Hours after the Neptune station on Sunday morning, the Carnival cruise ship Splendor set sail out of San Diego for a cruise of the Mexican Riviera. All was going fine until Monday morning at 6 a.m. local time, when a fire in the engine room left the ship stranded without power.

Without any power - how Neptunian - the ship listed and rolled with the waves, increasing sea sickness on board. Passengers had to eat "safe" (canned, and so on) rations, and had no phone or internet services. Two tug boats are towing the ship back to San Diego, and they are expected to arrive on Thursday afternoon.

Click here for the Time story on the cruise ship.