cruise that caught on fire

Carnival Freedom's next two sailings canceled after funnel fire, second within 2 years

A fire in the exhaust funnel of the Carnival Freedom this weekend has disrupted a cruise for the second time in less than two years — and will mean that the Florida-based ship's next two sailings are canceled.

Damage to the funnel will require the cancellation of Carnival's next two cruises out of Port Canaveral, which were scheduled to depart Monday and Friday.

There were about 3,700 passengers onboard the ship when the fire occured. And the two upcoming sailings, which were canceled, likely would have had a similar passenger count amid the busy Spring Break season.

Carnival initially had said it expected no changes in its upcoming cruises, but on Sunday afternoon said the cancellations would be required.

"Regrettably, the damage is more than we first thought, and will require an immediate repair to stabilize the funnel, resulting in the cancellation of the March 25 and March 29 cruises from Port Canaveral," according to a statement issued by Matt Lupoli, Carnival Cruise Line's senior manager of public relations. "The funnel has been stabilized for the ship’s return to Port Canaveral overnight to disembark guests, and then it will go to the Freeport shipyard on Monday afternoon to begin the required repairs."

Carnival said it made the decision after "our technical team completed a thorough assessment" during the ship’s visit Sunday to Freeport in the Bahamas.

In the statement, Carnival said: "We sincerely regret the impact to our embarking guests, as we know they have been looking forward to their spring break vacation. We are providing all guests on both canceled cruises a full refund and a 100% future cruise credit, so they can come back and enjoy a future cruise with us. We also greatly appreciate the terrific guests who are currently sailing with us, for their outstanding cooperation and support."

In a Facebook post, Carnival's widely followed brand ambassador, John Heald, conceded that many people who booked one of the canceled cruises are "feeling very disappointed," and he apologized for the turn of events.

But, Heald added that he wanted to assure affected passengers that, "when you rebook, using your full refund and your 100% future cruise credit, that the crew will be standing by to give you all the fun you deserve."

More than 500 people responded to the post, with many saying they thought Carnival was generous with the compensation offer. But some people who said they were on the cruise that experienced the fire said they thought Carnival should have done more for the people who were on the ship.

Carnival said the fire was confined to the funnel area. The cruise line said there are no reports of injuries to passengers. Two firefighting crew members were treated for minor smoke inhalation.

Carnival said that, at about 3:15 p.m. Saturday, the Carnival Freedom reported a fire on the port side of the ship’s exhaust funnel. The ship was 20 miles off Eleuthera Island, Bahamas, heading to Freeport after a canceled call to the Carnival private island of Princess Cays due to adverse weather.

"The ship’s fire response team was quickly activated, and the ship’s captain also turned the vessel towards the heavy rain in the area to maximize the efforts to put out the flames," an earlier Carnival statement said. "Eyewitnesses reported the possibility of a lightning strike, and that is being investigated, but cannot yet be confirmed."

By 5:20 p.m. Saturday, the fire was extinguished. 

How safe are cruise stops? Travel advisories are only one marker for destinations

Carnival said the ship's captain made multiple announcements to passengers and crew, and advised all but essential safety personnel to stay away from balconies and all open decks. 

The port-side portion of the funnel had fallen onto Deck 10, and the firefighting response put out any flames. 

The U.S. Coast Guard has been notified of the fire, and Carnival activated its incident response team to support the ship’s crew. 

Carnival said there were no other operational issues with the ship’s systems, and the ship, which was on a four-night cruise, was visiting Freeport on Sunday.

A cruise ship funnel generally serves as a smokestack to lift emissions above the deck, thus away from passengers and crew.

On Saturday evening, "Carnival Freedom guests enjoyed the Elegant Night dinner as planned, and, with the exception of the open decks, all areas of the ship are fully functioning," Carnival said in its statement. 

The Carnival Freedom's next voyage was scheduled to depart from Port Canaveral on Monday afternoon on a five-night Eastern Caribbean cruise. That cruise had port-of-call stops scheduled at Amber Cove in the Dominican Republic and at Grand Turk Island in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

But that sailing and a Friday sailing both have been canceled. Friday's five-night sailing also was scheduled to stop at those two ports of call, but in reverse order.

In May 2022 , a fire broke out in the funnel area of the Carnival Freedom while it was docked in Grand Turk. Carnival then canceled three scheduled sailings of the Carnival Freedom out of Port Canaveral because of the need to repair the ship's fire damage at a shipyard in Grand Bahama.

More recently, in October 2023, the Carnival Freedom debuted a new iconic winged funnel after returning from a 16-day dry-dock refurbishment in Cadiz, Spain.

Dave Berman is business editor at  FLORIDA TODAY.  Contact Berman at  [email protected] .

Watch CBS News

Carnival cruise ship that set sail from Florida catches fire in Grand Turk

By Caitlin O'Kane

Updated on: May 26, 2022 / 5:39 PM EDT / CBS News

A Carnival cruise ship that set sail from Port Canaveral in Florida caught fire on Thursday. The Carnival Freedom ship was in Grand Turk on a five-day cruise when a fire inside the ships funnel started, according to a press release from Carnival.

Carnival says the fire was quickly extinguished by emergency response teams, and that all guests and crew are safe. The ship's guests were cleared by local authorities to go ashore. Carnival is continuing to assess the situation. 

The @Carnival Freedom is on fire in Port at #GrandTurk #Carnival pic.twitter.com/7GgoWLG2Tc — Brian H (@Budman922) May 26, 2022

Social media posts show flames spewing from the funnel of the ship and black smoke billowing in the air. 

The ship had 2,504 guests and 972 crew onboard, Carnival said. Another ship, the Carnival Conquest, will travel from Miami to pick everyone up from Grand Turk on Saturday. They are expected to arrive in Port Canaveral on Monday.

The Conquest's next trip, scheduled to depart from Miami on Friday, has been canceled, as was the Freedom's next trip, scheduled to begin Saturday.

The Freedom ship will be taken to Freeport for a "repair to the funnel," Carnival said. All guests impacted by the changes in upcoming trips have been notified.

Last month, passengers on a Carnival cruise from Miami to Seattle were forced to quarantine after people onboard tested positive for COVID-19. Carnival didn't say how many of the approximately 2,100 passengers aboard were infected. Upon docking, all infected passengers were moved to area hotels for isolation.

While cruise ship fires are not common, they have occurred before. In 2016, more than 500 passengers and crew were evacuated from a burning ship about a mile off Puerto Rico's north coast. Many aboard the Caribbean Fantasy ship required medical care, though there were no reported fatalities.

• Cruise Ship

Caitlin O'Kane is a New York City journalist who works on the CBS News social media team as a senior manager of content and production. She writes about a variety of topics and produces "The Uplift," CBS News' streaming show that focuses on good news.

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Carnival Freedom cruise ship fire: ship's funnel catches fire, second time in 2 years

Fire on carnival freedom leads to other cruise cancelations.

Scary moments were caught on camera when passengers witnessed the Carnival Freedom cruise ship catch on fire. It’s the second time this has happened on this specific ship in two years.

Carnival had to cancel two upcoming voyages on its Carnival Freedom cruise ship after the ship's signature red and blue funnel exhaust pipe caught fire over the weekend, possibly due to a lightning strike, according to the mega cruise line. The damage was more severe than Carnival initial expected and had to cancel upcoming trips to make repairs to the ship.

It's the second time in two years that the funnel on this ship has caught fire.

Photos and videos shared with FOX 35 and on social media showed flames spewing out of the left side of the ship's exhaust funnel, as dark smoke billowed into the air. 

Carnival said the port side (left side) of the ship's exhaust funnel – easy to spot due to its tail-like shape – caught fire on Saturday as the cruise was sailing near the Bahamas. 

"Our onboard team acted quickly to contain and put out the fire.  While we continue to investigate multiple eyewitness reports of a lightning strike, our technical team completed a thorough assessment during the ship’s visit to Freeport on Sunday. Regrettably, the damage is more than we first thought and will require an immediate repair to stabilize the funnel, resulting in the cancellation of the March 25 and March 29 cruises from Port Canaveral," Carnival said in a statement.

The Carnival Freedom returned to Port Canaveral in Florida on Monday morning, where passengers were able to get off the ship. It will then sail back to the Freeport Cruise Port in The Bahamas for repairs.

 "We sincerely regret the impact to our embarking guests, as we know they have been looking forward to their spring break vacation. We are providing all guests on both cancelled cruises a full refund and a 100% future cruise credit so they can come back and enjoy a future cruise with us," Carnival said.

Carnival Freedom experienced a fire in 2022

Carnival freedom fire: cruise ship burns while docked at grand turk.

Part of Carnival's Freedom cruise ship caught fire Thursday morning while docked at Grand Turk in the Turks and Caicos Islands, the cruise line said, sending dark black smoke into the air.

It's not the first time that the Carnival Freedom has caught fire. Coincidentally, in 2022 while docked at Grand Turks, part of the ship's funnel also caught fire. That time, however, it was on the starboard side (the right side), according to photos shared with FOX 35 at the time. That's the opposite side compared this most recent incident.

In the 2022 incident, Carnival told FOX 35 in a statement that all guests and crew were safe. A second ship, Carnival Conquest, was sent to pick up the 2,500 passengers and 972-person crew. 

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Video shows scary moments after a cruise ship caught fire

Passengers aboard a cruise ship docked in Grand Turk Island got a surprise that wasn’t on the itinerary Thursday.

As photos and video taken aboard the Carnival Freedom illustrate, black smoke and flames poured out of the ship’s funnel as passengers donned life jackets and were evacuated from the vessel’s upper decks.  

"On Thursday morning while in port at Grand Turk, Carnival Freedom’s emergency response team quickly activated and extinguished a fire inside the ship’s funnel," said the cruise line in a statement . "All guests and crew are safe, and all other ship, hotel, and guest services, along with safety equipment are fully functioning."

According to the statement, most of the ship's 2,504 passengers were ashore at the time the fire broke out.

Plans were soon made to get all guests back to Port Canaveral in Florida, where they originally set sail from Monday for what was meant to be a 5-day cruise. But since Freedom won't be seaworthy in time for an already delayed departure, those arrangements required the cancellation of another Carnival cruise.

"Carnival Conquest’s next cruise, departing May 27 from Miami has been cancelled and that ship will be deployed to Grand Turk to transport Freedom guests back to Port Canaveral," the company explained. "Carnival Conquest will arrive to Grand Turk on Saturday, May 28 and guests aboard Carnival Freedom will transfer to Carnival Conquest for the voyage back to Port Canaveral, arriving on Monday, May 30."

Carnival Freedom's next scheduled cruise, originally planned for Saturday, has also been cancelled.

Repairs are set to begin on the ship's funnel after all passengers are off the ship.

The statement closed, noting, "Carnival apologized to all those guests who are impacted and offered special thanks to the crew who handled the situation on the ship effectively and according to safety protocols."

It remains unclear what caused the fire.

Ree Hines is a freelance writer and editor who covers pop culture, lifestyle stories and trending news. She’s also a soul-music loving, coffee-obsessed member of both Team Cat and Team Dog. Ree lives in Tampa, Florida, and is a regular contributor to TODAY.com.

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Carnival Freedom cruise ship catches fire for second time in less than 2 years

Carnival freedom continues on journey following fire, no injuries reported.

Carnival cruise passenger catches video of Freedom on fire again

A fire broke out aboard the Carnival Freedom cruise ship about 20 miles away from Eleuthera Island, Bahamas, on March 23, the cruise line announced. Courtesy: @breezebreeze_ via Storyful

The Carnival Freedom cruise ship experienced its second fire in less than two years, and passenger footage caught the flames with smoke coming from the ship's exhaust funnel Saturday afternoon. 

"That's nutty," X user @breezebreeze_ can be heard while showing the fire aboard the ship.

Carnival Cruise Line put out several tweet replies regarding the incident they say happened at 3:15 ET. 

"Carnival Freedom reported a fire on the port side of the ship’s exhaust funnel," one of the posts read. "The ship was 20 miles off Eleuthera Island, Bahamas, heading to Freeport after a canceled call to Princess Cay due to weather."

CARNIVAL FREEDOM CRUISE SHIP SEEN ON FIRE AT GRAND TURK

Carnival Freedom reported a fire on the port side of the ship’s exhaust funnel March 23, 2024. (@breezebreeze_ via Storyful / Fox News)

The news prompted passengers of the ship's upcoming departure from Port Canaveral on Monday to ask the cruise line if their itinerary would go off as planned.

"Is the cruise for the Carnival Freedom March 25 departing cruise from Port Canaveral still planning on going?" one X user asked Carnival. "We need to know for travel purposes!"

CARNIVAL JUBILEE CRUISE SHIP RESCUES 2 MEN STRANDED IN GULF OF MEXICO

The Carnival Freedom, shown in Italy in 2007, caught fire in the Caribbean on Saturday, March 23, for the second time in less than two years.  (Victor Sokolowicz/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)

"I can almost guarantee it'll be canceled," another X user wrote about the ship's next planned cruise. "This isn't the first time this has happened ironically to this ship, and the following sailing when it happened that time were canceled, but obviously not confirm[ed]."

Carnival quickly responded to quell any rumors, saying it does not expect any impact on the next Carnival Freedom voyage. 

COAST GUARD CALLS OFF SEARCH FOR MISSING CARNIVAL CRUISE SHIP PASSENGER

Passengers board the Carnival Freedom in February 2013 in Key West, Fla. (KAREN BLEIER/AFP via Getty Images / Reuters)

The Freedom's exhaust funnel caught fire in May 2022 while the ship was docked at Grand Turk Island in Turks and Caicos. Video from then also showed the ship’s funnel – referred to by some as the whale tail – consumed by flames and smoke. 

The part of the ship that caught fire is designed to help direct the flow of exhaust gases away from the ship, according to the Crown Cruise Vacations website. 

CARNIVAL CRUISE CREW MEMBERS HELP RESCUE 12 PEOPLE FROM OCEAN AFTER CARGO VESSEL CAPSIZES

Footage shows a Carnival Cruise ship on fire in Turks and Caicos

The Carnival Freedom was docking at Grand Turk Island Thursday morning when the fire erupted. The response team quickly extinguished the fire inside the ship's funnel. (Daniel Avellaneda / Bon Voyaged / TMX)

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS  

"The ship’s fire response team was quickly activated, and the ship’s captain also turned the vessel towards the heavy rain in the area to maximize the efforts to put out the flames," Carnival said about Saturday's fire. "Eyewitnesses reported the possibility of a lightning strike and that is being investigated."

Carnival said the captain made "multiple announcements to guests and crew" about the fire. The port side of the funnel fell onto Deck 10, Carnival said. No injuries were reported.

The Carnival Freedom was in Freeport as scheduled Sunday, according to CruiseMapper. Carnival said there are no operational issues with the ship’s systems.

Fox Business' Greg Norman contributed to this report. 

• cruise ship

Guests and crew aboard Carnival Cruise ship that caught fire in Turks & Caicos safe, company says

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- The smokestack of a Carnival Cruise ship docked in the Turks & Caicos Islands caught fire on Thursday and officials allowed guests and crew members to go ashore as heavy smoke billowed into the air.

Carnival said in a statement that no one was injured during the incident in Grand Turk, although it was not immediately clear what caused the fire, which was filmed by passengers.

"All guests and crew are safe," the company said.

The Carnival Freedom had departed Florida on Monday for a five-day cruise.

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Carnival Cruise Ship Catches Fire During Visit to Turks and Caicos Islands

Carnival Cruise Line says the fire broke out on its Carnival Freedom ship while it was visiting Grand Turk as part of a five-day cruise

Abigail Adams is a Human Interest Writer and Reporter for PEOPLE. She has been working in journalism for seven years.

A Carnival Cruise Line ship caught fire Thursday morning during a visit to the Turks and Caicos islands, the company has confirmed.

In a statement shared online at 8:45 a.m. ET, Carnival Cruise Line verified that a fire broke out in the funnel of its Carnival Freedom ship while it was in Grand Turk.

The company says its "emergency response team quickly activated and extinguished" the flames.

"All guests and crew are safe, and the ship's guests were cleared by local authorities to go ashore," Carnival said added.

Carnival Freedom departed from Port Canaveral in Florida on Monday for a five-day cruise, according to the company. It is due back on Saturday.

Social media users began sharing images of the blaze erupting from the ship's "Whale Tail" around 7:45 a.m. ET. Photos and video of the fire show a massive plume of black smoke billowing into the air as crews worked to put out the flames.

One passenger told WESH 2 News that passengers onboard the ship put on life jackets, but said no evacuations were ultimately ordered.

At 10:15 a.m., Carnival Cruise Line shared a photo of Carnival Freedom guests "onshore at Grand Turk along with guests from Mardi Gras , as scheduled."

The cause of the fire remains unclear. Carnival Cruise Line said it will "continue to assess the situation."

Built in 2007, the 948-foot Carnival Freedom can carry just over 3,500 passengers, according to Cruise Mapper .

Related Articles

Video shows Carnival Freedom on fire, again. Two upcoming cruises were canceled. Here's what to know

The Carnival Freedom 's next two sailings have been canceled after the cruise ship, based out of Florida, caught fire . Again.

Carnival initially said there were no expected changes in its schedule but on Sunday afternoon announced cancellations of the Monday and Friday cruises out of Port Canaveral, which come during a busy spring break period.

"Regrettably, the damage is more than we first thought, and will require an immediate repair to stabilize the funnel, resulting in the cancellation of the March 25 and March 29 cruises from Port Canaveral," according to a statement issued by Matt Lupoli, Carnival Cruise Line's senior manager of public relations. "The funnel has been stabilized for the ship’s return to Port Canaveral overnight to disembark guests, and then it will go to the Freeport shipyard on Monday afternoon to begin the required repairs."

This is the second time in less than two years this cruise ship's funnel has caught on fire and disrupted the schedule.

Carnival cruise fire: Carnival Freedom's next two cruises from Port Canaveral canceled after exhaust funnel fire

When did the Carnival Freedom catch on fire?

The fire broke out on the port side of the ship's exhaust funnel area at about 3:15 p.m. Saturday, Carnival said.

The ship was 20 miles off Eleuthera Island, Bahamas. It was intended to call on the Carnival private island of Princess Cay but had rerouted toward Freeport due to adverse weather.

"The ship’s fire response team was quickly activated, and the ship’s captain also turned the vessel towards the heavy rain in the area to maximize the efforts to put out the flames," an earlier Carnival statement said. The fire was put out by 5:20 p.m., the cruise line said.

Why did the Carnival Freedom cruise ship catch fire?

Unknown at this time.

"Eyewitnesses reported the possibility of a lightning strike, and that is being investigated," Carnival said, "but cannot yet be confirmed."

Was anyone hurt in the Carnival Freedom fire?

The cruise line said there were no reports of passenger injuries, although two firefighting crew members were treated for minor smoke inhalation and part of the funnel fell onto Deck 10, according to Carnival.

There were about 3.700 passengers aboard.

Which Carnival Freedom cruises have been canceled?

While initially the cruise line said the schedule would not be affected, further investigation found more damage than suspected. Scheduled cruises for Monday, March 25 and Friday, March 29 have been canceled.

Can I get a refund for my canceled Carnival Freedom cruise?

"We sincerely regret the impact to our embarking guests, as we know they have been looking forward to their spring break vacation<' Carnival Cruises said in a statement. "We are providing all guests on both canceled cruises a full refund and a 100% future cruise credit, so they can come back and enjoy a future cruise with us. We also greatly appreciate the terrific guests who are currently sailing with us, for their outstanding cooperation and support."

Where is Port Canaveral?

Port Canaveral, Florida is located on a barrier island between the Banana River and the Atlantic Ocean just north of Cape Canaveral. The port is 54 miles from Orlando and 75 miles from Daytona Beach.

What is the funnel on a cruise ship?

A cruise ship exhaust funnel works as a smokestack to lift emissions away from the deck and from passengers and crew. They're often called stacks.

The Carnival Freedom debuted a new stylized winged funnel in October last year after a 16-day dry-dock refurbishment in Cadiz, Spain. Carnival cruise funnels are referred to as the whale tail.

Has the Carnival Freedom cruise ship caught on fire before?

A fire broke out in the funnel area in May 2022 while it was docked in Grand Turk. Three scheduled sailings were canceled while the ship was repaired at a shipyard in Grand Bahama.

The ship was carrying about 2,500 passengers at the time and a crew of about 1,100, according to the cruise line. There were no injuries reported.

Which cruise ship caught fire?

The  Carnival Freedom  caught on fire on Saturday, March 23.

The 110,000-ton vessel made its inaugural sail in 2007.  The Freedom, which has 13 decks, can hold up to 3,754 passengers and 1,150 crew members. 

Has a Carnival cruise ship ever sank?

No. But one has been shipwrecked.

On Jan. 13, 2012, the Costa Concordia struck a reef and capsized off the Tuscan island of Giglio. The ship, which was owned by a Carnival Corporation subsidiary, when the captain steered the 952-foot, 13-deck ship close to the shore to "impress the passengers" and tore a 160-foot gash in the port hull.

Captain Francesco Schettino was found guilty of manslaughter in 2015 and sentenced to 16 years in prison for the deaths of 32 passengers and crewmembers.

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Carnival cruise ship that departed from Port Canaveral catches fire

A Carnival cruise ship that set sail from Port Canaveral in Florida caught fire on Thursday.

Carnival says the fire was quickly extinguished by emergency response teams, and that all guests and crew are safe. The ship’s guests were cleared by local authorities to go ashore. Carnival is continuing to assess the situation.

The @Carnival Freedom is on fire in Port at #GrandTurk #Carnival pic.twitter.com/7GgoWLG2Tc — Brian H (@Budman922) May 26, 2022

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Carnival ship catches fire, leaving passengers awaiting rescue cruise

Carnival Freedom’s signature red, white and blue funnel was ablaze Thursday

A Carnival Cruise Line ship caught fire Thursday morning while docked in Grand Turk, leaving passengers stuck on the boat until another arrives on a rescue mission this weekend.

Carnival Freedom, which left Central Florida’s Port Canaveral on Monday for a five-day voyage, was in the Turks and Caicos cruise when the fire started in the ship’s signature red, white and blue funnel, which is shaped like a whale’s tail.

Carnival cruise on fire sheesh #carnivalfreedom #shiponfire #shipdown pic.twitter.com/n00l0HaFUV — That Panda Guy (@SantaPanda39) May 26, 2022

Passengers on other ships started posting photos and videos after 8 a.m. Carnival released a statement at 8:45 a.m. saying the ship’s emergency response team “quickly activated and extinguished a fire.” The Miami-based operator said everyone onboard — 2,504 guests and 972 crew — was safe. Passengers were allowed to leave the ship to spend the day in Grand Turk.

The cause of the blaze was not clear, and the cruise line did not say how much damage was caused.

But Carnival said in a statement Thursday afternoon that “all other ship, hotel, and guest services, along with safety equipment are fully functioning.” After an initial assessment of the damage, the company said the ship will go to Freeport, Bahamas, for repairs.

The blaze and its aftermath were a far cry from the infamous 2013 fire on the Carnival Triumph , which started in the engine room while the ship was at sea. In that case, the ship lost power and drifted. It became known as the “poop cruise” because of the waste disposal issues that result when a vessel with thousands of people onboard loses power.

#carnivalfreedom 👀 Not a way to wake up this morning at port aboard the #carnivalmardigras pic.twitter.com/aY0TPjfXvj — Justin Reavis (@reavis_justin88) May 26, 2022

The next Carnival Freedom cruise, scheduled for Saturday from Port Canaveral, has been canceled. Passengers will stay onboard while a sister ship, the Carnival Conquest, makes its way to Grand Turk from Miami to pick up passengers and bring them back to Port Canaveral on Monday. The next trip for that ship, scheduled to leave Friday, has also been canceled. The next Conquest voyage, which was intended to leave Miami on Monday, will instead depart Tuesday.

“Carnival apologized to all those guests who are impacted and offered special thanks to the crew who handled the situation on the ship effectively and according to safety protocols,” the company’s statement said.

The Freedom passengers’ situation is reminiscent of the experience guests had on the Norwegian Escape in March. In that incident, the ship ran aground and passengers ended up being flown home under sometimes-chaotic circumstances days later. Many who were stuck on land awaiting flights watched the ship depart without them.

More cruise news

Living at sea: Travelers on a 9-month world cruise are going viral on social media. For some travelers, not even nine months was enough time on a ship; they sold cars, moved out of their homes and prepared to set sail for three years . That plan fell apart, but a 3.5-year version is waiting in the wings.

Passengers beware: It’s not all buffets and dance contests. Crime data reported by cruise lines show that the number of sex crimes has increased compared to previous years. And though man-overboard cases are rare, they are usually deadly .

The more you know: If you’re cruise-curious, here are six tips from a newcomer. Remember that in most cases, extra fees and add-ons will increase the seemingly cheap price of a sailing. And if you happen to get sick , know what to expect on board.

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Passengers aboard Carnival cruise ship that caught fire return to Port Canaveral

Cruise line sends separate ship to bring passengers back to florida.

Mark Lehman , Reporter

PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. – Passengers of a Carnival cruise ship that caught fire last week returned Monday to Port Canaveral on a different ship.

The Carnival Freedom was docked Thursday in Grand Turk when flames erupted from the smokestack, according to the cruise line.

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No one was injured in the fire, which caused heavy damage to the ship’s funnel.

The Carnival Conquest was sent to retrieve the passengers aboard Freedom, which was evacuated after the fire.

Matt Lupoli, Carnival Cruise Line’s senior manager of public relations, released a statement on Thursday.

“Carnival Freedom’s emergency response team quickly activated and extinguished a fire inside the ship’s funnel while the ship was in Grand Turk,” Lupoli said. “All guests and crew are safe, and the ship’s guests were cleared by local authorities to go ashore. We continue to assess the situation. Carnival Freedom left Port Canaveral on Monday on a five-day cruise.”

Pictures posted last week on Twitter show smoke and flames coming from the right fin of Freedom’s smokestack.

The ship was due to return to Port Canaveral on Saturday.

On Friday, Carnival said the May 28, June 2 and June 6 departures of the Carnival Freedom have been canceled.

After bringing passengers to Port Canaveral, Carnival Conquest will return to Miami and its departure will be delayed by one day to May 31, the cruise line said.

Carnival is giving passengers a $100 onboard credit, extending the beverage and Wi-Fi packages for those who bought them, and giving everyone a 50% future cruise credit. The company says it will also waive additional port parking fees and reimburse for independent air expenses up to $200 per person.

HAPPENING NOW: The Carnival Conquest is docking at Port Canaveral. Onboard are thousands of passengers who were on the Carnival Freedom when the ship’s funnel caught fire. pic.twitter.com/yGWaKhijfA — Mark Lehman (@MarkLehman6) May 30, 2022

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Mark lehman.

Mark Lehman became a News 6 reporter in July 2014, but he's been a Central Florida journalist and part of the News 6 team for much longer. While most people are fast asleep in their bed, Mark starts his day overnight by searching for news on the streets of Central Florida.

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Nightly news, fire breaks out on carnival cruise and 2 crew members killed aboard holland america ship.

Flames billowed from the back of the Carnival Freedom cruise ship after a fire ignited in the ship’s exhaust funnel as the vessel was just off the coast of the Bahamas. Two crew members on a Holland America cruise ship were killed after an incident in an engineering space aboard the vessel. NBC News’ Marissa Parra reports. March 24, 2024

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Dramatic: Carnival Ship Suffers Fire at Sea (See the Video)

Fire is the biggest danger of any vessel at sea. On Saturday, crew of the Carnival Freedom had to deal with that danger firsthand when the ship’s funnel caught on fire in the middle of the cruise.

The incident occurred at around 3:15 p.m. on Saturday, with the ship sailing in The Bahamas. According to a passenger on the ship, Heath Barnes, the fire was caused by lightning as Freedom went through a thunderstorm.

“I knew the boom and thunder that I heard shortly before the fire hit something. It was the loudest I had ever heard in my life,” he posted on Facebook .

Images shared online show the port side of the funnel in flames and putting off a thick, black smoke:

Crew on board cruise ships are trained in firefighting and were able to put out the flames, with a little help from mother nature. Carnival says the captain was able steer the vessel toward heavy rain to help with the efforts to extinguish the fire.

In a statement to news station WFLA.com , Carnival shared the following:

“The ship’s fire response team was quickly activated, and the ship’s captain also turned the vessel towards the heavy rain in the area to maximize the efforts to put out the flames. Eyewitnesses reported the possibility of a lightning strike and that is being investigated but cannot yet be confirmed.”

The news station reports that there were no injuries to passengers, but two crew members that fought the fire were treated for “minor smoke inhalation.”

An image of the aftermath shows one wing of the funnel heavily damaged after the flames were put out:

If the sight of a Carnival funnel on fire looks familiar, well, it is a bit of deja vu. The same exact ship had its funnel catch fire in 2022 while in Grand Turk .

At that time the funnel was damaged so heavily the cruise line had to cancel its cruises for two weeks for repairs

Freedom then returned with a new streamlined funnel without the famous “wings.” Only later when the ship was in drydock was it then replaced with the regular Carnival-style winged funnel.

No word yet on if Freedom will see any canceled cruises from this incident. The ship was planned to be at sea today before returning to Port Canaveral Monday morning. It is now headed to Freeport, The Bahamas.

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Carnival Freedom cruise ship catches fire near Bahamas

TAMPA, Fla. ( WFLA ) — A Carnival Cruise ship’s funnel caught on fire during their voyage near the Bahamas on Saturday.

Carnival said that at 3:15 p.m., the Carnival Freedom reported a fire on the port side from the ship’s exhaust funnel.

In a statement from Carnival, the team said, “The ship’s fire response team was quickly activated, and the ship’s captain also turned the vessel towards the heavy rain in the area to maximize the efforts to put out the flames. Eyewitnesses reported the possibility of a lightning strike and that is being investigated but cannot yet be confirmed.”

A portion of the funnel on the port side fell onto Deck 10.

Crews were able to extinguish the fire at 5:20 p.m. All aboard were asked to stay away from balconies and open decks for their safety.

Two crew members fighting the fire were treat for minor smoke inhalation, according to Carnival. As of this report, there are no reported injuries for guests.

The U.S. Coast Guard was alerted and has activated their response team. The cruise is expected to continue sailing to Freeport and arrive on Sunday morning.

The ship was around 20 miles from Eleuthera Island in the Bahamas, heading to Freeport. The ship departed from Port Canaveral on Thursday for a four-day trip.

On May 26, 2022, the same ship caught on fire while docked in Grand Turk . The inside of the Freedom’s funnel erupted in smoke and flames. The trip that was scheduled following the voyage had to be canceled.

The cruise does not expect the fire to impact the next voyage scheduled for Monday.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WJBF.

Video shows flames, heavy black smoke after Carnival Freedom exhaust funnel catches fire near Bahamas

By nbc6 • published march 25, 2024 • updated on march 25, 2024 at 7:38 am.

Shocking video filmed by a passenger onboard the Carnival Freedom captured the moment after the ship's port-side exhaust funnel caught fire off the coast of the Bahamas on Saturday.

According to a statement from Carnival, the fire broke out at around 3:15 p.m. Saturday and the damage was more than they initially thought. The ship required immediate repair for the stabilization of the funnel.

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The ship’s fire response team was also quickly activated, and the ship’s captain also turned the vessel towards the heavy rain in the area to maximize the efforts to put out the flames, the statement said.

At approximately 3:15 pm EDT today, Carnival Freedom reported a fire on the port side of the ship’s exhaust funnel. The ship was 20 miles off Eleuthera Island, Bahamas, heading to Freeport after a cancelled call to Princess Cay due to weather. — Carnival Cruise Line (@CarnivalCruise) March 23, 2024

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Carnival Cruises also acknowledged there were swirling rumors that a lightning strike from severe weather was potentially responsible for the fire, but said that had not been confirmed.

On Monday, the ship was set to go to the shipyard in Freeport, Bahamas to undergo the required repairs.

Due to the fire, the cruise line canceled two sailings for the Carnival Freedom out of Port Canaveral -- one on March 25th and the other on March 29th.

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The company assured passengers, however, that anyone scheduled to board those cruised would receive full refunds and a credit for a future cruise.

The cruise line said two crew members were treated for minor smoke inhalation, but there were no reports of injured guests at this time.

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NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

Widow left ‘crying her eyes out’ after being stuck alone on cruise with ‘vomiting bug’ after husband’s death

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A widow was left in tears after being hit by a ‘vomiting bug’ on a P&O cruise she took alone for the first time since her husband’s death.

The woman in her 70s is one of hundreds of holidaymakers who allegedly became ill after a norovirus outbreak on P&O Cruises Ventura ship.

Being ill and alone on her first solo cruise is ‘soul-destroying,’ she told Metro.co.uk .

Jill Bond, 67, from Coventry, is also on the latest two-week cruise around Canary Islands with her husband Andrew Bond, 59.

She suffers from COPD so the ‘violent’ vomiting left he ‘quite worried’ as she threw up after using her inhaler.

‘If I had the chance I would fly this morning, but I don’t want to give it to anyone else. I don’t want to spread it and sitting on a plane you can easily give it to other,’ she said.

Guests and crew have allegedly been affected for more than a month after a persistent bug that remains on the ship.

More than 150 guests isolated on board the latest cruise that left the UK on May 11, a source has alleged.

They told Metro.co.uk there have been 250 suspected cases of the vomiting bug in the last four days, with guests allegedly ‘throwing up in public spaces’ around the ship.

P&O Cruises said previously it implemented its ‘approved and enhanced’ sanitisation protocols after reports of ‘guests with gastrointestinal symptoms.’

The widow, who asked not to be named, said she isolated in her cabin alone for more than two days after getting ill with the bug on Wednesday, with staff bringing her food and water cans as she struggled with diarrhoea and vomiting.

Her cabin is still full of unsanitary rubbish and sheets unchanged as the cabin has not been cleaned for four days despite end her isolation on Friday, she claims.

She described the moment she was allowed to go out of her cabin: ‘I sat in a corner and cried my eyes out. I feel vulnerable sitting there. You should not feel like that when you’re on holiday.

‘It was my first P&O cruise and last, absolutely.’

The woman said it had been ‘difficult’ for her to make the trip ‘as it’s my first cruise, on my own, since losing my beloved husband in May 2022.’

The couple had been on four cruises and ‘used to fly all over as well.’

She paid around £3,000 for the cruise.

The 14-day voyage from Southampton around the Canary Islands has turned into a nightmare as ‘more and more people get sick,’ the source claimed.

But some guests ‘have left the ship to fly home,’ a source alleged.

Another woman, who is on the cruise with her 85-year-old mum who has underlying health conditions, said the pair are two ‘frightened’ to leave their cabin on the £4,400 trip in case they get ill.

She claimed ‘no one from P&O’ has been in touch and people are let go ‘off the ship to towns and cities spreading this virus.’

Andrew, a personal injury lawyer, said there was no ‘self-service anywhere’ and tables are being sprayed and wiped down after guests.

But he claimed he had seen people ‘refuse’ to use the hand sanitisation units and ‘still be allowed into food service areas so enforcement of the protection measures is poor to say the least.’

He continued: ‘Whatever steps they are taking on the Ventura are clearly not working and they really should have cancelled our cruise and should cancel all future cruises until they are absolutely certain that the norovirus has been eradicated.

‘If it has been on board for the past 4 or 6 weeks, it is clearly a problem with or on the ship and is nothing to do with the passengers because they change every 7 or 14 days but the norovirus is still there.’

While the mid-way of the cruise had been a ‘nightmare,’ Andrew and Jill were determined to make the ‘most of it’ as she was feeling better and slowly able to eat again.

Jill said the staff are ‘lovely’ and everyone is ‘helpful,’ but she could see the ‘look on their faces, they are not happy and cheerful like normally.’

‘They seem very strained,’ she added.

In letter sent on Thursday evening, captain James Brown offered £15 on-board credit to each guest to compensate for leaving the ship in Tenerife while it was cleaned.

The source at the ship said ‘this is a serious outbreak,’ saying the latest cruise was ‘the most we have had sick this time.’

‘We don’t know where it came from, it has been on board for a month maybe 5-6 weeks now and each cruise we think it has gone but more and more people get sick,’ they said.

Guests allegedly face a five-hour wait to call the ship’s medical centre because of ‘so many cases.’

They claimed that passengers have not received compensation.

All guests who contacted Metro said they planned to seek compensation.

A spokesperson for P&O Cruises said in a statement on Saturday: ‘We are so sorry that these guests have been affected. Obviously it not what we would want for anyone on board as one of our highest priorities is always the wellbeing of everyone.

‘It is though important to note the  UK Health Security Agency  (UKHSA) has reported a current increase in cases across the U.K. as a whole. 

‘We have approved sanitisation protocols and adopt a phased and proven approach . 

‘These wide range of approved protocols include constant and enhanced sanitation across the ship with specialist teams, isolating those affected, serving the buffet (instead of self service), closing the launderettes but offering complimentary washing and pressing and more.’

A two-week cruise on Ventura around the Canaries starts from around £1,129.

When the ship was launched, it was one of the largest cruise ships on the British market, with 1,550 cabins.

Southampton City Council, which maintains port health in the city’s harbour, was contacted for a comment.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected] .

For more stories like this, check our news page .

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F1’s Imola track breakdown: A classic circuit steeped in tragedy and triumph

Formula One fans, you know what time it is .

The Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix became a meme during the 2023 race week, with fans, teams and journalists poking fun at the lengthy name. While the sponsor seems to have changed this year (from Qatar Airways to MSC Cruises), the official name remains a doozy — Formula 1 MSC Cruises Gran Premio del Made in Italy e dell’Emilia-Romagna. (The race ultimately was canceled due to flooding in the Emilia Romagna region.)

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This is one of F1 ’s two races in Italy and takes place at the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, more commonly known as Imola. The track rests around 45 kilometers (roughly 28 miles) east of Bologna and is renowned as a classic circuit with a complicated history. It runs counterclockwise and has a brisk, flowing nature.

Enzo Ferrari was on hand when construction began in 1950, and later described in his book how the circuit could become similar to a famed German track: “A small Nürburgring – I repeated that day looking around – a small Nürburgring, with equal technical resources, spectacular and an ideal path length. This belief has been achieved through the decades that have passed since then.”

Before it’s time for “lights out and away we go,” here’s what you need to know about the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, a track marked with history and tragedy.

Longstanding ties with speed

This area of Italy has long been associated with speed, dating back to 80 BC when the Romans built a large amphitheater called the Forum Cornelii that probably included gladiator chariot racing.

The idea of a motor racing circuit in the area didn’t emerge until the 1940s. Ferrari had a presence as planning for the track was underway. As he wrote in his book, “My first contact with Imola dates back to the spring of 1948. I thought from the first moment that this hilly environment could one day become a small Nürburgring due to the natural difficulties that building the road belt would have to cross, thus offering a truly selective path for men and machines.” Nürburgring is an incredibly technical track in Germany , with some parts being blind and tight.

Construction for Imola began in May 1950, and the first testing session occurred two years later, in October. The original layout took drivers along the Santerno River to Tosa (Turn 7) uphill to what we know as Piratella and Acque Minerali. Then, the track descends towards Rivazza. In 1970, the circuit was renamed Autodromo Dino Ferrari in honor of Enzo Ferrari’s son, who died in 1956. When Enzo died, his name was added.

Motorcycles were some of the first races at the track, but a race with F1 rules took place in the 1960s. As time passed, smaller changes were made. The first extensive revision came in 1972 and 1974 when two different chicanes were constructed in an attempt to slow speeds heading into Rivazza. The track used public and private roads throughout these early years, but it became a permanent facility in the 1970s.

F1 held a non-championship race at Imola in 1979, and it officially joined the championship calendar the following season.

Tragedy triggers change

Safety concerns remained prevalent at Imola even with the chicane additions over the years. A chicane’s series of tight corners is meant to help slow down the vehicles. However, one portion of the track, in particular, caused the most concern — Tamburello. It’s a fairly narrow location with little area between the track and the wall.

Nelson Piquet crashed and was injured at this turn in 1987. Two years later, Gerhard Berger’s Ferrari caught on fire after he crashed into the wall that separates the circuit from the river. Then came 1994, an injury-filled and deadly race weekend for F1.

It started with Rubens Barrichello’s wreck on Friday, when he suffered relatively light injuries, considering the impact. On Saturday, Roland Ratzenberger died when he crashed at Villeneuve (which is around what we know as Turns 5 and 6). Fans were injured on race day by debris from a collision. Then Ayrton Senna ran off the track after a few laps, crashing at Tamburello. The three-time world champion suffered fatal injuries, dying on May 1, 1994.

Imola underwent a massive overhaul. Tamburello and Villeneuve were changed, run-off improved across the circuit, some corners were tightened, and Acque Minerali (Turns 11, 12, 13) became a corner again, though with run-off.

F1 continued racing at Imola for the next decade, but the San Marino Grand Prix was dropped from the slate after 2006, unless facility improvements were made. Though F1 left the region, bikes and sports cars raced there over the years, and Hermann Tilke was involved with the modernization of the track. It wasn’t until 2011 that Imola was awarded Grade 1 status again after it was resurfaced (a necessary step for F1 to compete again at a circuit). Even so, the series didn’t return until the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic-affected season.

The annual F1 race at Imola is now known as the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.

Points of interest

Imola is a narrow track with limited overtaking opportunities but has a lengthy DRS zone. Track position is critical for this race, which makes qualifying even more important. That being said, Pirelli has opted to go softer with the tire compounds for this weekend, which could lead to a variety of strategies.

Some tweaks have been made over the years, like installing a few double curbs and reducing the asphalt run-off at a few locations, but the circuit largely remains unchanged. Here are a few points of interest to keep an eye on, mixed with some history.

Variante Tamburello: Turns 2, 3, 4

A statue of Senna honors the Brazilian champion at this portion of the track. It has been 30 years since he died. This area of the track layout was changed into a chicane after his death, and curb usage and precision are keen as drivers exit onto the short straight.

Variante Villeneuve: Turns 5 and 6

Another monument, honoring Ferrari legend Gilles Villeneuve, rests here. He suffered a puncture and heavily crashed here during the 1980 F1 race but was unhurt.

Piratella (Turn 9) and Acque Minerali (Turns 11, 12, 13) 

These corners are said to have an old-school feel. Daniil Kvyat once said, “An F1 car through corners like Acque Minerali – the entrance is so fast, it’s so cool. It really gives you a lot of adrenaline.”

It’s a climb through the hills to Piratella, but then the terrain drops as drivers speed towards Acque Minerali. They need to nail their braking just right through this portion as they ready for Sector 3. The one and only DRS detection zone comes just after Turn 15, after all.

Rivazza: Turns 17 and 18 

Essentially, it’s a U-turn. This sequence features two left-hand 90-degree turns and is a potential overtaking position before the drivers head towards the only DRS zone or the pits.

(Track video courtesy of EA Sports F1 —  learn more about “ F1 24″ here . Top photo design: Drew Jordan/The Athletic)

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Madeline Coleman is a Staff Writer for The Athletic covering Formula One. Prior to joining The Athletic, she served as a writer and editor on Sports Illustrated’s breaking and trending news team. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Follow Madeline on Twitter @ mwc13_3