The SH Diana was en route to the South Pole when the maritime mishap occurred earlier this week, derailing the 20-night voyage.

Sometimes, a cruise line has to change its itinerary because of damage to the ship. In such a case the ship must either divert to a place where repairs can be made and/or it might have to miss a port because it can't reach the speeds needed to go where it was scheduled to go.

Itineraries can change suddenly, especially around Antarctica, where the weather conditions can be unpredictable and extreme.

Cruise passengers on Swan Hellenic’s Diana vessel go on hunger strike over lack of full refund and cruise cancellation.

A mechanical failure cut short a luxury Antarctic cruise, sparking protests and a hunger strike from passengers demanding full refunds.