Gatesville Woman Returns Home After Cruise Ship Disaster - kcentv.com - KCEN HD - Waco, Temple, and Killeen

(KCEN) -- The passengers onboard the stranded Carnival Triumph are now home safe.

One of the passengers says she'll be staying away from water for a while.

The Gatesville woman got back last night and her family was glad she was alive. 

But she was glad to have a warm bed and running water.

Last week Morgan and her boyfriend set out for an adventure in Cozumel on the Carnival Triumph and that's just what they got.

Morgan says around 5:30 Sunday morning she heard a loud boom.

An hour later she was told over the intercom that there was a fire in an electrical room. Then the panic started.

"Do we need to go to our room? Do we need to get our life jackets, what if this thing sinks," she says.

The fire in the engine room disabled the vessels, knocking out most of the power 150 miles away from any land.

For five days there was no way to cook food.  Lines were said to be four hours long for a sandwich without meat.

There was no plumbing and red biochemical bags were used for waste. Leaving them to be picked up in hallways.

And for the 4,000 passengers onboard patience was wearing thin.

"They gave us a metal can for us to use. We would place it outside and they'd come pick it up."

Back in Gatesville, Morgan's mom Cathy was helpless, only getting information from the Internet and TV.

Once Morgan was within cell range, Cathy said hearing her daughters voice was the best sound in the world.

Morgan's mom Cathy Diserens says, "We cried for five minutes and then we spoke."

Morgan says the only good thing that came from this was the resilient crew.

"They were always smiling, always helping, doing whatever they can."

Morgan and the 4,000 other passengers on that boat did get compensated.

They'll get a full refund, a free cruise to use within two years and a $500 check is in the mail.

And if they use that check they wave their right to file any law suit.