The 2013 Carnival Triumph disaster, now widely known as the Poop Cruise is back in the headlines thanks to Netflix’s new documentary Trainwreck: Poop Cruise. The film spotlights the chaotic days passengers spent stranded at sea, battling extreme conditions after an engine room fire left the ship powerless. According to Awful Announcing, for many, the most vivid memories include sewage flooding hallways, makeshift toilets and limited access to food and clean water. But for one passenger, Jayme Lamm, the disaster cost her much more than comfort. It cost her a once-in-a-lifetime career opportunity. Poop Cruise passenger Jayme Lamm missed the chance to interview Michael Jordan while she was stranded on Carnival Triumph in 2013(Instagram)

Jayme Lamm opens up about missed chance of a lifetime

Lamm, a former sports journalist and bachelorette party guest on the ill-fated cruise, shared her story on Instagram after the documentary aired. In a candid video, she revealed that during the trip, she lost the chance to interview NBA legend Michael Jordan for GQ magazine.

"I was a sports writer at the time, and I got the opportunity of a lifetime,” she said. “It was to cover a Michael Jordan story in Houston for GQ magazine… I finally get the opportunity, I go on this cruise ship and lose all cell service and all power, and I ghosted not only GQ, I ghosted Michael Jordan’s agent," she added.

By the time she regained signal and tried to reconnect, the opportunity had vanished. “They never answered me,” she said.

Though the moment marked a painful professional loss, it also sparked a turning point. “Less than a month later, I decided to pack up my stuff and move to Hawaii. I wrote a book and kind of lived off the grid,” Lamm said.

She credits the experience — and the emotional toll it took — for pushing her to reflect and grow. “I was bitter. I was angry. I was partying… I just wasn’t a good person,” she admitted.

Now based in Denver and Houston, Lamm runs a digital marketing agency and has left journalism behind.

As Trainwreck: Poop Cruise gains traction on Netflix, stories like Lamm’s remind viewers that even disasters can carry unexpected consequences.

The Poop Cruise refers to the 2013 Carnival Triumph voyage that lost power at sea, leaving passengers stranded in unsanitary conditions for several days.

The incident occurred in February 2013 when an engine room fire disabled the ship’s power and plumbing systems.

The nickname came from the foul conditions on board, including overflowing toilets, raw sewage in hallways, and the use of plastic bags and buckets as toilets.

4. How long were passengers stranded on the Carnival Triumph?

Passengers were stranded for five days before the ship was towed to port in Mobile, Alabama.