Teri West
"Trainwreck: Poop Cruise" is quite a title for a documentary -- and is also what many Netflix users were greeted by this week when opening the streaming service.
The movie, which recounts a 2013 cruise on the Carnival Triumph that lost navigation, air conditioning and functioning toilets when it lost electricity, has proven popular. As of Monday morning, Netflix was listing it as its No. 1 movie in the U.S.
I was sure that plenty who watched the documentary fit into the category of travelers who have never cruised. How many of them will now shun the possibility of boarding one after viewing this, I wondered?
I did some browsing through social media to see what I could find.
The theme emerged occasionally in Letterboxd reviews. Here were a few: "Every time I think that maybe a cruise wouldn't be so bad, I'm going to watch this." "Further confirmation you will never catch me on a cruise." "I take comfort in knowing this will never happen to me."
But I also saw an interesting conversation on Reddit emerge because of it.
After a Reddit user wrote to say that the doc confirmed that they have no desire to cruise, another user wrote: "I never wanted to go on a cruise, then we decided to go to the Norwegian fjords for our honeymoon on a cruise, and it was truly incredible. It's definitely not all like this."
From there, another member asked which line they had sailed with. They were wary about cruises overall but intrigued by Nordic itineraries, they said.
It was the perfect example of the dueling factors at play for a growing industry keen to expand but aware that doing so means convincing those who have never cruised that it's worth a try.
On one hand, those wary of the experience will always be able to find their version of a "Trainwreck: Poop Cruise" documentary to double down on their belief that they wouldn't enjoy a cruise.
On the other, word of mouth will always remain a powerful counterforce. Positive anecdotes shared by a trusted source, whether it be a close friend, travel advisor or influencer (or Reddit user), can go a long way.
For example, this Reddit user added that their Norway cruise was "absolutely the holiday of a lifetime." Hearing a review like that from someone who had previously never desired to cruise could be a compelling entryway for someone else.
Industry leaders routinely say that breaking into the "new to cruise" market is key to growing the industry. For those travelers who have yet to take their first cruise, learning about the range of cruises and destinations available and finding the right fit is key.
And perhaps reminding them that the Carnival Triumph disaster has never been repeated on any line in the 12 years since it occurred.