Carnival Freedom has caught fire while sailing in the Bahamas, with guest reports indicating that it may have been caused by a lightning strike.
The ship’s iconic exhaust funnel was ablaze, with the cruise line later confirming that part of the funnel had fallen onto the deck. The crew were able to tackle the fire and get it under control, with no injuries reported among anyone onboard.
The fire started at around 3 pm on 23rd March 2023, with the ship having already cancelled a visit to the private island of Princess Cay due to the bad weather.
Once the fire was reported, the captain made announcements to guests and crew asking everyone to stay away from any open deck areas while the safety team worked on putting out the flames.
The captain also steered the cruise ship into the heavier rain area to help get the fire under control.
While the original reports were that the ship was not too badly damaged and could continue, a later investigation revealed that not to be the case.
Due to the repairs needed, two cruises on the ship (departing 25th March and 30th March) have now been cancelled. All affected guests will receive a full refund along with a 100% Future Cruise Credit to allow them to cruise for free in future.
The ship’s funnel also caught fire in 2022, when drydock repairs were also needed.
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