On May 26, 2022, a fire erupted aboard Carnival Freedom while she was in port in Grand Turk. The fire was severe enough that it required guests to report to their muster stations, canceled the current cruise along with three additional sailings, and destroyed the ship’s iconic “Fun Ship” emblem—her red, white, and blue funnel. The ship resumed service on June 11, 2022 after receiving a temporary funnel from a shipyard in the Bahamas.
Now, over a year later, Carnival Freedom will once again be outfitted with the funnel she was designed to carry. The 2,980-guest Conquest-class ship entered a 16-day dry dock on October 5, 2023 at the Navantia shipyard in Cadiz, Spain. The shipyard is already constructing the new funnel making it the first time this shipyard has designed and constructed a Carnival funnel.
Carnival Cruise Line Brand Ambassador John Heald posted the following on his Facebook page about the new Whale Tail and other refurbishments and enhancements that will be included in this dry dock.
“Carnival Freedom is about to get a new Whale Tail and that’s brilliant.
In addition to the funnel’s replacement, several other refurbishments are also planned for the ship’s exterior, including the installation of new decking and the addition of the now-signature Carnival red, white and blue hull design that is a feature of most of the ships in the fleet. A Heroes Tribute Bar, which serves as a salute to veterans and active-duty service members, will be added along with other enhancements.
More details will be shared about the enhancements made to Carnival Freedom once the work at the shipyard is completed.”
On November 6, 2023, once all her refurbishments and enhancements are complete, Carnival Freedom will return to her year-round homeport in Port Canaveral, Florida. She will continue to sail 5-day Bahamas cruises with ports of call in Nassau and Princess Cay, and 4-day Eastern Caribbean cruises with ports of calls at Grand Turk and Amber Cove.