carnival cruise bad news 2022

• Our Analysts
• Free Reports
• Newsletters
• My Services
• Portfolio Tracker
• Manage Account

Bad News Keeps Getting Worse for CCL Stock

Debt and pandemic pressures appear to be too much for CCL stock

Advertisement

• Carnival Corp (NYSE: CCL ) stock is in a tailspin as several issues arise for the cruise operator.
• The CDC is actively investigating several ships for Covid-19 outbreaks, and the Carnival Spirit is one of the ships under investigation.
• Morgan Stanley and Bloomberg are issuing warnings due to the company’s increasing debt.
• The invasion of Ukraine is another reason why the company is struggling.

Source: Flickr

The bad news for Carnival Corp (NYSE: CCL ) stock just keeps on coming.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says it investigated a Covid-19 outbreak on a Carnival cruise ship. That led to the erosion of all positive price momentum. This comes just one week after Bloomberg issued a warning regarding the company’s debt load.

Carnival stock fell sharply after analysts raised concern about weak sales and the growing risk of economic problems worldwide.

Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS ) joined the chorus and has sounded the alarm on CCL stock, slashing its price target from $17 to $13 while maintaining an Underweight rating. Morgan Stanley analyst Jamie Rollo cited the three biggest risks for Carnival to investors: weak sales, growing threats of economic instability, and soaring interest expenses.

This comes just a few days after Bloomberg’s Lisa Lee categorized the cruise-ship operator as a “zombie firm.”

According to the article, “zombie firms” are companies with no chance of turning a profit but have significant debt, thanks to too much easy credit and central bank largesse. With interest rates increasing and banks raising lending standards, “their time may be running short,” per Lee.

Hence, a weak balance sheet, the Covid-19-related PR disaster, and rising interest rates have combined to make CCL stock very risky. Therefore, I cannot recommend purchasing the stock at this time.

A Closer Look at CCL Stock

The cruise industry has been struggling with the effects of the pandemic, but things are getting better. The cruise lines have been attracting more passengers with new activities and amenities, such as onboard fitness centers, paddle boards, and aqua parks.

The pandemic severely impacted its business. People were afraid to travel due to the rampant spread of coronavirus, and cruise lines took a big hit. The CDC came down exceptionally hard on cruises because they were the epicenter of the early outbreaks.

However, things were looking up for Carnival Cruises recently. The cruise operator said it is back up and running in full force with its 23 ships.

Unfortunately, CCL stock has continued to dip after the CDC released an update about cases of a cruise ship. The ship arrived on May 3 with cases of Covid-19.

The timing could not have been worse. Cruise lines like Carnival have had to borrow money to stay afloat during the pandemic shutdowns. These companies were looking forward to the clearance from the CDC to return to profitability.

Debt and Profitability

Carnival’s debt has reached a whopping $36 billion, and analysts are worried. Cruise industry experts are questioning whether the conditions are right for the industry. This year should have marked a return from the once-in-a-lifetime event of the pandemic.

However, the CDC is actively investigating multiple cruise ships for coronavirus cases. Under these circumstances, you can not expect cruise companies to remain thriving.

The invasion of Ukraine has also led to more uncertainty. As the cost of international passenger volumes increased, Carnival noted in their first-quarter earnings report that they had seen a “material impact” on their business.

Carnival is projecting a loss for Q2 and the entire year. To reverse their fortunes, cruise lines are increasing the prices on all their cruises.

While the demand for Caribbean cruises is still strong, some parts of the vacation industry could be in trouble soon.

That is not great news, especially considering the debt load it has racked up. According to the latest figures reported in February, Carnival has a debt load of $36.23 billion, which has grown from $9.7 billion at the end of 2019.

With mounting interest rates and a lack of income, Carnival will continue to be under pressure.

CCL Stock Is Too Risky Right Now

The pandemic has receded to the background, but it is not going away. There are still many places in the world where this disease is present. Nevertheless, cruise stocks entered the year in high spirits. That feeling is dissipating for a number of cruise companies, and CCL is one of the biggest casualties.

With the easy credit disappearing, Carnival is in serious trouble. Therefore, if you have this one in your portfolio, it is time to sell.

On the publication date, Faizan Farooque did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the  InvestorPlace.com   Publishing Guidelines .

Article printed from InvestorPlace Media, https://investorplace.com/2022/06/bad-news-keeps-getting-worse-for-ccl-stock/.

©2024 InvestorPlace Media, LLC

Subscriber Sign in

Not Yet a Premium Subscriber?

• Today's news
• Reviews and deals
• Climate change
• 2024 election
• Fall allergies
• Health news
• Mental health
• Sexual health
• Family health
• So mini ways
• Unapologetically
• Buying guides

Entertainment

• How to Watch
• My watchlist
• Stock market
• Biden economy
• Personal finance
• Stocks: most active
• Stocks: gainers
• Stocks: losers
• Trending tickers
• World indices
• US Treasury bonds
• Top mutual funds
• Highest open interest
• Highest implied volatility
• Currency converter
• Basic materials
• Communication services
• Consumer cyclical
• Consumer defensive
• Financial services
• Industrials
• Real estate
• Mutual funds
• Credit cards
• Credit card rates
• Balance transfer credit cards
• Business credit cards
• Cash back credit cards
• Rewards credit cards
• Travel credit cards
• Checking accounts
• Online checking accounts
• High-yield savings accounts
• Money market accounts
• Personal loans
• Student loans
• Car insurance
• Home buying
• Options pit
• Investment ideas
• Research reports
• Fantasy football
• Pro Pick 'Em
• College Pick 'Em
• Fantasy baseball
• Fantasy hockey
• Fantasy basketball
• Download the app
• Daily fantasy
• Scores and schedules
• GameChannel
• World Baseball Classic
• Premier League
• CONCACAF League
• Champions League
• Motorsports
• Horse racing
• Newsletters

New on Yahoo

• Privacy Dashboard

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

Carnival Rides on Record Cruise Demand to Lift Annual Profit Forecast

FILE PHOTO: The Carnival cruise ship Sunrise is seen docked at Miami Port, in Miami, Florida, U.S., June 18, 2022. Picture taken with a drone. REUTERS/Marco Bello/File Photo

By Granth Vanaik and Doyinsola Oladipo

(Reuters) - Carnival Corp raised its annual profit forecast on Wednesday, anticipating a record year of bookings as the company benefits from a rise in people seeking cruise vacations for the first time.

Cruise operators are recording all-time high booking rates as more travelers switch to cheaper sea-borne experiences over expensive land-based alternatives such as booking hotels or flights, providing them more room to raise prices.

U.S.-listed shares of the company were flat in volatile trading. They have risen about 94% in the last 12 months.

"The first quarter has been fantastic across the board," CEO Josh Weinstein said on a post-earnings call. "We delivered record bookings and record customer deposits again this quarter, a great start to the year."

The company's first-quarter revenue jumped 22% to $5.41 billion, roughly in line with analysts' expectations.

Bookings for the rest of 2024 remain the best year on record with total customer deposits reaching $7 billion in the first quarter, the company said. New-to-cruise customers surged more than 30% year-over-year, Carnival said.

Adjusted cruise costs, excluding fuel in constant currency, were up 7.3% in the first quarter from a year earlier, but 2% lower than the company's forecast.

"Unlike prior quarters that were revenue-driven beats, it was cost line items that drove the first-quarter beat," Truist Securities analyst Patrick Scholes said in a note.

However, cost improvements of more than $250 million are being offset by the $130 million hit from re-routing ships in the Red Sea region, higher fuel prices, and currency exchange rates, CFO David Bernstein said.

The cruise operator raised the expected impact of the Red Sea disruptions to $0.09 per share from the $0.07 to $0.08 it had estimated in January.

Carnival also estimated an impact of up to $10 million on full-year adjusted EBITDA and adjusted net income following Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse on Tuesday.

The cruise operator now expects full-year adjusted profit per share of 98 cents, compared with its prior forecast of 93 cents. Analysts on average were expecting a profit of $1 per share, according to LSEG data.

Carnival posted an adjusted net loss per share of 14 cents, compared to analysts' expectations of 18 cents.

(Reporting by Granth Vanaik in Bengaluru and Doyinsola Oladipo in New York; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)

Copyright 2024 Thomson Reuters .

Tags: United States , Middle East , United Kingdom , Europe

The Best Financial Tools for You

Credit Cards

Personal Loans

Comparative assessments and other editorial opinions are those of U.S. News and have not been previously reviewed, approved or endorsed by any other entities, such as banks, credit card issuers or travel companies. The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of our partner offers may have expired.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter to get investing advice, rankings and stock market news.

See a newsletter example .

You May Also Like

7 best copper stocks to buy.

Glenn Fydenkevez March 28, 2024

11 New Spot Bitcoin ETFs to Buy in 2024

Tony Dong March 28, 2024

Is M&A Activity Set to Spike in 2024?

Scott Ward March 28, 2024

7 Oversold Tech Stocks to Buy

Wayne Duggan March 28, 2024

7 Top Gene-Editing Stocks to Buy

Wayne Duggan March 27, 2024

7 Best Preferred Stock ETFs to Buy Now

Tony Dong March 27, 2024

Fixed Index Annuity Is Making a Comeback

Marguerita Cheng March 27, 2024

9 Growth Stocks for the Next 10 Years

Jeff Reeves March 27, 2024

5 Best Short-Term Investments for Income

Tony Dong March 26, 2024

10 Best Health Care Stocks to Buy

Wayne Duggan March 26, 2024

Vanguard Funds for Beginners

Best Semiconductor Stocks

Brian O'Connell March 25, 2024

Best Long Term Stocks to Buy and Hold

Glenn Fydenkevez March 25, 2024

Best Investing Apps for Beginners

Kate Stalter March 25, 2024

10 Best Growth Stocks to Buy for 2024

Wayne Duggan March 25, 2024

Best Renewable Energy Stocks to Buy

Matt Whittaker March 22, 2024

How to Invest in Startups

Coryanne Hicks March 22, 2024

How to Invest in TIPS

Kate Stalter March 22, 2024

7 Best High-Dividend Mutual Funds

Jeff Reeves March 22, 2024

The History of Bitcoin (BTC)

Julie Pinkerton March 21, 2024

No more round-the-clock pizza? Carnival makes some cuts to food service offerings permanent

Bad news, Carnival Cruise Line fans: You'll no longer be able to make around-the-clock pizza runs on the line's ships.

In a notice sent to travel agents in recent days, the world's second-largest cruise brand said it was making a recent cutback to the hours of the 24-hour pizzerias on its ships a permanent measure.

Carnival said the Pizza Pirate and Pizzeria del Capitano pizza outlets found on its 23 vessels will now permanently close every night at 4 a.m. and remain closed until 9 a.m. in the morning. That means no more very-late-night or very-early-morning pizza runs on Carnival ships, depending on how you view the hours after 4 a.m.

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

It's just one of several mostly small trims to food service offerings that Carnival is making. Among others:

• Late-night snacks will no longer be offered in ship buffet areas.
• The hours for the Sea Day Brunch held in the main dining room of ships on sea days will be cut by one hour. The dining extravaganza now will end at noon on sea days instead of 1 p.m.
• Passengers will no longer be able to request complimentary cakes in the main dining room for special occasions such as birthdays and wedding anniversaries. As an alternative, passengers can have candles put into a regular dessert ordered off the daily dessert menu.
• A buffet-style array of breakfast and lunch items will no longer be available at Ocean Plaza, a gathering spot found on seven of Carnival's more recently built ships.

In another notable change, Carnival will also do away with hanging room service menus for passengers to fill out and leave outside their rooms at night to request a room service breakfast for the next morning.

Related: The ultimate guide to Carnival Cruise Line

Room service for breakfast will still be available, but passengers must call the room service department in the morning to place an order.

Several other signature food offerings on Carnival ships that were paused in recent months will continue to be paused for now but could return eventually, according to the notice to travel agents, including:

• The Chocolate Extravaganza buffet, which is normally offered once per cruise near the end of a sailing.
• Afternoon Tea Time, which usually occurs on sea days.

Carnival initially announced cutbacks to a range of food service offerings on its ships in May, citing staffing issues.

"Our rapid and successful restart has required us to bring back thousands of crew members in a very short time, which has increased the number of resources needed for government officials to process the large number of visa applications and slowed down our ability to fully staff some of our functions, including our culinary team," Carnival told TPG in an email at the time.

In a statement to TPG over the weekend, Carnival spokesperson Chris Chiames suggested that not all the changes mentioned above were set in stone. A separate Carnival spokesperson had earlier told TPG that the notice to travel agents was sent in error and the line still was "working through" some of the decisions on food service.

"We sometimes make adjustments to our offerings to reflect a variety of factors," Chiames said in an email to TPG. "We are very proud of the fact our guests love our food and dining options, and understand that some react to even the slightest modification. While we are still sorting through a few decisions, our goal is always to deliver an outstanding guest experience, and if we need to make changes, do so in a way that minimizes the impact and maximizes our ability to deliver our guests a great vacation."

Related: The ultimate guide to picking a cruise line

The good news for foodie-focused Carnival fans is that at least one popular venue on Carnival ships that closed earlier this year due to staffing shortages, The Chef's Table, has reopened across the Carnival fleet. The venue offers a semiprivate, multicourse, chef-led dining experience with a hefty price tag.

Also reopening as of this weekend on all Carnival ships is the extra-fee Italian restaurant Cucina Del Capitano, which has been shuttered (for dinner only) on most Carnival vessels since mid-May due to staffing shortages. The venue has only been open since mid-May on a single Carnival ship, Mardi Gras.

Carnival was the first major cruise line to return all its ships to service following the COVID-19-related pause to cruise operations, with all of its vessels back in operation by May 2. But the line has struggled to quickly bring back enough staff to operate all of the venues on the vessels.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

• The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
• The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
• A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
• 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
• 15 ways cruisers waste money
• 12 best cruises for people who never want to grow up
• What to pack for your first cruise

Year in Review: Carnival Corporation 2022

• December 31, 2022

With cruise operations finally returning to normality, Carnival Corporation saw an eventful year in 2022.

Cruise Industry News listed some of the most company’s important developments this year.

Carnival Fun Italian Style

Carnival Corporation also revealed a new product in 2022, with the Carnival Fun Italian Style concept .

Coming to Carnival Cruise Line, the new concept will feature two ships being transferred from the Costa brand, the Venezia and the Firenze, which were designed to offer an Italian experience onboard.

Reproducing the atmosphere of Venice and Florence on its public rooms and cabins, the vessels will also feature Carnival’s signature offerings onboard, with crew, entertainment and dining choices coming from the U.S.-based brand.

More Brands and Ships Back

Carnival Corporation’s restart program was nearly completed in 2022, with most of its brands and ships resuming service around the world. Apart from some ships from Costa Cruises, the corporation’s entire fleet is now sailing with guests again .

One of the latest brands to welcome passengers back, P&O Australia resumed service in May and completed its restart program in October.

Fleet Optimization Continues

Continuing its fleet optimization strategy, Carnival Corporation announced the retirement of three additional ships in December.

According to the company’s fourth quarter business update , two of the smaller, less-efficient vessels will come from Costa Cruises’ fleet, as part of the company’s strategy to right-size the brand in light of the continued closure of cruise operations in China.

Following a significant number of ship withdrawals in 2020 and 2021 , Carnival continued to retire smaller ships from its fleet in 2022. In addition to two extra Fantasy-Class vessels, two AIDA Cruises ships were also sold during the year.

Also part of the fleet optimization program, the corporation also transferred capacity between brands and markets. The former Costa Luminosa, for instance, joined Carnival Cruise Line for service in Australia and North America .

New Ships and First Purpose-Built Expedition Vessel

Six newbuilds entered service for Carnival Corporation in 2022, including three that were delivered in 2021.

Highlighting the lineup, the Seabourn Venture became the corporation’s first purpose-built expedition vessel.

Princess, Costa, AIDA, Carnival and P&O also debuted new cruise ships, most of them powered by LNG – one of the greenest fuels currently available for the shipping industries.

  Leadership Changes

Carnival Corporation also saw significant leadership changes in 2022. Josh Weinstein became the corporation’s President and CEO in August, taking over from Arnold Donald.

Donald had occupied the position since 2013.

The change at the very top of the world’s largest cruise company comes after several leadership changes since 2020, with new executives taking control of Costa Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn, Carnival UK, the Holland America Line Group and more.

Greener Operations

Building on its effort for more environmentally friendly cruise operations, Carnival Corporation also reached several green milestones during the year.

In May, for instance, the company completed the installation of nearly 600 food waste biodigesters across its fleet in support of ongoing food waste management and reduction efforts.

Carnival is also focusing on reducing non-essential single-use plastic items, along with other long-term sustainability goals that include increasing fleetwide coverage of Advanced Wastewater Treatment Systems to over 75% by 2030 and the reducing carbon emission intensity by 40% by the same year.

As part of the strategy, four LNG-powered ships also joined the corporation’s brands in 2022, bringing the total of ships in the fleet running with the greener fuel to eight.

Cruise Industry News Email Alerts

• Breaking News

Get the latest breaking  cruise news .  Sign up.

51 Ships | 109,838 Berths | $35 Billion | View

Highlights:

• Mkt. Overview
• Record Year
• Refit Schedule
• PDF Download
• Order Today

• 2033 Industry Outlook 
• All Operators
• Easy to Use
• Pre-Order Offer
• Advertising
• Cruise News
• Magazine Articles
• Quarterly Magazine
• Annual Report
• Email Newsletter
• Executive Guide
• Digital Reports

Privacy Overview

• Link copied! Clipboard

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.

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

Watch CBS News

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.

• Cruise Ship

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.

More from CBS News

Two 14-year-olds arrested for their role in Delaware Acme grocery store fire; damages over $250K

Norfolk Southern train derailment near Easton: NTSB releases preliminary report

"It's time to make more history": Phillies release hype video for 2024 season

Philadelphia mother fears the worst in desperate search for missing son and friend

I was a loyal Carnival cruiser for years until I sailed Celebrity. I'm never going back, especially now that my kids are grown.

• From 2012 and 2022, my family and I sailed on nine Carnival cruises .
• We had fun with Carnival, but the vibes and rowdy children we often saw on board got to us.
• Celebrity is definitely a more grown-up line, and I prefer its laid-back vibes and offerings.

I fondly remember my family's first cruise — it was with Carnival. 

My husband and I took our three children — who were 11, 12, and 13 — on the Carnival Conquest for a seven-day cruise to the Eastern Caribbean. We were hooked, and eight more cruises on Carnival followed. The last one, in 2022, was just me and my husband, as my children had grown and were off at college. 

Although we had a marvelous time, Carnival Cruises wasn't always perfect , so we were ready to try something new, especially now that we'd be sailing without kids. 

Celebrity Cruises is known for catering to adults who want a more grown-up experience , so when I received an email about a deal for the Celebrity Constellation, I wanted to give it a try. Our experience with Celebrity was so different from our trips with Carnival, and the line felt like a better fit for us.

Here's why we're saying goodbye to Carnival and sticking with Celebrity.

There were hardly any kids on the Celebrity cruise

The first thing that struck me about the Celebrity cruise was the absence of kids running around and screaming.

I knew our ship, the Constellation, was sailing under capacity, but I hardly ever saw children on the ship. At one point, I overheard an officer say only six kids were on board. Six kids!

It's a different story on Carnival. On every Carnival cruise we've gone on, kids have been everywhere. They'd crowd the pools and hot tubs, and some would run wild while their parents played.

To be fair, Carnival  is known for being one of the best budget cruise lines for families — kids can sometimes sail for just $1 . Kids are to be expected.

Because my kids share my quiet nature, they never wanted to attend Carnival's kids' programs or swim in the main, kid-packed pools. Instead, they hung out with us. We explored the ship, read, and played lots of family games. 

Each ship has a few adult-only areas, but the number of kids can feel overwhelming.

Related stories

In 2022, Carnival updated its code of conduct and pre-boarding emails to cruisers to include a polite reminder for guests to supervise their children and keep noise in the hallways to a minimum .

The energy level on Celebrity was much chiller — cruisers seemed to want to relax more than party

Carnival cruises aren't exactly known for being relaxed, and the company has a reputation as a high-energy and upbeat line. In my opinion, Carnival's belly-flop and hairy-chest competitions epitomized the party energy on the Carnival cruises I went on — Carnival has since done away with those events last year.

Both ships had nightclubs, but I found that Celebrity's entertainment offerings were right up my alley and featured lots of '70s music. On Carnival ships, I found lots of '90s music and entertainment catering to younger crowds.

I think the music volume on the ships also says a lot about their respective vibes. For me, the volume was just right on Celebrity — no earplugs required. On Carnival ships, I often found myself reaching for my earplugs to avoid the chest-thumping music throughout the ship. 

Don't get me wrong — I like to party. And we did party on our Celebrity cruise, mainly by drinking a lot and listening to lots of live music. Even so, the vibe on the Celebrity ship was much more relaxed than our Carnival cruises. 

Celebrity can cost a little bit more than Carnival, but I found it to be a better value — especially for drinks

Our price for the 11-night Celebrity cruise was about $240 a night for each person. It included food plus the classic drinks package , which included "select beers, spirits, cocktails, liqueurs, frozen drinks, and wines by the glass for up to $10 per serving." For drinks over $10, we just paid the difference. Specialty-coffee drinks were included in the package, too.

Carnival, on the other hand, does not include drinks in its prices. The price of our last Carnival cruise, a seven-nighter, came out to about $213 a night for each person, not including drinks.

Celebrity cost us just an extra $27 per person per night — but my husband and I drank way more than $27 worth of spirits, wine, and coffee each day.

Speaking of beverages, another bonus — and a big deal to me and my husband — was Celebrity's streamlined drink-buying process. On Carnival, servers usually handed us two tiny receipts with each beverage order — one slip to sign, one to keep. We were so pleased not to deal with that process on Celebrity.

On Celebrity, all we had to do was tell the server our room number and show our SeaPass cards so they could see we were on the classic drinks package. No wet slips of paper or signatures required. 

Carnival served us well while our kids were young, but we're Celebrity cruisers now

There are many good things to be said about Carnival, and I'm sure it's still a great fit for certain people . We've immensely enjoyed most of our cruises with the line, particularly Carnival's New Year's Eve cruises. We boarded those cruises ready to P-A-R-T-Y, and Carnival made it easy. 

But we're older now. Our kids have grown, and we're ready to sit back and relax. Above all, Celebrity impressed me with its entertainment and perks while eliminating some issues we've always had with Carnival cruises.

Celebrity ticks all my boxes at this point in my life, so I'm ready to bid farewell to Carnival.

Representatives for Carnival didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Watch: This is what it takes to be a cruise ship performer

• Main content

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar
• Skip to footer

TravelAwaits

Our mission is to serve the 50+ traveler who's ready to cross a few items off their bucket list.

Carnival Announces Changes To Stop Passengers’ Bad Behavior — 3 Things It’s Doing Now

• News and Tips
• Travel News

As the spring break and summer cruise seasons approach, Carnival Cruise Line wants future passengers and prospective passengers alike to know it will not tolerate unruly or illegal activity aboard its ships.

First, the cruise line began sending a “Guest Advisory” email to people who have already booked upcoming cruises, according to Cruise Hive . That email explained that unruly, disruptive, or illegal activity will be met with consequences that range from fines of $500 to the disembarkation of passengers and banning them from future Carnival cruises.

Then, in a YouTube video , Christine Duffy, Carnival’s president, further addressed the issue of disturbing and illegal activity among passengers. She also noted that such behavior will not be tolerated.

“We’ve all seen the news coverage and social media posts of people behaving badly,” Duffy said. “It’s happening in stores and restaurants, at sporting events, in schools, on airplanes, at theme parks, and yes, on cruise ships too. I want to share with you the steps that we have taken to ensure that our guests have a safe, fun, and great vacation on board.”

Carnival’s emails and Duffy’s video don’t come as a surprise since there were multiple disturbances aboard its ships last year.

For instance, in an incident on June 27, 2022, somewhere between 40 and 60 people were involved in an altercation that allegedly began over accusations of infidelity that occurred while aboard the Carnival Magic as the ship was returning to New York City after an Eastern Caribbean sailing.

Then, a few days later, there was another brawl aboard the Carnival Elation on July 6, 2022, as the ship was returning to its homeport in Jacksonville, Florida, at the end of a five-night sailing to the Bahamas.

Details explaining Carnival’s safety and security policies are included in its ticket contract, “which you should review prior to booking,” Duffy explained in her video. She then added, “So please, help us make sure your Carnival vacation is safe, fun, and memorable by respecting each other, our crew, and the ocean.”

Here are the steps Carnival is taking to make sure its cruises are safe and fun for all passengers.

More Security On Ships

It’s only logical that Carnival’s first step to increasing safety, and quickly and severely addressing unruly, disruptive, or illegal activity is to add more security personnel.

Drug-Sniffing Dogs At Ports

Carnival is also now using narcotics-sniffing dogs at home ports to screen luggage. Those screenings take place both routinely and randomly.

“Our guests shouldn’t be surprised to see dogs come on board at both our home ports and destination ports to make random searches,” Duffy explained.

“In case there’s any confusion, let me remind guests that while marijuana and cannabis products may be legal in some states, we are required to follow federal law, irrespective of the law in the state where you may be boarding your ship,” Duffy continued. “For guests using medical marijuana, you should consult with your physician about an alternative therapy during your cruise.”

Curfew For Passengers Under 18 Years Old

Carnival has also implemented a youth curfew aboard its ships.

Passengers who are 17 years old or younger must be in their stateroom by 1 a.m. The exception is if they are accompanied by an adult in their traveling party who is at least 21 years old.

The Consequences For Bad Behavior

The consequences for violating Carnival’s code of conduct are spelled out in Carnival’s emails, Duffy’s video, and the cruise contract. What’s more, passengers must acknowledge and agree to the code of conduct during embarkation, Duffy said.

For example, “Guest agrees not to engage in any lewd, lascivious, indecent, obscene, offensive, or outrageous behavior while on board and specifically agrees that violation of this policy may result in confinement or debarkation from the vessel with no refund to the guest and at guest’s own expense for repatriation and travel,” the Cruise Ticket Contract states .

The contract also notes that “any illegal activity or disruptive behavior will not be tolerated.” It goes on to explain that “any guest whose conduct affects the comfort, enjoyment, safety, or well-being of other guests or crew will be detained onboard and/or disembarked at their own expense and will be prohibited from sailing with Carnival in the future.”

Furthermore, violations of Carnival’s policy will result in fines of $500.

Finally, as Duffy explained, Carnival follows U.S. federal law, which prohibits possession and use of recreational/medicinal marijuana and other illegal controlled substances.

The consequences of violating Carnival’s marijuana policy include a $500 fine per violation. It also may result in the disembarkation of all guests in that stateroom.

For more about cruises, be sure to read all of our cruises and sailing content, as well as:

• This Coastal California City Wants To Discourage Cruise Lines From Visiting — Here’s What It’s Doing
• Tall Ships Festival Coming To St. Petersburg This Spring — The Amazing Experiences You Won’t Want To Miss
• This May Be One Of The Most Luxurious Day-Cruise Offerings In The World — Where You Can Experience It

Jim Fulcher has been a writer and editor his entire career. In addition to writing, he also enjoys traveling--particularly in an RV. Over the course of numerous trips, Jim has driven an RV through West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wyoming. His favorite national park is Yellowstone, which he has visited three times.

• Share on Facebook
• Share on SMS
• Share on Email

• April 8 Eclipse
• Postal Problems
• Grace Can help
• Our Story, Our History
• Texans Helping Texans
• Education Station
• Great Day Houston
• Health Matters
• KHOU 11 70 years
• Living in the Lone Star
• Grammy Awards
• Hidden Gems
• Hurricane season
• Investigations
• Paxton impeachment trial
• Sign up for our newsletter
• At the border
• Live Webcams
• Rodeo Houston

Upcoming cruises canceled after Carnival ship catches fire near Bahamas

More Videos

Next up in 5

Example video title will go here for this video

TAMPA, Fla. — Two upcoming cruises on the Carnival Freedom have been canceled after part of the ship caught fire Saturday.

Flames on the ship's exhaust funnel were reported around 3:15 p.m. amid bad weather near the Bahamas. The cruise line says it is investigating multiple eyewitness reports of a lightning strike, but the cause of the fire has not yet been confirmed.

It was originally believed that the fire would not impact a scheduled March 25 departure from Port Canaveral , but Carnival has since announced that voyage, as well as a March 29 voyage, have both been canceled.

"Regrettably, the damage is more than we first thought and will require an immediate repair to stabilize the funnel," the cruise line said 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."

All guests will receive a full refund and a "100% future cruise credit" — a voucher that can be applied to future cruise purchases.

The ship's fire response team worked to contain the flames on Saturday while the ship's captain turned the vessel toward the heavy rain to help efforts. 

A portion of the funnel fell onto one of the decks, but none of the guests were injured. Two of the firefighters were treated for minor smoke inhalation. 

The fire was put out by 5:20 p.m., and passengers were asked to stay away from balconies and decks. 

This is the second time a fire has impacted the Carnival Freedom. The ship's funnel caught fire in May 2022 while docked in Grand Turk.

Related Articles

• Video shows Carnival Sunshine cruise ship rocked by storm off East Coast
• Holland America cruise line says 2 crew members died during an 'incident'

Before You Leave, Check This Out

KHOU would like to send you push notifications about the latest news and weather.

Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings.

Port of Baltimore suspends ship traffic after bridge collapse: What it means for travel

Travel is being impacted by Tuesday’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse along Interstate 695 in Baltimore, Maryland. 

Drivers were immediately directed to take alternate routes through the city, following the early morning incident. What’s less clear is what the bridge collapse may mean for upcoming cruises in and out of Baltimore.

“Vessel traffic into and out of the Port of Baltimore is suspended until further notice,” the Port of Baltimore posted on X, formerly Twitter.

Live Updates: Baltimore's Key Bridge collapses after ship hits it; construction crew missing

Rep. Kweisi Mfume, D-Md., whose district includes the bridge and the port, called the collapse an “unthinkable horror” and said he had spoken with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and the White House. 

Learn more: Best travel insurance

“They are responding with all of the assets at their disposal,” he said in a statement. “Our prayers right now are for the missing individuals and victims of this tragedy. We thank God for the effective service of our first responders.”

Here’s what we know.

Which cruises go to Baltimore?

Several major cruise lines serve Baltimore. According to the Cruise Lines International Association, the industry’s leading trade group, published itineraries in the 2024 calendar year include a dozen ships making 115 stops in Baltimore.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragedy and collapse of the Key Bridge that occurred last night and extend our support and heartfelt prayers to all those impacted,” CLIA spokesperson Anne Madison said in an emailed statement. “We join everyone in extending our thanks and appreciation to the first responders and emergency workers in Baltimore, the U.S. Coast Guard, and other professionals who are working with one goal in mind—to save lives. We are closely following this situation.”

Carnival’s website shows Carnival Pride and Carnival Legend also have sailings into or out of Baltimore set for April. 

Carnival Legend will temporarily move operations to Norfolk, Virginia.

The ship's current cruise, which left for a planned round-trip sailing from Baltimore on March 24, will end in Norfolk on Sunday. Passengers will then receive free bus rides to Baltimore. The vessel's next cruise will sail round-trip from Norfolk later that day.

“Our thoughts remain with the impacted families and first responders in Baltimore,” Carnival president Christine Duffy said in a statement. “We appreciate the pledge made by President Biden today to dedicate all available resources to reopen Baltimore Harbor to marine traffic as soon as possible. As those plans are finalized, we will update our future cruise guests on when we will return home to Baltimore, but in the meantime, we appreciate the quick response and support from officials in Norfolk.”

The cruise line has not yet shared plans for Carnival Pride. Carnival's parent company, Carnival Corp., said the temporary change in homeport is estimated to have an impact of up to $10 million on adjusted EBITDA and adjusted net income this year, according to a news release .

Royal Caribbean's Vision of the Seas, which left from Baltimore on March 23 , will return to Norfolk instead on April 4. "Our guests on board will be provided compensation and complimentary shuttle transportation as well as Wi-Fi and phone calls to adjust their travel arrangements," a spokesperson said in an email.

The ship's April 4 and 12 cruises will leave from Norfolk, too. "Our guests booked to sail with us will receive compensation due to the necessary adjustments made to their vacations," the spokesperson added. "After returning from the April 12 cruise, Vision will head to the Bahamas for its previously scheduled maintenance."

Was your cruise itinerary changed?: What to do next

American Cruise Lines has roundtrip sailings from Baltimore scheduled in May, according to its website.

“We will monitor the situation and make adjustments to future cruises if needed, but at the present time our schedules remain unaffected, and our thoughts remain with those affected by the immediate situation and rescue efforts underway,” an American Cruise Lines spokesperson told USA TODAY.

Norwegian Cruise Line doesn’t appear to have any Baltimore sailings until September on Norwegian Sky . The line will stay in contact with the port and share any changes with passengers and travel partners, according to a spokesperson.

"In the meantime, we wish the city of Baltimore strength during this very unfortunate event," they said in an email.

Alternate routes for the Baltimore bridge

Most drivers can take Interstate 95 (Fort McHenry Tunnel) or Interstate 895 (Baltimore Harbor Tunnel) to avoid the collapsed bridge. However Maryland Transportation Authority notes there are some exceptions .

Vehicles carrying hazardous materials, including more than 10 pounds of propane, are not allowed in the tunnels. Additionally, vehicles more than 13-feet and 6-inches high or 8-feet wide may not use the 1-895 Baltimore Harbor Tunnel. Vehicles more than 14-feet and 6-inches high or 11-feet wide may not use the I-95 Fort McHenry Tunnel. 

Those vehicles should use the western portion of I-695 instead.

Carnival Cruise ship catches fire after possible lightning strike

The cruise line said damage to the ship is "more than we first thought" and will require immediate repair to stabilize the funnel. cruises scheduled to depart from port canaveral on march 25th and march 29th have been canceled..

Heath Barnes was a passenger on the Carnival Freedom ship when the boat's exhaust funnel caught fire during a thunderstorm. The ship is back at Port Canaveral for repairs. 

PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. – The Carnival Freedom ship caught fire Saturday near the Bahamas after passengers reported a lightning strike on the boat during a thunderstorm .

Carnival Cruise Line said the crew reported a fire on the port side of the ship's exhaust funnel around 3:15 p.m. Saturday. The ship was 20 miles off Eleuthera Island in the Bahamas, sailing to Freeport after being unable to dock at Princess Cay due to weather conditions. 

"Our onboard team acted quickly to contain and put out the fire," Carnival Cruise Line said. "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."

LIGHTNING FATALITIES WERE SECOND LOWEST ON RECORD IN 2023, SAFETY COUNCIL SAYS

Around the time of the fire, radar showed a storm cell over the area and a lot of lightning activity.

Radar at 3:15 p.m. on March 23 when a Carnival Cruise ship was possibly hit by lightning. 

(FOX Weather)

Multiple passenger videos show flames and dark smoke billowing from the exhaust funnel as rain continues to pour onto the deck.

Passenger Heath Barnes said the ship was supposed to dock at Princess Cay on Saturday about 9 a.m., but passengers were told that the boat would continue to Freeport due to strong winds . 

During the afternoon, the rain returned, and passengers reported hearing loud thunder and then seeing the smoke. Soon after, guests were told to remain in their cabins.

Smoke and flames coming from the exhaust funnel of the Carnival Freedom cruise ship on Saturday, March 23, 2024. 

(@breezebreeze_ via Storyful)

"Why is our tail on fire?" someone can be heard saying in the video recorded by Barnes. "That's not good, y'all."

On Monday, Carnival Freedom returned to Port Canaveral , where guests disembarked.

The cruise line said damage to the ship is "more than we first thought" and will require immediate repair to stabilize the funnel. Cruises scheduled to depart from Port Canaveral on March 25th and March 29th have been canceled. All guests on the canceled trips will receive a full refund and a 100% future cruise credit.

FOX Business reported that the same cruise ship caught on fire in 2022 after being struck by lightning. 

Carnival Freedom cruise ship on fire

Video shows smoke and flames coming from the Carnival Freedom exhaust funnel on Saturday after a possible lightning strike. (video credit: Credit: @breezebreeze_ via Storyful)

Another video recorded on Saturday by X user @breezebreeze showed the fire on the ship.

"Carnival Freedom on fire AGAIN!!" they wrote on X.

• Extreme Weather
• Thunderstorms

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

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

Thousands of passengers with scheduled cruises will be affected by the canceled cruises during a busy spring break period for Carnival and other cruise lines.

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 Cay due to adverse weather.

Details of previous fire: Fire breaks out on Carnival Freedom while Port Canaveral-based ship was in Grand Turk

"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. 

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.

The Freedom sailed into the channel at Port Canaveral around 7:30 a.m. Monday, and docked at Cruise Terminal 6, letting off the passengers who were on the cruise. Carnival then awaited a Coast Guard inspection of the ship before it could be cleared to leave Port Canaveral for the Freeport shipyard for repairs. The ship left the port about 6:20 p.m.

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 sailing had about 3,700 passengers onboard. And the two upcoming sailings that were canceled each likely would have had a similar passenger count, because this is a busy time for the cruise industry.

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] , on X at  @bydaveberman  and on Facebook at  www.facebook.com/dave.berman.54

Carnival cancels cruises after ship catches fire in bad weather

Customers are facing cancellations after a Carnival Cruise Line ship caught fire during bad weather on Saturday.

The company said cruises scheduled for March 25 and March 29 from Port Canaveral will not embark. Carnival also issued the following statement.

“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."

The Carnival Freedom caught fire while sailing in the Bahamas. The company said there were multiple eyewitness reports of a lightning strike.

The ship was heading to Freeport after canceling a call to Princess Cay due to the bad weather. According to a release, the fire broke out on the port side of the ship's exhaust funnel, causing a portion to fall onto the deck.

Bay area residents Morgan Letchworth and Jacob Tures had just put their two young daughters down to a nap when they woke up to an emergency announcement on-board.

"It was pretty scary to be asleep and then get an announcement about a fire. It wasn't fun," Morgan said. "You can see people walking around in their life jackets. It was just kind of scary."

It's the second time in two years the Carnival Freedom's funnel caught fire, happening back in May of 2022.

Carnival Cruise Line now sending the ship back to Freeport for repairs, while fully refunding passengers on board the two cancelled trips this week.

"We are heartbroken," said Keen Red-Elk from West Lafayette, Indiana. "Luckily, we will go on another one we are positive about that."

Red-Elk said not only is the family getting fully-refunded for this trip, but a 100% credit for a future cruise and Carnival offered passengers up to $200 dollars a person for airfare he said.

"So in essence two [cruises] for the price of one," he said.

This while Morgan said she and her family were offered nothing for their troubles on ship.

"Obviously it's not their fault, but still our vacation was kind of ruined because we couldn't do stuff," she said. "The whole back was closed. There was a seafood restaurant, they had the track closed, the basketball courts closed, all of that."

A Carnival spokesperson told ABC Action News once the ship was cleaned of debris it was back to being "fully operational".

Though frustrated families who were on-board say it's not true and want to be compensated in some way.

"We made the best of what we could for our kids and us, but I don't think I should feel the way I do after getting off a vacation," Morgan said. "I shouldn't have anxiety."

Another viewer emailed ABC Action News with the same frustrations.

"Feel awful for my kid. She spent her (own) hard earned money to go and had a horrible experience," the email said.

No injuries to guests were reported, but two members of the firefighting crew were treated for minor smoke inhalation.

Latest Florida News from ABC Action News

Florida teachers share 'brutal' truth behind why so many keep leaving

Katie LaGrone

11:38 AM, Mar 28, 2024

Universal Orlando reveals details about new 'How to Train Your Dragon' world

Rebekah Nelson

8:47 AM, Mar 28, 2024

Retiree remembers his close call as Skyway Bridge collapsed

Erik Waxler

4:50 PM, Mar 27, 2024

New Florida law squashing squatters' rights

Forrest Saunders

3:02 PM, Mar 27, 2024

Report a typo

Sign up for the Morning Headlines Newsletter and receive up to date information.

Now signed up to receive the morning headlines newsletter..

Local News & Weather. Watch Live and Free 24/7.

Carnival cruise ship catches fire in Grand Turk

A Carnival cruise ship caught fire as it was docked in Grand Turk on Thursday morning, officials said. 

The fire, which broke out in the Carnival Freedom ship's funnel, was quickly extinguished as the ship was in Grand Turk, the capital island of the Turks and Caicos archipelago southeast of the Bahamas, a Carnival spokesperson said Thursday morning.

"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," a spokesperson said in a statement about the fire at around 8:45 a.m. ET.

Just before 11 a.m., passengers were still on shore at Grand Turk.

The ship had left Port Canaveral in Brevard County, Florida, on Monday for a five-day cruise, officials said.

It's not yet clear what caused the fire.

According to the marine tracking site CruiseMapper , the ship, which was built in 2007, is 948 feet long and can accommodate over 3,500 passengers. 

Breaking News Reporter

Recommended

Dance-floor brawl breaks out on carnival cruise ship arriving in nyc.

• View Author Archive
• Get author RSS feed

Thanks for contacting us. We've received your submission.

A dance-floor brawl broke out on board a Carnival cruise ship early Tuesday ahead of its docking in the Big Apple, authorities said. 

The free-for-all erupted inside a nightclub within the Carnival Magic ship around 5:20 a.m. as it sailed near the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, the NYPD said. 

The fracas began as a skirmish between two people, WPIX reported . Dozens more joined the fray — with an estimated 40 to 60 people involved, according to WNBC . 

Security on board attempted to break up the fight, but then called for assistance from the Coast Guard, cops said.

The Coast Guard then escorted the ship into Pier 88 near West 48th Street in Manhattan, police said. 

NYPD cops were on hand as passengers disembarked the cruise.

The ship, which departed from the Cape Liberty Cruise Port in New Jersey on June 20, traveled to Dominicana, Turks and Caicos and a private island in the Bahamas before returning to the East Coast, according to an online tracker .

No information was immediately available on arrests. Officials could not confirm by the afternoon whether the fight would be handled by the NYPD, New Jersey authorities, or if it happened in international waters.

“Last night while Carnival Magic was returning to New York, a number of guests were involved in an altercation in a nightclub,” the cruise liner said in a statement. “Thankfully no serious injuries were reported and our onboard security team intervened.”

“The ship arrived as scheduled this morning and shoreside law enforcement authorities were notified and met the ship to interview suspects and witnesses and conduct an investigation.”

Share this article:

Advertisement

'I just felt so helpless': Carnival Sunrise cruise ship faces flooding

A Carnival Cruise Line ship faced flooding on its way back to Miami over the weekend.

Carnival Sunrise was returning from a five-day Caribbean cruise at the time. Passenger Rachel Cox woke up to pounding on her cabin door around 2 a.m. on Saturday.

As she and her family got out of bed, they stepped into what she estimated was 2 to 4 inches of water. “We opened the door and people are yelling and screaming ‘Hey, we're taking on water. We're flooding,’ ” she told USA TODAY.

Start the day smarter. Get all the news you need in your inbox each morning.

Cox, 38, was staying in an inside cabin on Deck 10 with her partner and son, and her mother and daughter stayed in the adjacent room.

After a man wearing what looked like a security uniform told them to go to their muster station, they gathered their belongings and scrambled down the stairs – in part because water was pooling around the elevator bank.

“We're literally running down the stairwells, and as we are, (on) every single floor water's just coming out of the ceilings, it’s coming up through the floor, we see water on the sides of the walls,” said the Arkansas-based nonprofit executive director.

The captain came to speak with Cox and other guests holed up in the ship’s Liquid Lounge. He informed them that the vessel had taken on water and that bad weather had changed their route, though Cox said the captain did not get specific. Cox and her family did not hear any other official updates from the line, but the crew distributed bottled water and a small number of blankets to passengers.

They stayed there until they got off the ship shortly after 8 a.m. Saturday (though Cox and her partner did go back upstairs briefly to retrieve their life jackets).

Story continues below.

“Carnival Sunrise encountered heavy rain while the ship was returning to Miami overnight Friday into Saturday,” Carnival spokesperson Matt Lupoli said in an emailed statement. “Some staterooms were taken out of service for Saturday's departure as our team completed clean up and replaced carpet. Those guests who were not able to sail were provided full refunds, a future cruise credit and received overnight accommodations if they needed them.”

Cox said the cruise line did not initially offer her a refund or other compensation, despite her belongings getting wet, including large suitcases the crew had stored ahead of disembarkation. She contacted Carnival when she got home and said she didn’t hear back until Wednesday morning, when a guest services representative asked to set up a call.

A couple of hours later, the cruise line also sent her a note signed by Carnival Cruise Line President Christine Duffy, offering a 25% future cruise credit and inviting guests to submit documentation for review of damage to personal belongings.

“On behalf of the entire Carnival family, I am writing to express our sincerest apologies for the inconvenience you experienced as a result of the water intrusion incident that occurred the final night of the voyage,” Duffy said in the email, which Cox shared with USA TODAY. “We understand that being moved from your stateroom during those late hours must have been frustrating, and we deeply regret the disruption to your plans and comfort.”

Lupoli said in a separate statement that passengers "affected by the flooding incident on Carnival Sunrise were directed to the main lounge, not their muster stations, where our team worked to make them as comfortable as possible."

"The captain apologized for what occurred on board, a burst pipe due to a large amount of rainwater, and our Guest Care team has followed up as well, sending a letter and issuing a credit for those inconvenienced," he said. "We appreciate their understanding and support."

What is the best time to take a cruise?: We broke it down by region

Cox, who has been on over a dozen Carnival cruises, said the experience soured her on taking another – at least for now. “I had several pleasant experiences before this one, but at this moment in time, I can't imagine ever getting on another ship because I just felt so helpless.”

The news comes after Royal Caribbean International’s Serenade of the Seas, which is now operating the nine-month Ultimate World Cruise, also experienced flooding after rough weather off the coast of South America in January.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'I just felt so helpless': Carnival Sunrise cruise ship faces flooding