>> reporter: some passengers said when they saw lifeboats lowered they thought the "grandeur of the seas" was sinking. it was the latest scare in what has been a string of debacles for the cruise industry. last year, 32 people died when the cost ka "concordia" capsized off the coast of italy. carnival's "triumph" stranded passengers in the gulf of mexico in february and carnival's "dream" left others without power in march. executive director of the global maritime center richard burke says the incidents don't spell out a pattern for the industry. >> they're among the safest ships afloat. >> reporter: the latest black eye for the industry intensifies the public relations problems they face, but attorney john hickey says passengers have little recourse in nightmarish vacations. >> if passengers don't have any physical injuries or the threat of physical injury, they're, you know, basically under the terms of the ticket and the federal statute, not allowed to sue. >> reporter: royal caribbean is giving full refunds and vouchers