( CNN ) -- Days of sipping umbrella drinks have given way to the stench of backed-up sewage , stuffy cabins without power and limited food . The Carnival Triumph engine fire shows that the best-laid cruise plans can veer terribly off course . Sometimes it 's rough waters forcing the ship 's captain to change or skip a port of call at the last minute . And then there are the extreme cases of a days-long stranding , or in the case of the Costa Concordia disaster , the loss of 32 lives . When accidents happen , it 's not always clear what the cruise line is required to do next . Here are five things we 've learned about cruises since the Triumph 's engine room caught fire on Sunday : . Emergency systems are n't designed for a pleasant trip . It 's unclear at this point what systems are in play aboard the Triumph , but we know that generators are supplying power . And from passengers ' grim reports , these emergency measures do not a fun vacation make . `` The emergency generator is sized to provide sufficient power for systems that are necessary for the survivability of the vessel , passengers and crew , '' according to marine engineer Robert Jackson , who is the chair of the engineering technology department at California Maritime Academy . Opinion : Dirty secrets below deck . The plumbing systems on the ship are powered by electricity , and passenger accounts of sloshing sewage indicate that there 's not enough to operate facilities for more than 4,000 passengers and crew . `` Since the incident happened on Sunday , technicians have managed to restore limited power on board to operate some toilets and limited functions in certain areas . There is running water , albeit cold water , '' Carnival spokesman Vance Gulliksen said via e-mail . A Coast Guard helicopter delivered an additional generator to the ship on Wednesday to supply more power . How Carnival can clean up the PR mess . Itineraries can change without notice . Cruise lines may change a ship 's course mid-voyage . In the case of an engine fire , that 's a given , but more routine sailings could also change . Diversions may mean changing a port of call or skipping it altogether , and passengers agree to the unexpected when they purchase tickets . The conditions are included in the cruise line 's ticket contract . Carnival ships can `` deviate in any direction or for any purpose from the direct or usual course , and to omit or change any or all port calls , arrival or departure times , with or without notice , for any reason whatsoever , '' including mechanical breakdowns , according to the cruise line 's ticket contract . While terms and language vary by cruise line , according to Dan Askin , senior editor at online cruise community Cruise Critic , `` it 's pretty standard legalese across the industry that aims to protect the line against every contingency . '' This week Triumph sister ships Carnival Legend , Carnival Conquest and Carnival Elation all diverted to provide provisions to Triumph . However , those diversions did not result in any delayed arrivals or skipped ports of call , Gulliksen said . Tears and big hugs as passengers reunite with families . Passenger compensation often is not required . Itinerary changes after a ship departs are considered part of the `` proposed voyage , '' according to Carnival 's itinerary change policy . Under the policy , Carnival is not liable for refunds or damages for post-departure changes . But when more than 3,000 passengers are stranded for five days , the cruise line is willing to concede a failed voyage . Triumph passengers will get $ 500 in addition to a full refund for the cruise and most expenses on board , transportation expenses to get home , as well as a credit for another cruise , Carnival said . Even in much less dire situations , most cruise lines do offer prorated compensation for cruises that are cut short , Askin said . `` After that , there 's significant variability in compensation , event by event , '' he said . After a bad cruise , can you cruise into court ? Cruise ship inspections vary by ship and country . In addition to the regulations of the International Maritime Organization , a United Nations agency , a ship is subject to the laws of the country whose flag it flies . The ship may also be subject to the laws of a country where it stops . The Carnival Triumph sails under a Bahamian flag , so authorities there are taking the lead in investigating the incident . But because the Triumph stops in U.S. ports and carries U.S. passengers , the U.S. Coast Guard has some inspection oversight over the vessel . The Coast Guard issued a certificate of compliance for the Carnival Triumph on May 17 , 2012 , after the ship 's annual inspection . The Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board have also launched an investigation into the cause of the engine room fire . In contrast , the Costa Concordia , which ran aground and sank off the coast of Italy in January 2012 , did n't stop in U.S. ports carrying U.S. passengers , so it was n't subject to U.S. Coast Guard regulation . Why did the rescue take five days ? Passengers may have a legal case . Carnival 's ticket contract says the cruise line is not `` liable to the passenger for damages for emotional distress , mental suffering/anguish or psychological injury of any kind under any circumstances , except when such damages were caused by the negligence of Carnival and resulted from the same passenger sustaining actual physical injury , or having been at risk of actual physical injury . '' While no physical injuries have been reported , if a passenger contracted a significant disease , such as hepatitis , from unsanitary conditions on the ship , maritime trial attorney John H. ( Jack ) Hickey believes physical injury could be argued . `` I think that a case can be made that everyone on that ship is at risk of actual physical injury , '' he said . Will passengers file suit and can they win ? Yes and yes , Hickey said . Carnival 's contract prohibits a class action suit , but Hickey said he 's not sure whether it is legally enforceable . Hickey has never filed suit over a cruise ship stranding , but he said these circumstances , particularly the reports of sewage on decks , are exceptional . `` It 's a public health disaster in the making . '' My celebration trip on the Carnival Triumph : From joy to misery . CNN 's Katia Hetter contributed to this report .
Emergency systems are n't designed to support 4,000 people for five days . Comment: Passengers may have a legal case against Carnival , maritime attorney says .