Carnival Confirms Ship Will Continue to Sail With Modified Funnel

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The iconic whale tale funnel of Carnival cruise ships is a sight that excites many cruise travelers, recognizable from miles away. It can be the first sight of embarkation, and is a wonderful reminder of amazing cruise memories.

One Carnival ship does not have that characteristic funnel, however, and won’t be getting one anytime soon due to scheduling concerns.

Carnival Freedom lost her funnel – twice – in fires in May 2022 and again in March 2024, just months after receiving her replacement funnel. Since then, the ship has sailed with a modified straight funnel that is fully functional, but lacks the visual and architectural interest of Carnival Cruise Line’s signature whale tail.

The funnel is of interest to many cruise guests not only as a sign of their sailing, but as a great photo feature for every Carnival cruise ship. One upcoming guest on Carnival Freedom inquired about the new funnel, wondering when it might be replaced yet again.

The guest reached out to John Heald, Carnival Cruise Line’s official Brand Ambassador, about the funnel. Heald and his assistant Jacinta answer hundreds of questions every day on Facebook about all types of topics, including ship updates.

“Has Freedom gotten her tail back yet?” the guest asked. “If not, what is the ETA [estimated time of arrival] on that?”

Heald does respond to the question, noting that disrupting the ship’s scheduled deployment is not an option.

“No, there are no plans immediately to give her a whale tail because that would mean canceling two possibly three cruises while that work is done,” he explained. “I’m sure one day she will, but I don’t have any information as to when exactly.”

When Carnival Freedom‘s whale tail first caught fire in May 2022, the starboard “wing” of the structure was completely destroyed. The incident happened while the ship was docked in Grand Turk, and guests were transferred to Carnival Conquest to return to Port Canaveral.

Carnival Freedom then went into an emergency dry dock in Freeport for assessment and repair, at which time the portside wing of the funnel was also removed. The ship returned to service on June 11, 2022 with a modified straight funnel.

It wasn’t until the ship’s scheduled dry dock in Cadiz, Spain in October 2023 that the whale tail funnel was fully restored.

Carnival Freedom Damaged Funnel
Carnival Freedom Damaged Funnel

In a cruel twist of irony, a lightning strike hit Carnival Freedom‘s brand new funnel in March 2023 – just five months after the restoration – causing a fire on the portside wing. Once again, the ship would set forth with a modified straight funnel, which she has sported ever since.

There were no injuries reported during either funnel fire incident, and the onboard fire emergency teams responded swiftly to contain the respective blazes and ensure everyone’s safety.

When Is Carnival Freedom‘s Next Dry Dock?

While Carnival Cruise Line has not confirmed exactly when Carnival Freedom will once again receive a new whale tail, it may happen during her planned 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 next voyage for the ship is not until October 9, 2026 when she will offer an 8-night Mediterranean itinerary from Barcelona. Following that, a westbound 13-night transatlantic cruise will return the ship to Port Canaveral to resume her Bahamas and Eastern Caribbean itineraries.

Read Also: Carnival Cruise Ships by Age – Newest to Oldest

Carnival Freedom Cruise Ship
Carnival Freedom at Port Canaveral (Photo Credit: Peter Titmuss / Shutterstock)

During the nearly two month gap in Carnival Freedom‘s scheduled sailings, the ship is likely to be undergoing her next dry dock update in Cadiz. While shipyard schedules are always packed with work, it is possible the addition of the new funnel will be planned into the ship’s overhaul.

Most cruise ships undergo updates every 3-5 years, depending on the size and age of the vessel as well as changes in environmental or safety regulations that may necessitate additional work.

Typical maintenance during such a lengthy dry dock includes technical updates of the ship’s major systems, as well as aesthetic updates such as new decking, carpeting, upholstery, and other details. Additionally, new spaces may be added to the ship, such as the non-smoking casinos Carnival has been adding to more ships.

Hopefully, Carnival Freedom will also receive her new funnel at that time, bringing back the classic look that Carnival cruisers love!

Note: Three other Carnival ships also have straight funnels. Carnival Luminosa, Carnival Venezia, and Carnival Firenze are all former Costa cruise ships and retained their straight funnels when they were transferred to Carnival Cruise Line. These are not modified whale tails, however, and are the classic funnels these ships have always showcased.

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Melissa Mayntz
Melissa Mayntz
Melissa has been offering her expertise on cruises since 2017 and reporting on cruise news since 2021. her work has been featured in newspapers, blogs, and websites on a wide range of subjects, but cruises remain her favorite topic to cover. She has been on more than 40 voyages to the Caribbean, Mexico, Alaska, Hawaii, and more, and always has at least one more sailing booked on the horizon.

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