There has been a spate of engine fires aboard passenger ships around the world in recent years.

CNN: Spate of fires poses problems for cruise industry

In the case of Carnival Cruise Lines, the owner of the Carnival Triumph that spent days in the Gulf of Mexico disabled after an engine fire, the company is incorporated in Panama, its offices are based in Miami and its ships fly under the Bahamian flag a matrix that is not unusual in the cruise line industry.

NPR: No Central Agency Oversees, Inspects Cruise Ships