Carnival Cruise Line's Carnival Freedom encountered a funnel fire while sailing in the Bahamas on March 23. The cruise, en route from Port Canaveral, Florida, to the Bahamas, had canceled a port call due to stormy weather. Passengers reported hearing a loud boom, possibly from a lightning strike, before the fire broke out. The fire, located on the port wing of the ship's funnel, prompted the captain to activate fire teams and caution passengers to stay indoors. Despite efforts to extinguish the fire, a portion of the funnel's wing fell onto the deck before it was brought under control after two hours.

From Stormy Lee: “Tail on fire on Carnival Freedom. We were headed toward Freeport but it has now turned around headed back toward Princess Cays Bahamas”

The fire has been extinguished and the passengers are safe. pic.twitter.com/fe1yipiq5Z

— James Spann (@spann) March 23, 2024

Carnival stated that the vessel altered course into nearby rainstorms to aid firefighting efforts. Carnival Freedom continued its voyage to Freeport, Grand Bahama, and is expected to return to Port Canaveral as scheduled, with no anticipated impact on the next voyage. This incident echoes a similar event two years prior when the ship experienced a funnel fire while docked at Grand Turk. After temporary repairs, Carnival Freedom resumed service until the funnel was fully restored during a recent dry dock.

Carnival Corporation, the world’s leading cruise company, has announced its first newbuild order since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The company signed a contract with German shipbuilder Meyer Werft for a fourth Excel-class cruise ship for its Carnival Cruise Line brand. Anticipated to join the fleet in Spring 2027, the 180,000-ton vessel will be the 10th Excel-class ship across four of the corporation’s brands. It will join Carnival Cruise Line’s current Excel-class vessels, accommodating over 6,400 guests and powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG). Carnival Corporation & plc, operating more than 90 ships across 9 brands, plans to add eight new ships by 2025. The new order marks the first in five years for Carnival Corporation, following a reported strong start to the peak booking season and record bookings for 2024, with pricing and occupancy surpassing 2023 levels.

Ocho Rios, Jamaica - Carnival Magic of Carnival Cruise Line crushed part of a pier while it was docked in Ocho Rios, Jamaica Tuesday morning, February 6th, 2024. Some passengers had already been let off the ship when high winds began pushing the ship against the pier, causing the crew to stop letting passengers on and off the vessel.