UNDATED (CNN) -- A passenger on the Carnival Triumph cruise has written a book about her experience. The Galveston, Texas resident wants to tell the truth about the days at sea without power or running water.
First there was the engine fire that left the Carnival Triumph without power, adrift in the Gulf of Mexico, like a tale from a book. Christina Peaden says, "We are drifting terribly. The leaning of the ship is very uncomfortable a very uneasy feeling."
Peaden often keeps journals, and this first cruise for her and her family turned into quite a chronicle. Without power, the ship began to list, and some passengers braced for the worst. Peaden says, "Oh honey, I was the first one wearing the life jackets."
The Galveston resident decided to self-publish triumph over calamity on Amazon in part because she felt complaints about the cruise were overplayed, although she, too, used buckets as toilets like her shipmates. She says, "There was no waste on the floors. There was liquid it was water."
While there were long lines for food, which was often cold, she said the menu, while repetitive, was good. She says, "Always fresh salad, fresh fruit, they had yogurt. For dinner we would have shrimp, lobster."
Make no mistake she was frightened at times. When another ship lowered boats with provisions, it got scary. She says, "It was something you see in the movies, with lifeboats slamming against the ram, the windows busting out."
But overall, this mother of four thought the situation at sea was manageable and said the crew did the best they could. In fact, Peaden is planning another cruise on board a Carnival ship in April.