Carnival Freedom has a brand new look following final Saturday’s fireplace. However the brand new design might look acquainted for those who aren’t new to cruising.
What occurred to Carnival Freedom?
Final Saturday, as a consequence of excessive winds, the ship needed to spend a day at sea as a substitute of visiting its personal vacation spot, Princess Cay. Whereas at sea, the ship encountered a extreme thunderstorm.
Pictures courtesy of Heath Barnes; Carnival Cruise Line
Because the ship was crusing northbound to Freeport, Bahamas, lightning struck the vessel, igniting fireplace to the funnel’s port aspect.
Together with the ship’s firefighting staff, the captain introduced the ship into an space of heavy rain bands to assist extinguish the fireplace, which was profitable.
Carnival Freedom funnel on fireplace. ({Photograph} courtesy of Heath Barnes.)
The all-clear was given shortly after, and the ship proceeded to its subsequent scheduled cease in Freeport after which onto Port Canaveral, Florida, on Monday to debark visitors.
Freedom funnel after fireplace. ({Photograph} courtesy of Heath Barnes.)
On Sunday, Carnival Cruise Line despatched letters to booked visitors advising them that the following two cruises have been cancelled so the ship’s funnel could possibly be repaired in Freeport, axing the March 25 and March 29 voyages.
The ship left Port Canaveral on Monday afternoon sure for Grand Bahama Shipyard in Freeport, arriving early Tuesday to start out work.
Heavy-duty equipment and shipyard employees have been atop the funnel all through the week, prepping for the smokestack redesign.
This course of concerned separating and rerouting the exhaust pipes, ultimately eradicating the winged portion of the funnel, and recreating its 2022 look.
Carnival Freedom Ship Hearth in 2022
In Could 2022, Carnival Freedom’s smokestack caught fireplace whereas the ship was docked on the Grand Turk Cruise Middle.
The final funnel substitute was in October 2023. (Photograph courtesy of Carnival)
In October 2023, Carnival Freedom underwent a dry dock in Cadiz, Spain, to obtain a brand new funnel after the 2022 blaze.
Carnival has not launched how a lot of a monetary hit they took for pulling the ship out of service for 2 sailings.
The ship is scheduled to return to service on Monday, April 1.