Carnival Cruise Line has canceled further voyages onboard the fire-stricken Carnival Freedom. The vessel’s funnel caught fire earlier this week during a call to Grand Turk.
With the ship not having moved off the berth in Turks and Caicos as it is awaiting the arrival of Carnival Conquest, Carnival estimates it will need additional time to repair the damage done by the fire.
The period in dry dock means the sailings scheduled for June 2 and June 6 have now been canceled, on top of the previously canceled May 28 5-Night Eastern Caribbean sailing.
Further Cancelations For Carnival Freedom
Carnival Freedom was struck by fire earlier this week while the cruise ship was at the dock in Grand Turk. With damage assessments ongoing and passengers awaiting transfer to another Carnival Cruise ship, Carnival Freedom has not yet made it to the intended dry dock location in Grand Bahama.
In a letter to guests, the cruise line states the following: “Yesterday, Carnival Freedom’s emergency response team quickly extinguished a fire inside the ship’s funnel while the vessel was in Grand Turk. While all guests and crew are safe, we will need some time to execute the necessary repairs.”
The four-night departure from Port Canaveral on June 2 was scheduled to call in Nassau and Princess Cays in the Bahamas. The five-night June 6 departure, was to visit Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic and Grand Turk.
Guests to Receive Full Refund
Although guests will be very disappointed to learn their cruises have been canceled, Carnival offers a full refund of all monies paid. There will also be a 100% future cruise credit that must be redeemed by May 31, 2023, on any departure open for sale.
Affected passengers will also receive reimbursement of up to $200 per person on non-refundable airline expenses. Any COVID-19 testing costs that had been paid already will also be reimbursed.
“We are very sorry for the disappointment this has caused and thank you for your understanding,” Carnival President Christine Duffy said in her email to affected passengers. “We look forward to welcoming you on a Carnival cruise in the near future.”
The fire has also delayed guests on the affected voyage. Those guests need to wait for Carnival Conquest to collect them from Grand Turk and will not return to Port Canaveral until May 30, instead of May 28. Carnival Conquest is due in Grand Turk in the afternoon of Saturday, May 28.
What Happened To Carnival Freedom?
Carnival Freedom experienced a fire in the starboard side of its iconic whale-tale funnel while the ship was docked in Grand Turk on Thursday, May 26, 2022. The fire was quickly put out by emergency responders onboard and no injuries were reported to guests or crew members.
Although the vessel sustained no other damage than the damage to the funnel, she is not cleared to sail with guests onboard. Once all guests have been transferred to Carnival Conquest, Carnival Freedom will head to Grand Bahama to undergo emergency dry dock repairs to its funnel.
