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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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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.

Couple recalls terrifying moment lightning struck Carnival cruise ship before it caught on fire

A couple recalled the terrifying moment they watched lightning strike their Carnival cruise ship, which caught fire over the weekend during a Caribbean excursion.

Florence Torchia watched the bolt hit the Carnival Freedom ship during a thunderstorm as the ship was 20 miles off the coast of Eleuthera Island in the Bahamas on Saturday.

Moments later, the crew reported a fire in the ship’s exhaust funnel, the couple told Fox Weather.

“Oh my God, this doesn’t look good,” Joe recalled them saying as they saw the fire on the TV. “They had a [camera] set up.”

Crews quickly responded to the fire, but the couple said their hoses “didn’t reach the funnel.”

The Torchias tried to make their way down to the muster station after the captain made an announcement and they were met with “kids crying” while they looked for their parents.

“It was scary,” Joe said.

The exhaust stack would eventually fall onto the 10th deck, sending a plume of smoke “in our cabin and everything,” Florence said.

Despite the emergency , the couple said the cruise line’s communication was “pretty good” and they “notified us of everything.”

However, the third-time cruisers said this trip “might be our last” after the ordeal.

“I’d rather go to the Caribbean to a single destination,” Florence said.

A Carnival spokesperson told Fox Weather that their onboard team did a “thorough assessment” after the ship was able to dock at Freeport a day later and are still investigating witness reports.

The boat was able to return to Port Canaveral in Florida on Monday.

The cruise line admitted to the outlet that the damage was “more than we first thought” and would need immediate repairs to stabilize the damaged funnel.

The March 25 and 29 cruises out of Port Canaveral were canceled. Customers on those trips received refunds.

This is the second time the Freedom cruise ship’s funnel has caught fire in two years, with the last time being in May 2022.

clock This article was published more than  1 year ago

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.

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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 for the second time in 2 years

By Emily Mae Czachor

Updated on: March 25, 2024 / 9:57 AM EDT / CBS News

A Carnival cruise ship will be out of commission for repairs for at least a week after its exhaust funnel caught fire and partially collapsed Saturday during a trip to the Bahamas. It marked the second time in just under two years that the funnel on this same ship, the Carnival Freedom, went up in flames while carrying passengers. 

What caused the most recent incident is still being investigated, according to the cruise company. No one on board the ship was injured, but Carnival said two fire crew members were treated for minor smoke inhalation.

The Carnival Freedom left from Port Canaveral, Florida, on Thursday and was supposed to travel for several days through the Bahamas before returning Monday to Port Canaveral. It was not immediately clear how many passengers and crew were on board the Freedom when the fire erupted, but the cruise ship can accommodate 2,980 guests and 1,150 crew members at capacity. CBS News contacted Carnival for more information.

The ship initially reported a fire at around 3:15 p.m. EDT on Saturday, on the port side of the ship's exhaust funnel as it sailed 20 miles off of the Bahamas' Eleuthera Island en route to Freeport, the company said in a statement. It had changed course to turn toward Freeport, at the northern tip of the island chain, after cancelling a stop farther south in Princess Cays because of bad weather. Eyewitnesses said that a lightning strike may have sparked the fire, a claim that Carnival said "is being investigated but cannot yet be confirmed."

A fire response team was activated quickly to put out the blaze once it broke out, as the Freedom's captain shifted the cruise liner toward the heavy rain nearby in hopes that would help. The fire was extinguished by 5:20 p.m., Carnival said, including flames from a portion of the funnel that broke off and fell onto one of the ship decks. Funnels are essentially used as smokestacks or chimneys to expel fumes and engine exhaust.

The U.S. Coast Guard said the Carnival Freedom crew was able to extinguish the fire Saturday without their help. They were aware of the fire, though, and issued a Captain of the Port order to the cruise ship before it was scheduled to enter Port Canaveral, Florida, on Monday. Captain of the Port orders are  broad mandates that the Marine Safety and Security Council describes as a tool granting Coast Guard crews "with operational controls over an emergent situation posing safety, security, or environmental risks."

 "We are continuing to monitor the situation," the Coast Guard said in a statement.

Although Carnival said at first that it did not expect the fire to impact trips on the Freedom cruise set to depart Port Canaveral on Monday and Friday, a technical assessment carried out in Freeport on Sunday revealed more significant damage to the ship than they originally thought. The damage would "require an immediate repair to stabilize the funnel" after disembarking guests in Port Canaveral on Monday, the company said in an updated statement following the assessment. 

"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 on Sunday. "We sincerely regret the impact to our embarking guests, as we know they have been looking forward to their spring break vacation." 

Both Carnival Freedom cruises scheduled for this week have been cancelled. Carnival said guests who had booked those cruises would receive full refunds and future cruise credits.

The Carnival Freedom's exhaust funnel last went up in flames less than two years ago, in May 2022. It was in Grand Turk at the time, during a planned five-day trip from Port Canaveral. The ship had 2,504 guests and 972 crew on board, Carnival said at the time. None of the passengers or crew were hurt.

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Emily Mae Czachor is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. She covers breaking news, often focusing on crime and extreme weather. Emily Mae has previously written for outlets including the Los Angeles Times, BuzzFeed and Newsweek.

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Fire destroys funnel on Carnival cruise ship; sailings canceled

Two additional sailings have been canceled following a fire that caused structural damage to the funnel on Carnival Cruise Line 's Carnival Freedom on May 26.

There were no injuries, but the incident prompted the line to cut the ship's last voyage short and cancel its May 28 departure. It has now canceled the subsequent June 2 and June 6 departures also.

Passengers were transferred to Carnival Conquest for their return home, allowing Carnival Freedom to sail to Freeport, Bahamas, where it is now docked for repairs. The move necessitated the cancellation of Carnival Conquest's May 27 sailing, too.

A statement from Carnival said that Carnival Freedom remained in Grand Turk, where the ship was docked when the fire broke out, until Carnival Conquest arrived on May 28. Carnival Freedom served as a floating hotel for the 2,504 passengers on its last cruise until they could be moved to Carnival Conquest, which then transported them back to Port Canaveral, their original port of disembarkation.

They reached Port Canaveral on May 30, two days later than previously scheduled.

For cruise news, reviews and tips, sign up for TPG's cruise newsletter .

The ship sailed to Freeport, Bahamas, after passengers disembarked; it is currently undergoing repairs there.

After disembarking passengers at Port Canaveral on May 30, it returned to its Miami homeport, where it began its May 30 itinerary on May 31, one day later than scheduled.

Several passengers, including Jim Edgar from Jacksonville, took to social media to share photos and videos of the incident.

"#carnivalfreedom we have a problem!" he posted early Thursday on Instagram.

  View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Mxracer546 (@mxracer546)

In a statement, Carnival said the fire broke out in the ship's funnel — the iconic "whale tail" structure where ships emit exhaust — while the vessel was docked at Grand Turk, a port the line developed specifically for use by its passengers.

"All guests and crew are safe, and the ship's guests were cleared by local authorities to go ashore," the statement said. "We continue to assess the situation."

There has been no official word yet on what caused the blaze. The vessel was on a five-day sailing from Port Canaveral that departed on May 23.

Featured photo courtesy of Carnival Cruise Line.

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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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Carnival Cruise Passenger Captures Ship Fire on Video After Reports of Lightning Strike

The incident marks the second time in two years this particular ship has caught fire. It has caused the cancellation of two upcoming voyages

A Carnival cruise ship’s exhaust funnel caught fire on Saturday during a trip to the Bahamas, causing the company to cancel its next two voyages.

This is the second time in less than two years that the Carnival Freedom, based in Port Canaveral, Fla., has been impacted by a fire.

"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," Matt Lupoli, Carnival Cruise Line's senior manager of public relations, told Florida Today in a statement. "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."

PEOPLE has reached out to Carnival, but did not immediately hear back.

MALCOLM DENEMARK/FLORIDA TODAY / USA TODAY NETWORK (2)

While the cause of the fire is still being investigated, Carnival noted in a post on X Saturday that eyewitnesses reported the possibility of a lightning strike.

One of the cruise’s passengers, Heath Barnes, posted footage of the incident on Facebook Saturday afternoon.

In a statement to TMX, Barnes said it had been storming on and off and he was on one of the ship’s upper decks when he experienced “the loudest thunder and lightening [sic] I have ever heard.”

After he returned to his cabin for about 15 minutes, his nephew and two friends came to tell him the ship was on fire.

“I thought they were giving me a hard time but I got up and went out on the balcony and sure enough the flames and smoke was pouring out of the tail,” he continued, adding that he took the videos from his balcony before travelers were asked to stay indoors.

MALCOLM DENEMARK/FLORIDA TODAY / USA TODAY NETWORK

Carnival's brand ambassador John Heald addressed the incident on Facebook, acknowledging that those impacted by the cancellations “will be feeling very disappointed.” 

“And I want to add my apologies and my assurances 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,” he added.

In May 2022, the Carnival Freedom caught fire during a five-day cruise to Turks and Caicos.

At the time, Carnival Cruise Line verified that a fire broke out in the funnel of the ship while it was in Grand Turk.

Never miss a story — sign up for  PEOPLE's free daily newsletter  to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 

The company said 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 added.

The 948-foot Carnival Freedom, built in 2007, can hold just over 3,500 passengers, according to Cruise Mapper .

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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?

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

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

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.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Carnival Freedom catches fire, cancels Monday, Friday Florida cruises

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Carnival Freedom Battles Fire in Bahamas

• March 23, 2024

The Carnival Freedom suffered a fire on Saturday afternoon while sailing in stormy weather in the Bahamas.

Unconfirmed eyewitness reports posted to social media said the fire was due to a lightning strike, with the crew quickly getting the fire under control and eventually putting it out.

Video posted from passengers aboard showed the portside of Carnival’s whale-tail funnel on fire. Carnival Cruise Lien said on social media that part of the funnel had then fallen onto the open deck.

The ship reported the fire just after 3:00 p.m. local time while it was 20 miles off Eleuthera Island, Bahamas, heading to Freeport after a cancelled call to Princess Cay due to weather.

“There are no operational issues with the ship’s systems and the ship is expected to arrive to Freeport on Sunday morning,” Carnival said in a statement posted on social media.

“The captain has made multiple announcements to guests and crew and advised all but essential safety personnel to stay away from all open decks. There are no injuries. The port side portion of the funnel has fallen onto Deck 10 and the fire response is putting out the flames.”

Carnival also said it did not expect any  impact to the next Carnival Freedom voyage scheduled to depart from Port Canaveral on Monday, March 25.

Of note, the this is the same ship that had a funnel fire in 2022, with Carnival having to replace the funnel at a drydock in Spain late last year.

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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] .

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Carnival cruise ship catches fire for the second time in 2 years

The Carnival Freedom left from Port Canaveral, Florida, on Thursday and was supposed to travel for several days through the Bahamas before returning Monday to Port Canaveral. It was not immediately clear how many passengers and crew were on board the Freedom when the fire erupted, but the cruise ship can accommodate 2,980 guests and 1,150 crew members at capacity. CBS News contacted Carnival for more information.

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Carnival Freedom passenger onboard during fire recounts 'dangerous, terrifying' experience

Carnival freedom will be back in service once funnel repairs are completed, spokesman confirms.

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A passenger who was onboard the Carnival Freedom during the cruise ship's second fire in less than two years over the weekend recounted a frightening experience at sea.

The blaze, which occurred Saturday, ignited on the port side of the ship's exhaust funnel, casually known as the "whale tail." Initial information from Carnival about the fire came on X, confirming that the fire broke out at 3:15 p.m. ET while the ship was 20 miles off Eleuthera Island in the Bahamas.  

"A fire in the middle of the ocean is one of the most dangerous things that I can possibly think of," Tambra Jones of Virginia told Fox Business. "It was terrifying." Jones recalled that her eyes and chest were burning as a result of the fire, and that smoke was "everywhere."

Carnival noted that the port side of the funnel fell onto one of the ship's decks during the incident.

CRUISES CANCELED FOLLOWING CARNIVAL FREEDOM FIRE DURING BUSY SPRING BREAK SEASON

Part of the Carnival Freedom's funnel that collapsed onto an open deck.  (Tambra Jones)

Jones considers herself a veteran cruiser and has been sailing with Carnival since 2009. She said she did not know that the Freedom had been involved in another fire in May 2022 before she booked her March 21-26 voyage.

"Had I had that information prior, I would have done more research," she said. "I wouldn't have put myself in that type of situation had I known. All information should be divulged." 

Jones also alleged that the ship was not well-equipped to handle fires.

"Stepping on the Freedom with hoses that can't reach every aspect of that boat in the event there's a fire is putting your life on the line," she said. 

When asked about the hoses, Carnival spokesman Matt Lupoli noted that the crew put out the fire, and he said that the ship turned into a storm in order to get help from the rain.

Jones claimed she was considering legal action against Carnival, but she has not brought any action against the cruise line yet. Lupoli did not address potential litigation.

CARNIVAL FREEDOM CRUISE SHIP CATCHES FIRE FOR SECOND TIME IN LESS THAN 2 YEARS

Carnival's onboard television provides maps that show the ship's traveled route.  (Tambra Jones)

The cause of the fire remains unclear. Carnival acknowledged that some witnesses reported a lightning strike, and said they were investigating. Jones is skeptical of this theory.

"Lightning did not hit that boat," Jones insisted. "I was sitting there watching it." Both she and the Carnival spokesman say the Freedom turned into a storm during the fire on March 23 to assist in fighting the flames. Jones said she was observing the situation from her cabin on the ship's live video feed, and claims that she saw smoke before any lightning. She also said that she never saw lightning strike the ship.

Jones said some people were blocked out of their rooms during the fire.

Two cruises this week were canceled as a result of the damage, Lupoli said. The ship was sent to the Freeport shipyard so work could be done to stabilize the funnel. It will be put back into service once repairs are completed, Lupoli said Wednesday. 

CARNIVAL FREEDOM CRUISE SHIP SEEN ON FIRE AT GRAND TURK

Screenshot from a video provided showing the weather conditions once the Carnival Freedom turned into the storm to assist in fighting the fire.  (Tambra Jones)

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.

Carnival provided a refund and a 100% future cruise credit to those impacted by the March 25 and March 29 cancelations from Port Canaveral. However, Jones said, guests who experienced the fire first hand have not been given anything. Lupoli said it was because their cruise "went as planned," and that the "crew worked very hard to give them a good time." 

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"We greatly appreciate our terrific guests for their outstanding cooperation and support," Lupoli said.