Cruise ship passengers has told of the horrific condition on board the stricken cruise ship Carnival Triumph

THE first lawsuit has been filed in the wake of the crippled Carnival Triumph cruise ship that left thousands of passengers in miserable conditions for days.

Texas resident Cassie Terry sued Carnival Corp. today (AEST) in Miami federal court. The suit seeks unspecified damages, saying Terry feared for her life or that she might suffer serious injury or illness because of the presence of raw sewage and spoiled food on the crippled Carnival Triumph.

Terry alleged that Carnival failed to provide a seaworthy vessel and sanitary conditions, according to court documents. Terry suffered physical and emotional harm, including anxiety, nervousness and the loss of the enjoyment of life, according to the complaint.

Carnival cruise ship tickets require that all lawsuits be filed in Miami. Maritime attorneys say it's difficult but not impossible to win a case unless the plaintiff can show actual injury or illness.

Carnival spokesman Vance Gulliksen said the company hadn't seen the suit and was not in position to comment.

The vacation ship carrying some 4200 people docked late yesterday in Mobile to raucous cheers from passengers weary of overflowing toilets, food shortages and foul odors.

Yet the chaos was far from over for some of the weary passengers as they tried to get home.

A bus carrying the bedraggled Triumph guests from Mobile broke down on the way to New Orleans, Carnival said.

As if that wasn't enough, some were then told the Carnival chartered plane they were due to catch had an electrical failure and was delayed for 90 minutes, New York Daily News reported.

Carnival spokesman Vance Gulliksen had said passengers were given three options: take a bus straight to Galveston, Texas, to retrieve cars parked at the ship's departure port, take a bus to New Orleans to stay at a hotel before a charter flight home or have family or friends pick them up in Mobile.

Mr Gulliksen said up to 20 charter flights would leave New Orleans to take guests who stayed in hotels there to their final destinations.