I would have been upset also and I know a lot of you who are telling them to man up would also have been upset if you had paid for one thing and gotten a completely opposite experience.
Maybe you should put yourself in their shoes before you spout off with the so called advice.
Then my advice to them is next time don't take a ship. There is no such thing as a ship without mechanical failures or worse shipboard fires. The crews knowledge and skills likely saved many lives and NO ONE got seriously hurt. That speaks well for the skills of the ships crew. It could have been far worse and I know what I'm talking about on this matter.
As long as ships go to sea military or pleasure there will be dangers like fires. It doesn't mean someone sets them but rather even the best top of the line and well maintained equipment can fail. When fire happens on a ship {any fire} it is very serious until it is put out. You can't run to the neighbors down the street and help isn't coming. You put it out or it kills you. No other options usually. The fire must be put out by the crew and ship fires are different in nature and how you deal with them than fires on land.
All in all I think the company has given them a fair deal. People need to remember we do not live in a failsafe world. Things happen sometime beyond any ones control. The crew got the passengers back to shore safely under extreme adverse conditions. Inconvenience for the passengers? Yea no denying that. That's life.