Squalid, smelly and steamy, the crippled cruise ship Carnival Triumph limped toward port on Thursday, its passengers and crew looking forward to a breath of fresh air.

The laborious slog through the Gulf of Mexico tested not only the senses of the thousands on board, but their patience as well.

Towed by three tugboats, the ship is on track to arrive at terminal in Mobile, Alabama, around 4 p.m. ET Thursday.

The Triumph was expected to navigate the "safety fairway," or the corridor into Mobile Bay, late Wednesday night, bringing it around 10 a.m. Thursday to the point where a pilot from the Port of Mobile will board the ship and guide it to dock, the same official said.