For four days, over 4,000 passengers and crew have been stranded aboard the ship. (DVIDSHUB, Creative Commons)

For four days, over 4,000 passengers and crew have been stranded aboard the ship after an engine fire broke out Sunday, shutting down power and leaving the ship adrift in the Gulf of Mexico.

Conditions on the ship rapidly deteriorated as the ship’s plumbing system also failed. Disgusted passengers fled their cabins as they flooded with sewage, sleeping on mattresses dragged into hallways and under tents on the ship’s deck.

Social media websites exploded with miserable and outraged messages from passengers and their onshore loved ones alike, deploring the food, the stench and the apparent lack of progress.

STORIFY: Carnival Triumph: Tweets, Photos, and Videos Detail The Scene Inside The Cruise Ship

Indeed, there has also been considerable buzz on why it took nearly five days for the ship to return to port. The main reason for the delay was Carnival’s choice to tow the boat to Alabama, rather than transfer passengers to another vessel.

According to CNN, Carnival spokesman Vance Gulliksen said in an email that towing the ship seemed the safest and most practical option.

"Regarding why we didn't use another cruise ship, we checked on this and all of our ships are in service right now, meaning that there aren't enough cabins available to accommodate more than 3,100 guests who are currently on the Triumph. Additionally, a ship-to-ship transfer at sea would be considered too risky," he said.

As the 900-foot vessel finally pulled into port Thursday, passengers cheered and cameras flashed. While the nightmare may be over for those aboard the Triumph, however, Carnival’s woes are just beginning.

The cruise line’s most immediate concern is figuring out how to get thousands of dirty, exhausted and above all angry passengers home—as well as fielding their customer service complaints. Carnival must also address the issue of how and why a fire broke out onboard the Triumph and proceeded to knock out the ship’s propulsion, power, sewage and air conditioning systems.

According to the New York Times, company officials said that this incident was not related to mechanical troubles last month that delayed the ship on a similar cruise to Mexico, however the proximity of the two incidents may give disgruntled passengers legal leverage.

The Triumph fire is the second cruise disaster Carnival Cruise Lines has experienced in a little more than a year’s time. In January of last year, the Costa Concordia ran aground off the Tuscan island of Giglio, killing 32.

MORE: Italian Authorities Arrest Cruise Captain After Shipwreck Kills 3

Carnival may face answering for these incidents as passengers return safe and sound to their families.

Reach Executive Producer Francesca Bessey here.