill-fated ship, which was left powerless on Sunday after an engine fire.

“At 4:30 in the morning, we heard a fire alarm go off and heard, ‘Alpha team go to engine room 6,’ and then we saw billowing smoke and it smells like smoke,” Marble said.

For the next five days the ship was without air conditioning and working bathrooms.

“That was the second worst announcement. If you have to go number one, go in the shower. If you have to go number two, we’re passing around red bags,” Vasquez said.

“We had sewage coming up out of the shower, the carpet,” Marble said.

Marble is a TV producer and currently hosts the SyFy series “Haunted Highway.” Because of his job, he always carries extra gear and gadgets, which came in handy on the ship.

“He and my dad made elaborate contraptions using zip ties and towels, laundry basket, pulleys to curb the ocean air into our rooms,” Vasquez said.

Passengers whose cabins were too hot slept outside on the decks, but no one went hungry thanks to other cruise ships which brought food.

Cheers erupted when the first tug boat arrived, but the line broke several times.

Despite their ordeal, the young couple sees the glass as half full.

"We got some good family time in,” Vasquez said. “Our four-day cruise turned into an eight-day cruise."