After what has been a week where they received more than they bargained for, Carnival Freedom’s guests have arrived back in Port Canaveral. The Caribbean cruise aboard Carnival Freedom was cut short when a fire broke out in the ship’s funnel during their visit to Grand Turk on May 26, 2022.
Guests spent an additional two days waiting in Grand Turk. On May 28, another Carnival cruise ship, Carnival Conquest, collected them from the stricken Carnival Freedom. The damaged vessel has now arrived in Grand Bahama to begin repairs on its funnel.
Carnival Freedom Guests Arrive Back in Port Canaveral
What was supposed to be a few days in the Caribbean turned out to be quite the adventure for the 2,504 passengers onboard Carnival Freedom.
During their stay in Grand Turk, the ship’s signature whale tail funnel caught fire on the starboard side. This caused the remaining cruise days to be canceled, and guests had to spend an additional two days in Turks & Caicos.
Originally, Carnival Freedom‘s voyage was scheduled to arrive back home on May 28. However, as the damaged ship could not sail with guests, another vessel was tasked with collecting the guests from Grand Turk.
On May 28, guests were transferred to Carnival Conquest, which arrived back in Port Canaveral in the early hours of May 30. Carnival has ensured that guests are compensated for the additional days they lost due to the fire.
Carnival Cruise Line stated, “We are grateful to our guests for their support as our team worked this weekend to bring them back to Port Canaveral on Carnival Conquest, and we remain proud of our Carnival Freedom crew who handled the situation on the ship effectively and according to safety protocols.”
Carnival Compensating Carnival Freedom Guests
While some guests will have enjoyed the adventure of experiencing two ships for the price of one, most guests will be happy to see that some compensation is coming their way.
Besides extending any WIFI and beverage packages guests purchased for their voyage, Carnival is also paying for gratuities for the additional days and has posted $100 in onboard credits to guest accounts onboard Carnival Conquest.
The extra days on Carnival Conquest will not be charged to guests, and guests have received a 50% future cruise credit based on the fare they paid for their Carnival Freedom cruise.
Any costs for parking in the Port Canaveral parking garage will also be covered by Carnival Cruise Line, as will any additional non-refundable costs for flights, such as rebooking costs to a maximum of $200 per guest.
Impacted Cruises as Repairs Begin
The fire onboard Carnival Freedom has not just impacted the current sailing. Future cruises have also seen a significant impact, both for Carnival Freedom and Carnival Conquest.
Carnival Freedom‘s cruises scheduled for departure on May 28, June 2, and June 6 have been canceled as the vessel is in dry dock in Freeport, Grand Bahama.
“Work to Carnival Freedom’s funnel began while the ship was still in Grand Turk and will continue at the Grand Bahama shipyard in Freeport. The ship’s May 28, June 2, and June 6 departures were cancelled so repairs could be made. The Carnival Freedom crew looks forward to welcoming guests back shortly,” Carnival said in a statement.
The four-night June 2 cruise was scheduled to call in Nassau and Princess Cays in the Bahamas. The five-night cruise on June 6 was expected to visit Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic and Grand Turk.
For now, the June 11 sailing is still scheduled to go ahead as planned. Guests booked on canceled cruises will receive a full refund on all monies paid and a 100% future cruise credit.
Carnival Conquest’s May 27, 3-night Bahama sailing was canceled following the vessel’s redeployment to Grand Turk to assist passengers. At the same time, the May 30 sailing has been shortened by a full day and will set sail on May 31, though no additional Carnival Conquest sailings are impacted.
