Disabled Carnival Splendor cruise ship docks in San Diego, passengers disembark

Mike Gallagher

Nov 11, 2010 - 10:06

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Disabled Carnival Splendor cruise ship docks in San Diego, passengers disembark

A disabled cruise ship carrying 4,500 people docked in San Diego Thursday, ending a three-day nightmare at sea that included smelly toilets, limited food and dark cabins.

Dozens of seniors from Westchester were among the passengers stranded aboard the powerless 1,000-foot Caival Splendor.

Six tug boats escorted by Coast Guard cutters brought the ship into the San Diego Bay, as cheering tourists, joggers and fishermen crowded along the harbor to catch a glimpse of the noon arrival. The first group of passengers walked down a ramp about an hour later.

Passengers react as they get off the ship. (Djansezian/Getty)

Officials expected it to take at least two hours to get all the passengers off the ship. More than 70 buses were waiting to take them to Long Beach, about 100 miles away.

"We're eating spoiled turkey sandwiches and warm milk and warm yogurt," passenger Joey Noriega told ABC's "Good Moing America" earlier Thursday. "Everything smells like it's spoiled. ... Nothing's cooked. It's all sandwich meat. It's disgusting. You're afraid to eat it 'cause it's been left out and touched by everybody else on the ship."

Passengers wait to disembark. (Djansezian/Getty)

The ship, which left from Long Beach, Calif., went adrift on Monday about 130 miles west of Ensenada, Mexico. An engine-room fire cut all power aboard the ship. In addition to no air conditioning, hot food, or hot water, the casino was closed and the swimming pool was off-limits because there was no way to pump chlorine.

Navy helicopters eventually flew in supplies for the 3,299 passengers and 1,167 crew members, including Spam, Pop Tarts and canned crab meat.

Navy helicopters dropped off non-perishable goods on Wednesday. US Navy

The cruise line eventually planned to take the ship to a Mexican port and bus them back to the U.S. Caival eventually decided to bring the ship further to San Diego to spare the passengers the car ride.

The travelers will receive a complimentary future cruise on Caival equal to the amount they paid for doomed vacation.

Cruise Director John Heald said in comments posted in a blog on the Caival Lines website that passengers "have risen to the obvious challenges and difficult conditions onboard."

"Obviously it has been a challenge but let me tell you the most important facts and those are that the ship is safe, the guests are safe and that nobody was injured," he said.