Carnival Ship Sets Sail With New Funnel After Dry Dock

Carnival Freedom has officially set sail again sporting her brand new, iconic “whale tail” winged funnel following more than two weeks in dry dock in Cadiz, Spain. The ship’s return to service is also with additional renovations and refreshment, including adding a popular new venue onboard.

Carnival Freedom Finishes Dry Dock

The 110,000-gross-ton, Conquest-class Carnival Freedom has successfully completed her dry dock in Cadiz, Spain, and has welcomed guests back aboard for a transatlantic cruise to return to her homeport of Port Canaveral, Florida.

The ship spent a total of 16 days in dry dock undergoing intensive refurbishment, which has included refreshing public areas as well as guest staterooms, expanding the onboard casino, and general maintenance work.

Of special interest are the aesthetic upgrades to the ship’s appearance, most notably the replacement of the ship’s winged funnel, which was damaged by a fire in May 2022 while docked in Grand Turk. There were no injuries during the fire, but the starboard wing of the funnel structure was severely damaged, resulting in both wings being removed for more than a year until this dry dock.

This marks the first time that the team members at the Cadiz shipyard have designed and manufactured a Carnival funnel, bringing the ship back to her characteristic appearance that is so instantly recognizable to cruise lovers around the globe.

Another update to Carnival Freedom‘s appearance is that her hull has now been repainted in the new red, white, and blue livery that first debuted with Mardi Gras in 2021 and has been rolling out across the fleet as each ship enters dry dock.

This overall refreshment inside and out gives Carnival Freedom, which first set sail in 2007, a brand new look for guests to enjoy.

New Venues Onboard

It isn’t just the overall look of Carnival Freedom that has been updated. The ship has also had the popular Heroes Tribute Bar added with fitting military décor, a “Welcome Home” tribute and memorabilia wall, and a patriotic scheme to honor veterans and active-duty service members.

Carnival Cruise Line is gradually adding the Heroes Tribute Bar to all ships in the fleet. The venue first debuted with Carnival Panorama in 2019, and has been a hit for veterans, active service members, and their families to share the camaraderie of their service and experiences.

“The Heroes Tribute Bar is a project that is very near and dear to my heart and one that everyone at Carnival is extremely proud of,” said Christine Duffy, Carnival Cruise Line president, when the venue opened aboard Carnival Panorama.

“We’re always looking for new ways to honor our military heroes and this new outlet is a wonderful tribute to the sacrifices of our Armed Services personnel and their families, and is a wonderful complement to our extremely popular military tributes which are held on each and every Carnival cruise.”

Another new venue, the Dreams Studio, has also been added aboard Carnival Freedom. The studio offers private photography sessions for guests to capture the very best of their vacation memories with Carnival’s expert photography staff.

Carnival Freedom Sailing Again

To return to Florida, Carnival Freedom is now sailing a 14-night transatlantic cruise from Barcelona, visiting Valencia and Malaga in Spain, the Canary Islands, and Bermuda before she will arrive in Port Canaveral on Monday, November 6, 2023.

Once back in her year-round homeport, the ship will offer 4- and 5-night Bahamas and Eastern Caribbean sailings, visiting popular destinations like Nassau, Grand Turk, Amber Cove, Bimini, Half Moon Cay, and Princess Cays, depending on the cruise length and departure date. The ship is scheduled to remain sailing from Port Canaveral at least until early April 2026.

Carnival Freedom can welcome 2,980 guests aboard at double occupancy, or as many as 3,754 guests when fully booked with all berths filled. The ship is also home to approximately 1,150 international crew members who are ready to once again welcome guests to phenomenal vacations on the revitalized ship.