The enduring whale story funnel of Carnival cruise ships is a sight that excites many cruise vacationers, recognizable from miles away. It may be the primary sight of embarkation, and is a superb reminder of fantastic cruise recollections.
One Carnival ship doesn’t have that attribute funnel, nevertheless, and gained’t be getting one anytime quickly attributable to scheduling considerations.
Carnival Freedom misplaced her funnel – twice – in fires in Might 2022 and once more in March 2024, simply months after receiving her alternative funnel. Since then, the ship has sailed with a modified straight funnel that’s totally useful, however lacks the visible and architectural curiosity of Carnival Cruise Line’s signature whale tail.
The funnel is of curiosity to many cruise visitors not solely as an indication of their crusing, however as a nice photograph characteristic for each Carnival cruise ship. One upcoming visitor on Carnival Freedom inquired concerning the new funnel, questioning when it may be changed but once more.
The visitor reached out to John Heald, Carnival Cruise Line’s official Model Ambassador, concerning the funnel. Heald and his assistant Jacinta reply lots of of questions each day on Fb about all forms of subjects, together with ship updates.
“Has Freedom gotten her tail again but?” the visitor requested. “If not, what’s the ETA [estimated time of arrival] on that?”
Heald does reply to the query, noting that disrupting the ship’s scheduled deployment shouldn’t be an choice.
“No, there are not any plans instantly to offer her a whale tail as a result of that will imply canceling two probably three cruises whereas that work is completed,” he defined. “I’m certain at some point she is going to, however I don’t have any info as to when precisely.”
When Carnival Freedom‘s whale tail first caught fireplace in Might 2022, the starboard “wing” of the construction was utterly destroyed. The incident occurred whereas the ship was docked in Grand Turk, and visitors had been transferred to Carnival Conquest to return to Port Canaveral.
Carnival Freedom then went into an emergency dry dock in Freeport for evaluation and restore, at which period the portside wing of the funnel was additionally eliminated. The ship returned to service on June 11, 2022 with a modified straight funnel.
It wasn’t till the ship’s scheduled dry dock in Cadiz, Spain in October 2023 that the whale tail funnel was totally restored.
In a merciless twist of irony, a lightning strike hit Carnival Freedom‘s model new funnel in March 2023 – simply 5 months after the restoration – inflicting a hearth on the portside wing. As soon as once more, the ship would set forth with a modified straight funnel, which she has sported ever since.
There have been no accidents reported throughout both funnel fireplace incident, and the onboard fireplace emergency groups responded swiftly to comprise the respective blazes and guarantee everybody’s security.
When Is Carnival Freedom‘s Subsequent Dry Dock?
Whereas Carnival Cruise Line has not confirmed precisely when Carnival Freedom will as soon as once more obtain a brand new whale tail, it might occur throughout her deliberate dry dock in October 2026.
The 110,000-gross-ton, Conquest-class ship is scheduled for a 14-night, one-way transatlantic crossing from Port Canaveral, Florida to Barcelona, Spain departing on August 18, 2026. Barcelona is the closest embarkation/debarkation port to the shipyard in Cadiz, 560 miles away.
The subsequent voyage for the ship shouldn’t be till October 9, 2026 when she is going to supply an 8-night Mediterranean itinerary from Barcelona. Following that, a westbound 13-night transatlantic cruise will return the ship to Port Canaveral to renew her Bahamas and Jap Caribbean itineraries.
Learn Additionally: Carnival Cruise Ships by Age – Latest to Oldest
Through the almost two month hole in Carnival Freedom‘s scheduled sailings, the ship is prone to be present process her subsequent dry dock replace in Cadiz. Whereas shipyard schedules are all the time filled with work, it’s potential the addition of the brand new funnel shall be deliberate into the ship’s overhaul.
Most cruise ships endure updates each 3-5 years, relying on the scale and age of the vessel in addition to adjustments in environmental or security laws which will necessitate extra work.
Typical upkeep throughout such a prolonged dry dock contains technical updates of the ship’s main programs, in addition to aesthetic updates comparable to new decking, carpeting, upholstery, and different particulars. Moreover, new areas could also be added to the ship, such because the non-smoking casinos Carnival has been including to extra ships.
Hopefully, Carnival Freedom may also obtain her new funnel at the moment, bringing again the basic look that Carnival cruisers love!
Observe: Three different Carnival ships even have straight funnels. Carnival Luminosa, Carnival Venezia, and Carnival Firenze are all former Costa cruise ships and retained their straight funnels once they had been transferred to Carnival Cruise Line. These aren’t modified whale tails, nevertheless, and are the basic funnels these ships have all the time showcased.
