black on my right, and my mother is on my left, and it was her birthday last week, so we came on the cruise to celebrate that celebrate that. >> and i would imagine we've heard from so many that they have gotten to know those to whom they were already dear friends and family in a much closer way than ever before. did that happen for you also? >> oh, absolutely. we, you know, we definitely lost all modesty with each other. these twos ladies, it's been great to spend time with nem. we've all kept our spirits up and found like we sarksd humor in everything and just trying to make it through and just you know, make it fun as much as we could. >> bethanie, keep us posted on your progress. we'll wait to greet you on the ground. we want to bring in somebody who is on the ground. joseph alvarez, welcome back.

we see you draped yourself with a blanket. >> i wasn't expecting to experience some cold weather like what we're having here. we were in cozumel of all places where it's hot, you know. we're from san antonio. i'm from san antonio. basically, just wasn't expecting the ordeal to happen, you know? we were on the first floor when it initially happened. kind of smelled funky smell through the air systems that they have in there. so i kind of lowered the thermostat, and this was about 3:40 in the morning. >> so this is the first indication of the fire or that there's a problem? >> yes, the smell. and we were on the first floor, like i said. so next thing you know, i laid back down. next thing you know, you hear running through the hallways. and i opened the door to see

what was going on. it was the firefighters. and then i looked and i saw smoke and i was like oh, my god. they were just telling us everybody get out. you all need to get out. we started heading up the stairs. and once we got like level four, they said it's -- everything's been contained. you all go back to your cabins. so. >> that's how it all began? this is essentially joseph explaining. so from that moment which was probably the worst, it then deteriorated with no power, no toilets. >> nothing, nothing. i mean, it was -- it was disgusting, but the staff, they did such an amazing job. and i give them so much props because they -- they were amazing through it all. i mean, they worked their tails off to accommodate everybody's needs. i mean, me, i've had seven back

surgeries. and i wasn't expecting to be on a week-long cruise. so i literally didn't bring enough medication. so i had to visit the infirmary. and you know get what i could from them. so -- >> and we've talked about that actually. there were a lot of people, elderly people, people who thought it would be a four-day trip. turns out to at least double that. >> exactly. >> when you talk about not having enough medication, that becomes something -- >> yes, sir, yes, sir. >> what was the -- if there was a moment, you talk about -- what was the worst single thing that happened and maybe the best single that i can happened to you? >> well, the worst was i'm going to have to say it, a fire. but the best was i guess just having that quality time with my wife. you know? and just you know being able to pray with her and just they started a bible group.

so we were doing that for the past four days. and you know, it was awesome. it was just a very uplifting spiritual thing that you felt. so we knew that we were going to make it safe. safe back. >> you were talking about a life-changing event essentially. something that transforms you in some way. >> of course, of course. and i mean, i don't give them, carnival the company, i mean, i'll do it again. i'm not worried of not, you know, ever traveling with them ever again. i mean i will. but you know, it's going to be a little while before that happens. >> i understand. >> understandable. >> thank you. >> is it relief or just exhaustion? >> right now it's just exhaustion. it's pain. i'm in a lot of pain. i just really want a bed, you know, to. >> get on out there.

>> thank you so much. we appreciate it. >> thank you. >> thank you very much. >> we've been hearing -- i want to bring in kendall and trey love as they're coming in, one thing we've heard from quite a few people is about that bible study group. for a lot of people, that was a very important thing. an impromptu group they set up meeting every night at 7:00. we met the two young girls from texas who won the tickets. and there was the family. >> it becomes very important at moments like this. >> kendall and trey come on in. nice to see new person. talked on the phone earlier. >> yeah. >> all right. how do you feel? >> glad to be on land for sure. >> yeah? >> yeah. a little tired but ready to get on the bus and go get a shower, be in a place where the toilet flushes. >> to new orleans or. >> fly out tomorrow to south carolina. >> when did you realize that it's phenol over? >> we could see land today.

worst case we can take the life boats if we very to. >> i can see land. >> it's a big deal. >> what was the hardest thing? you know each other incredibly well. obviously you know each other in ways maybe you never thought you would, right? >> yes. >> we were celebrating his 40th birthday which is monday. it will be an unforgettable birthday trip. the only time i was really afraid i guess is when all the alarms started going off sunday morning about the fire. we didn't know many details till later in the day. but the staff was amazing. you know, it could have been much worse. you know, god really protected us and so we made the best of it. >> did you have any idea how many people were actually following your plight? this is something that captured a lot of media attention. we all were watching whether you knew it or not. >> that was the biggest surprise to me. i was wondering if anybody other than our kids' classmates knew

we were gone. to find out it was such a big deal, i was kind of surprised. >> kendall and trey, thank you so much. we really appreciate it. >> you look terrific. thank you for coming by. >> when we come back, we'll have more happy reunions because they really are, there's a lot of emotion here. it may have only been a few days but it's very emotional for a lot of people and a very special night as they're here on land. just about every single image is on instagram including the ones we're going to show you as we go to break. [ woman ] my boyfriend and i were going on vacation, so i used my citi thankyou card to pick up some accessories. a new belt. some nylons. and what girl wouldn't need new shoes? and with all the points i've been earning, i was able to get us a flight to our favorite climbing spot even on a holiday weekend.

♪ things are definitely looking up. [ male announcer ] with no blackout dates, you can use your citi thankyou points to travel whenever you want. visit citi.com/thankyoucards to apply.

let's say you pay your guy around 2% to manage your money. that's not much you think. except it's 2% every year. does that make a difference? search "cost of financial advisors" ouch. over time it really adds up. then go to e-trade and find out how much our advice costs. spoiler alert: it's low. really? yes, really. e-trade offers investment advice and guidance from dedicated, professional financial consultants. it's guidance on your terms, not ours. that's how our system works. e-trade. less for us. more for you.

>> i won't. >> she says no, but i probably won't about you, i don't know. everybody kept saying this never happens. but it happened on our first one. so -- >> well, welcome back.

thank you both. >> thank you. >> hay, guys are safe. love you. >> all right. we're going to take a break also, and we'll be right back here live from outside the triumph here in mobile, alabama. many cereals say they're good for your heart, but did you know there's a cereal that's recommended by doctors? it's post shredded wheat. recommended by nine out of ten doctors to help reduce the risk of heart disease. post shredded wheat is made with only one ingredient:

one hundred percent whole grain wheat, with no added sugar or salt. try adding fruit for more health benefits and more taste in your bowl. it's the ideal way to start your heart healthy day. try post shredded wheat. this has been medifacts for post shredded wheat. bob will retire when he's 153, which would be fine if bob were a vampire. but he's not. ♪ he's an architect with two kids and a mortgage. luckily, he found someone who gave him a fresh perspective on his portfolio. and with some planning and effort, hopefully bob can retire at a more appropriate age. it's not rocket science. it's just common sense. from td ameritrade.

it's just common sense. [ female announcer ] some people like to pretend a flood could never happen to them. and that their homeowners insurance protects them. [ thunder crashes ] it doesn't. stop pretending. only flood insurance covers floods. ♪ visit floodsmart.gov/pretend to learn your risk.

>> and all right. joini ing us now two more passengers from the triumph. good to see both of you. >> thank you. >> you're so cheery and you look so great. and you're in your bathrobe. >> i am. it's all we had. we weren't expecting cold. we just grabbed this. >> three days in the sun and that's about it. turned out to be more cold than we thought later on. >> how does it feel? we look at the two of you. we know you've been through an ordeal. now you're here. >> it's been surreal. you never expect something to happen. i'm at a loss for words. it's one of those things that you want to have fun. we just graduated, trying to celebrate our graduation and hen this happens. >> you know each other. are you friends or dating? >> we're friends.

>> we went to school together. >> you now know each other. >> much better than a lot of husbands and wives. >> true. we came off the ship much more close. >> how did you spend the time? >> a lot of cards were played. you know, assessing. we took photos. we all like the slogan became we've got nothing but time. we walked around, made friends. got know each other. honestly, it was a lot of watching the waves hoping to see land. >> and it is almost like going back to the way people before cruising became an industry. you had nothing to do with all the electronics cut off and your day is pretty much ruled by sun light. once it gets dark, there's nothing do. what was a day like? >> the first day we slept at 6:00. we went straight to sleep and woke up at 4:00 in the morning and it was still dark. we have to use our lights on our camera phones and to try to go

to the bathroom or try to find a new shirt to wear or wash up with a cloth. i don't know what else. >> looking for coffee. >> you know, small details. we did have that conversation. you don't realize how spoiled you are until you're sitting there just staring at each other. it's quite interesting. we played a lot of go fish. a lot of poker. >> does it make you realize you don't always want to be on your cell phone all the time? >> as -- heavy on technical computers, it's been amazing how quickly we dropped everything just to learn to talk and communicate via cards. >> that was everybody. stranger. it wasn't just our group of friends. it was people from rhode island, people from texas. you know, it was a big team effort. it was -- even the staff. everybody came together really well angeled nicely. >> do you think that everyone got along well. >> not everybody.

>> i'm sure there were some -- >> it definitely got a little bit tense today for sure. you had your breaking points every day. you kind of see people snap. but it was what's the point. you just kind of came together and we're still here. we've gone this far so keep going. >> how did you organize your day? was there an organization to the day. >> we tried to sleep a lot. but we ended up walking a lot more than we thought. stairs are enormous on there. you can't walk too much without getting tired. we wouldn't eat too much because the lines were hour, two hours long. we had to watch what we ate. it was kind of rough trying to figure out, i want to leave the cabin but i don't want to get cabin fever. i want to stay but i don't want to go out and mingle with the people. >> thanks and welcome back. >> so good to see you. >> thank you. >> are you going to save that robe? >> i am. i'm going to have it dry

cleaned. >> fumigated. >> thanks to both of you. we appreciate it. thanks so much to all of you for watching here as we continue, people still are disembarking that ship, the final people tonight. thanks again for. >> they're here and home safe. >> cnn's coverage continues. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 is your old 401k just hanging around? tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 consider if rolling it over to a schwab ira tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 might let you get more out of it. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 like earning a bonus of up to $600 tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 in a schwab ira tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 and 150 commission-free online trades tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 plus our rollover consultants handle virtually tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 all the details tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 to help you focus on the bigger picture.

tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 so give us a call and get started today. tdd#: 1-800-345-2550 see schwab.com/iraoffer for terms and conditions. omnipotent of opportunity. you know how to mix business... with business. and you...rent from national. because only national lets you choose any car in the aisle. and go. you can even take a full-size or above. and still pay the mid-size price. i could get used to this. [ male announcer ] yes, you could business pro. yes, you could. go national. go like a pro. but i'm still stubbed up. [ male announcer ] truth is, nyquil doesn't unstuff your nose. what? [ male announcer ] alka-seltzer plus liquid gels speeds relief to your worst cold symptoms plus has a decongestant for your stuffy nose. thanks. that's the cold truth! good afternoon. chase sapphire. (push button tone) thanks. this is stacy from springfield. oh whoa. hello?

yes. i didn't realize i'd be talking to an actual person. you don't need to press "0," i'm here. reach a person, not a prompt whenever you call chase sapphire. why should saturday night have all the fun? get two times the points on dining in restaurants, with chase sapphire preferred. did you just turn your ringer off so no one would interrupt and.us?one. oh no, i... just used my geico app to get a tow truck. it's gonna be 30 minutes. oh, so that means that we won't be stuck up here, for hours, with nothing to do. oh i get it, you wanna pass the time, huh. (holds up phone) fruit ninja!!! emergency roadside assistance. just a click away with the geico mobile app.

and good evening again from the port of mobile, alabama. this is a special edition of ac "360." i'm aaron burnett. for the 3100 passengers and more than 1,000 crew members who have been leaving the crippled cruise ship behind me, there were two songs of the night ""sweet home alabama"" and the sweet music of a ship's whistle. >> well, listen to that horn. look how happy they are to hear that. port of call horn means that they're about to dock. >> there it is. that's a sound that many family members have waited for. >> i'm sorry, martin. >> very joyful noise as the carnival triumph came into port.

i remember hearing that horn. everyone stopped dead and turned and watched it arrive. the ship is right behind me. people have been coming off the gangway. it has been very smooth so far from everything we've heard, it's gone floor by floor from bottom to top. this of course, was not the triumph's intended destination but a fire on sunday left the ship almost dead in the water. the main power was gone. toilets did not work. hallways is became open sewers. it was a nightmare cruise but tonight there is cheering because the nightmare is over. passengers are streaming on shore. they've been piling on to buses which have been leaving bus after bus after bussing heading to hotels, galveston, new orleans. we've seen remarkable reunions. we've heard passengers offer praise for ship mates and crew members. we've spoken passengers describing primitive conditions. >> it was just tent city. you probably remember what the superdome looked like in

katrina. that's what the deck looked like. it was unbelievable. they asked us to take them down when the helicopter started making deliveries. we did that, and they straightened everything up. so looks kind of tidy right now. that was not the way it was. >> take a look at the ship again. it's hard to imagine all those people got on board looking for a little relaxation. it was a few day cruise. the worst they had in store might be heartburn, losing a little bit gambling, maybe feeling a little tired in the morning. they're being compensated by the cruise line. tonight the ceo who had not said much said plain and simple, we blew it. >> i know the conditions on board were very poor. i know it was very difficult. and i want to to apologize again for subjecting our guests to that. we pride ourselves in providing our guests with a great vacation experience and clearly we failed

in this particular case. >> and that's where we stand tonight. an epic fail but a happy homecoming and safe to say a lot of people with stories to tell forever. before we get to some of them, i want to bring everyone up to date on latest. for that i'm joined by martin savidge who has been here for days. we've been here together as people started to disembark and were moved by media. >> all people heading to points unknown. this is one of those stories we knew was going to develop and grow. once you got sight of the ship, it became very tangible that oh, my gosh, this is real. 4,000 people plus that were caught. not a life and death situation but still a life-altering situation. they were affected deeply that we saw human nature side that seemed to be people helping one another and people raving about the crew. we've got some more people right here. >> one of the things that struck me about it was earlier in the day talking to people on the

phone, there was a lot of frustration. there was anger. people were upset. now as people have come off, they're talking about some of the good things that happened. the close relationships without having a cell phone, without having anything to do that you were forced to get even closer to those you loved. that was a wonderful thing. >> they found it wasn't the shore excursions that meant the most. it was being with one another and putting themselves through difficult circumstances and finding and communicating ways they hadn't done before. there's a lot of philosophy you can need this experience. could be a whole cruise idea. >> yj bachelor and joy dyer join us now. >> we see you're wearing the traditional attire. >> this is the triumph road. >> ours are specially decorated. >> that was a little too quick. >> float trip 2013. >> it started out as a cruise but it became a float trip. >> and what am i to read into

that? what is a float trip? >> we were floating at sea. it was a great cruise. and then we had a float trip. >> and what was -- we were just talking about how there was frustration and desperation and anger. and then there were moments where you felt really close and special with the people that you loved. >> the situation that we were in was a terrible situation. and there were a lot of just frustrating and horrible things to deal with, but wa we were in awe of the entire time is the crew that was completely unselfish. they served us with smiles and served us in ways that are truly unthinkable the things they had to do yet they did it with smiles. we came home intending to keep up with those relationships. they did not have to serve us to the capacity that they did. that they chose to make the most of it. and that encouraged all of us to make the most of it. we found ways to find laugher in spite of what we were dealing with and that helped us get

through it. >> can you think of a moment where you felt so deeply touched by a crew member? >> there's so many, it's honestly hard to narrow down one. the day that maybe was the scariest was when the food was a bit sparse and the helicopters hadn't made it on yet or we weren't close enough for things to happen. water was really sparse. we had drank soda for. >> days. >> and we really wanted some water. and the night hour caretaker delivered a water bottle. she wouldn't even deliver till we were in the room to hand it to us and make certain we had he it. >> to be sure that no one else was claiming it. >> that was a scary moment because you really don't realize how fortunate we are to have a flushing toilet, running clean water and water to drink. >> we've heard this over and over. but it's true. only when you're thrown in these very, very stressful circumstances do you begin to appreciate what you don't have,

but you also appreciate what you do have which is apparently the people around you. >> we've been living in tent city out on the deck of the ship. we are ready for a nice warm bed with a roof, electricity and running water. >> are you going to galveston? >> we're here tonight and heading home tomorrow. >> where is home? >> ork city. >> have you spoken to the family? >> yes, we got texts when the other ships would meet us. we had cell coverage for a minute. since we've gotten closer, yes, we've all talked with everyone. >> we can't get there fast enough to hug our family. >> you probably appreciate them in a way you didn't before, right? >> of course. everything really that is important is in such focus in situations like this. >> that is so true. i mean, you're cut off. but you have to focus on who you have. many people have spoken about this bond and about how they've talked to people they never would have talked to, they did things obviously they never

thought they would do. >> or spoken about. >> it was general conversation for a while. >> we were hearing there were all sorts of things that people don't want to talk about on television. >> dignity is lost when you're in that sort of situation. we all coped with it together. >> did you feel in most cases people rose to the occasion? >> absolutely, absolutely. it was just bonding even with the people we had never met before, brandon andorra, we all heched to put the ropes and sheets together, rotating to keep the seats and getting one another food and saving places and just things that people do. >> and the same thing with the crew. we saw people who were hired to be massage therapists or entertainers who ended up patrolling the hallways at night to help protect us and our things and serving on the food line and helping get our luggage off the ship. people who just wanted to help so much who would just stage without power, they would stage some entertainment for us to kind of help pass the time, just

playing instruments with a music stand out in an entryway or something just to help time not feel so. >> acts of generosity. >> remarkable actually to hear that people would go to such lengths above and beyond. >> and they were in the exact situation we were. >> they were. >> all right. well, thank you so much. both of you. >> we'll let you get on your way. >> enjoy your warm bed and your shower and your toilets. >> we will. >> i don't know what order you rank them but i know you need them all. >> thank you. >> thank you very much for coming by. >> joining us now on the phone is detucker in line to get off the ship. this has taken several hours already. she was on the sixth floor of the cruise ship. let us know now, are you almost off? do you know how much longer it will take? >> well, we are now walking off. they said that there was a 15-mile train passing. so it's going to be a little hard for me to hold the phone to

carry two bags though. >> okay. we could tell by that kind of muscled signal that you are obviously on the move. we take that as a very good sign. and that you soon, if not already are going to be on the ground, right? >> yes, yes. it was a notch above a riot here. they packed us in here and we're standing and standing for an hour. fae -- >> we've heard that it was an orderly disembarkation, but it sounds like your experience has been a little bit different. that sounds pretty frustrating. >> right, it's not orderly. you went from floor one to three to four and then six. and then they took them down in the elevators and when the will bes opened at the bottom, they just keep packing them in. so there's no organization. >> so no one's guiding you. >> i've got to hang up because

i've got to carry my luggage. >> all right, de. >> please, go ahead. we don't want to hold you up. good luck. >> obviously, when you look at the gangway behind us from the upper decks, you don't see people coming down. there are people still coming off the ship. as she indicated a lot of people jam. >> she did say the will bes were working which would be relatively new because power had been out most of the time. they only had one elevator. at the end they get the lights back on and get the will bes going. getting off the vessel now is what people want do. it's got to be frustrating when you see everybody else on shoren an you're still sitting on the ship. >> you probably feel the last few moments among the tense and frustrating that you felt the entire time. >> clark and jacob were on the sixth floor. good to talk to both of you. you were on a cruise with family and friends. >> yeah. >> how many were you all together? >> probably 25 all together. my mom has lots of friends. bring them all along for the

ride. >> are they still her sflends. >> yeah, as long as i carry the luggage for them. >> how does it feel? >> good. >> feels really good to be on land and not be swaying back and forth. at one point the wind was blowing so hard the ship was tilted. so when you're talk walking down the hallway, everybody's walking like this or trying to go across, you were walking forward or back. >> that had to be worrying. a ship doesn't normally tilt that way. not really. >> there was a lot of people worried. but the cruise director did a good job of calming people down. the staff was amazing. they were always on point helping us whenever we had questions, anything was going on. >> did you ever worrier that -- this lasted several days. i don't want to imply this was quick, but this was a resolution in coming to port. did you worry it might not end this way? >> yeah, i was nervous i was going to be in a tiny mexican town and then taken somewhere else and somewhere else. so hearing plans as they found

them out was really helpful. so. >> and you were able to communicate with family? you were able to get a message out? >> well, that was interesting because when the power went out, you lose all cell reception because they project that from the boat. the only time we had a chance to text or call was when the other boats swung by. so had you people like walking across the deck holding up their phones trying to follow the boat as it goes around just to get a message out. not everybody did all the time. i talked to one girl who is still nursing a newborn. her husband wasn't on the ship. she was there with girlfriends and she hasn't talked to him since sunday morning when the power went out. >> you know the moment that vessel goes away, you lose all contact with the outside world. >> yes. >> that gives you a whole new sense of the priorities, right, in life. >> yeah, absolutely. >> that's a good question. has it changed things? do you suddenly find that to do list gets a little rearranged as

far as importance and what matters? >> yeah, i want to be able to relax when life is crazy around you. but when things need to get done you need to know how to do it well. it's taught me how to be prepared for that. so it's been good. >>. >> the next cruise you going to pack a lot more stuff? >> yes. >> is there going to be a next cruise? >> i'm going to keep my feet on land for a little while. if you get a free seven-day cruise, how can you pass that up, right? you've got to cross your fingers that it's not another engine failure or prop. >> you've got hope you've drawn that card in life the one time you're going to draw it. >> maybe i'll bring one of my more lucky friends next time. >> this one is considered the unlucky ones. >> it can't be me. >> where are you headed tonight? are you staying here? >> they're bussing us to new

orleans. >> you're going to new orleans tonight. >> uh-huh. >> you're not going to sleep tonight? >> no, we're going to new orleans. >> three-hour bus ride. where is home? >> dallas. >> our flights are tomorrow morning out of new orleans. then we very to go to galveston and drive up to dallas. >> you got a car you left in galveston? >> yeah. >> your sojourn is still ongoing but you're here on land and we're glad for that. have a safe night. >> thank you very much. >> and still to come, breaking news coverage of the carnival cruise crisis continues. we'll talk to more of the thousands of passengers disembarking the crippled ship. i work for one. y that company, the united states postal service®, works for thousands of home businesses. because at usps.com®, you can pay, print and have your packages picked up for free.

i can even drop off free boxes. i wear a lot of hats. well, technically i wear one. the u.s. postal service®, no business too small. well, technically i wear one. we asked total strangers to watch it for us. thank you so much. i appreciate it. i'll be right back. they didn't take a dime. how much in fees does your bank take to watch your money? if your bank takes more money than a stranger, you need an ally. ally bank. your money needs an ally.

of the most highly recommended bed in america, the tempur-pedic ergo system. treat yourself to the ultimate sleep experience and save up to $400 during the tempur ergo savings event. plus, visit tempurpedic.com for full details on our 0% apr financing with up to five years to pay. don't wait. five years special financing ends february 18th, and the tempur ergo savings event ends february 24th. visit tempurpedic.com now. tempur-pedic -- the most highly recommended bed in america.

>> for me, it was really scary because it's never happened to me and it's my first cruise. and i didn't know what to do. the bed was tilting and i didn't know what to do. it was really confusing. >> tonight, buses carrying passengers from the port of mobile to local hotels in new orleans and elsewhere have come out behind us. the passengers tired, frustrated. but also profoundly happy to be back on dry land. earlier today, everyone seemed full of despair and then when they came on shore full of joy in so many cases. the disembarkation process has been going fairly quickly but not smoothly for some. the docking did go smoothly for a giant ship, 100,000 tons, two and a half football fields along with no brakes and no lights. it wasn't easy. the triumph hardly triumphant tonight but safely tied up at

the alabama cruise terminal. i'm joined by marty savidge. it's been a nice night. >> it has been a very nice night. people have had remarkable conversations. we've talked to them and learned how their lives have been altered by this. there is a line of stretch limousines. >> we have figured out why? >> no, there are a number of private jets that have flown in. apparently there's people getting off this vessel that were well connected. we want to talk to bethany right now. it was about an hour ago we were talking to you right up there. >> yes. >> you were literally up on one of those balconies waving and talking to us. >> the beauty of this is not long after she spoke to us, amazingly how does this happen, she's being told it's time for you to sfleev that's right. it was amazing how fast it was by that point. we just stepped out of our room, grabbed our bags and boom, we were down here. it was -- i was not expecting that.

i was expecting lines and having to stand for longer. >> what's the process like? what do you have to go through? >> we had to do customs earlier today. so that was done. we just had to grab our bags and walk down the hall to where we would meet in the lobby and walk off the ship. it was that easy today. there was the gang plank or whatever you call it, gangway. >> i called it the gang plank earlier too don't worry. >> and through the building to where we needed to go. it was that simple. >> are people guiding you? are there lights there to see? >> there's tons of people. they grabbed my mom's bags and carried them. a lady was like i can get my own. let them get them. okay, take my bags. >> this is when you ask for anything you want. a good chance of getting it. >> when you finally stepped off, did you stop for a second or just start running? >> just start running. it was great to be back and be out here and one step closer to

being back in houston. >> we were talking about your tweets. we've remarked on these. you found a way to add some levity and to bring a little philosophy. what got you composing? >> quell, my sister actually. it was the way she communicated. it was how i kept up with her. i started tweeting myself and i linked to my facebook so everything can see anything no matter if it's twitter or facebook. i talked to my friends and people i never met before and have fun with people online. i don't have very many followers but i find it's fun so i just keep it up. >> there may be a career there. >> that's right. you have the touch. it's not easy in 140 characters. >> that's right. we've asked this question of a lot of people. people said with all of a sudden not having a cell phone, not only did you appreciate people more, you were forced to interact with people more. >> right. >> how did you spend your time? >> well, like i said on board, i had brought tons of books

because i didn't know what i would be in the mood for. >> you're my kind of traveler. >> we've gone through them all. the different glamour magazines and everything. so that's really what i just wanted to read. i just wanted to hang out, play some music on my iphone, just have fun and we -- it was -- we had a good time. we looked through some pictures we had taken earlier in the cruise. i had monopoly on my ipad plained that one night, played cards. since we were lucky enough to have a balcony, we tried to stay out of the crowded areas because we didn't need it. why crowd it up even more. >> did you find that you were talking to people you otherwise won't have spoken to that you were reaping out in ways you might never have thought? >> yes and no. we're pretty friendly all three of us are pretty friendly but yes, i mean, when you're standing in line for three hours, you learn a lot about the people around you. kind of like the driver's

license line. it was really interesting to hear people's stories and where they're from and why they're cruising. it was really interesting. >> thank you very much. >> thank you. >> bethany, nice to see you down here and just looking at you. >> thank you so much. >> you know, marty there's something here about carts. i have a few decks of cards at home. i always wonder if i'm going to bring them on trips. you don't bring them because you have your ipad and iphone. so many people are saying they played cards. >> they played board games. there were a lot of things that now were appreciated that have been overlooked in life for a long time. that's the positive you can take away. >> joining us is donna gus mann in her hotel room in mobile. i'm assuming that means you have been able to shower and enjoy the heat and feel a warm bed? >> yes, i am so excited. i actually had a nice cheese

burger and a hot bath and i'm laying in bed watching you all's coverage right now. well, we're glad you've got it in the right perspective there. clean up and tune in. but i mean, how does it feel to sort of have that chance -- how does it feel to soak up that warm water and realize your ordeal's over, it's finally done? >> it is a breath of fresh air. i can't tell you how i enjoyed just having a hot bath. i could have spent quite some time in there hanging out. i'm very happy to know that i'll be on my way home tomorrow. it's kind of ironic i look out my window -- >> i'm sorry. i didn't mean to interrupt you. i was saying tomorrow, are you going to get a real night's sleep? i know the past few nights it has been anything but a good night's sleep.

>> yes, i plan on sleeping in as late as i can and then i'm going to hit the road. >> all right. >> i this he we lost her or maybe she drifted off. >> i'm still here. >> sorry. yeah, we got you, yeah. we're going to let you go though because we know you've been through a lot. we're going to pull some others into the conversation. thanks very much. get plenty of rest. >> thank you so much. you guys have done a great job covering everything. >> thank you. joining us now on the phone, trey and kendall love on the bus to new orleans. we were talking to trey and kendall earlier. pretty amazed at your fortitude you were able to get on the bus and head to new orleans. you just heard donna, she's had her shower and in her bed. where are you right now? >> we're on the interstate heading to new orleans. >> we're going home! >> and how is that bus trip

going? >> it's pretty smooth. everybody's relaxed. you're watching you guys now. so nice to have a working tv in front of us. >> wow. okay. so what is the plan? you get to new orleans, and then what? >> i guess we get to sleep for a couple hours. then we leave at 10:00 in the morning headed back to south carolina. >> all right. i mean, i'm quite amazed we've got people talking from their hotel room, people coming from the bus ride on the way to new orleans. i'm glad they're still staying connected. >> it sort of feels like kind of a big new family. it really does. gosh, well, trey and kendall, your bus is totally full i would imagine, right? >> yeah, yeah. the first one got full and we had to wait for another one. >> they're on their way and will be there soon. >> soon to get a shower.

two showers, probably want an hour for the shower. >> i will give them credit. i think i would have gone straight across the street to the hotel that was nearest. this has been discussed in mobile. they said they had 2500 rooms available tonight for those people getting off. but instead, they were questioning why are they sending them off to new orleans? >> apparently carnival said that's what was comfortable to the peassengers. >> thank you for sharing your stories with us. you went through a difficult ordeal and we appreciate your sharing what you went through. >> welcome home, and we look forward to all those reunions with your families. the news continues right now on cnn. [ male announcer ] susan writes children's books.

when she's happy, she writes about bunnies. when she's sad, she writes about goblins. [ balloon pops, goblin growling ] she wrote a lot about goblins after getting burned in the market. but she found someone to talk to and gained the confidence to start investing again. ♪ and that's what you call a storybook ending. it's not rocket science. it's just common sense. from td ameritrade.

[ male announcer ] engine light on? come to meineke now for a free code scan read and you'll say...my money. my choice. my meineke. come to meineke now for a free code scan read today is gonna be an important day for us. you ready? we wanna be our brother's keeper. what's number two we wanna do? bring it up to 90 decatherms. how bout ya, joe? let's go ahead and bring it online. attention on site, attention on site. now starting unit nine. some of the world's cleanest gas turbines are now powering some of america's biggest cities. siemens. answers. ♪