(Photo by Paul McConnell/U.S. Coast Guard via Getty Images)

Many North Texans were aboard the Carnival Triumph as it was being towed back to the States. Gloria Hoagland was among the passengers on the ill-fated cruise ship with a Jazzercise group of 100+ from Plano.

Sunday morning at 5AM, alarms went off and woke Gloria up. She went to the door of her 7th floor balcony cabin and poked her head out into the hallway and saw a closet to her right was smoking. Realizing that something was amiss, Gloria grabbed a small bag and rushed up 9 decks to the top of the ship. When she arrived outside, she could see smoke was still coming up out of the tail.

The crew assured passengers that they could relax and go back to bed. They had no idea that what the crew had assured would take 9hrs to realize that they weren’t going any further. With nothing but water stretching towards the horizon in all directions, they had no concept that they were drifting or even moving until they saw land yesterday.

Gloria and the rest of the passengers are very happy to be back on dry land. She shared some of her photos of her experience aboard the Carnival Triumph.

Smoke coming from the tail of the ship. (Photo courtesy of Gloria Hoagland)

Passengers camped out on the upper decks to escape conditions indoors. (Photo courtesy of Gloria Hoagland)

The mini-golf course becomes a campground. (Photo courtesy of Gloria Hoagland)

Passengers sign one ot the bed sheets. (Photo courtesy of Gloria Hoagland)

A bathrobe becomes a survival badge. (Photo courtesy of Gloria Hoagland)

Powerade given to the passengers after disembarking. (Photo courtesy of Gloria Hoagland)