florida cruise ship catches fire

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

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

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

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

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

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

When did the Carnival Freedom catch on fire?

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

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

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

Why did the Carnival Freedom cruise ship catch fire?

Unknown at this time.

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

Was anyone hurt in the Carnival Freedom fire?

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

There were about 3.700 passengers aboard.

Which Carnival Freedom cruises have been canceled?

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

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

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

Where is Port Canaveral?

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

What is the funnel on a cruise ship?

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

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

Has the Carnival Freedom cruise ship caught on fire before?

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

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

Which cruise ship caught fire?

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

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

Has a Carnival cruise ship ever sank?

No. But one has been shipwrecked.

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

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

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Fire, death of crew members aboard two cruise ships that departed from Florida

The Carnival Freedom cruise ship caught fire over the weekend while passengers were aboard. As a result two cruises were canceled as the ship will require extensive repairs.

The ship, operated by Doral-based Carnival Cruise Line, set sail on Monday afternoon from Port Canaveral to its shipyard in Freeport where it is expected to be evaluated and fixed.

On Saturday afternoon, the Carnival Freedom caught fire on the port side of the exhaust funnel, a kind of chimney meant to release smoke and emissions. Black smoke and flames were visible in a video provided to NBC6, which first reported the incident .

The vessel was 20 miles off Eleuthera Island, Bahamas, and heading to Freeport following a canceled port stop at Princess Cay due to bad weather, the company said. It commenced its trip two days earlier on March 21, departing from Port Canaveral.

Passengers safe on Carnival Freedom

“No guests were hurt, and the ship remained fully operational,” said Matt Lupoli, a spokesman for Carnival Cruise Line. But he said two members of the carrier’s fire response team were treated for minor smoke inhalation.

Carnival’s onboard team put out the fire on Saturday, and on Sunday, it completed what it said was a thorough assessment of the ship during a visit to Freeport. That is when the crew realized that “the damage is more than we first thought and will require an immediate repair to stabilize the funnel,” said Lupoli. After the funnel was stabilized, the ship returned Monday morning to Port Canaveral and let guests off. It has a capacity for nearly 3,000 guests but the company did not specify how many were on the current trip.

Carnival subsequently canceled cruises on Carnival Freedom leaving Port Canaveral on March 25 and on March 29.

Carnival said it also continues to investigate multiple eyewitness reports of a lightning strike.

Carnival said that, “We sincerely regret the impact to our embarking guests,” and that it would provide all guests on canceled cruises a full refund and a 100% future cruise credit.

Meanwhile, that was not the only mishap in the Caribbean.

Two crew deaths

On Friday, the Nieuw Amsterdam operated by Holland America experienced what it says was an accidental steam release in an engineering space on board while at Half Moon Cay, The Bahamas. Two crew members died as a result. They have not yet been identified. There were no passenger injuries, the company said.

The Bahamas Maritime Authority and the Dutch Safety Board are conducting an investigation, the carrier said.

Holland also said that all systems on board the ship “have since been reviewed and determined to be fully operable by independent surveyors of the Dutch government and confirmed by the US Coast Guard.”

“All of us at Holland America Line are deeply saddened by this event,” the company statement said.

There are not precise figures on number of crew deaths per year because the industry does not typically disclose them. A research paper from 2020 in the International Journal of Travel Medicine and Global Health noted that 10 crew members died in 2019, a high at the time for one year.

Nieuw Amsterdam returned to Port Everglades on March 23. Then it quickly left on its next tour that same evening, the company said. Its next scheduled port stop is at Ocho Rios, Jamaica on March 26.

The ship, which has a capacity of around 2100 guests, is based at Port Everglades in the winter and in the summer between Vancouver and Whittier, Alaska.

The incidents come as the cruise industry is breaking records for number of passengers.

PortMiami, Florida’s largest port, served 7.3 million passengers during the 12-month fiscal year 2023. That was tops for cruise ports worldwide, nearly twice the four million passengers seen the prior year and more than its previous record of 6.8 million passengers set in 2019.

Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale and Port Canaveral are also booming. The latter was the world’s top cruise port one year before PortMiami took the honors.

It does not seem much is slowing it down.

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Passengers back on land after Carnival Freedom catches fire at sea: 'Very scary'

Carnival freedom catches fire at sea.

Spring breakers are stranded, and cruisers are crushed after a Carnival cruise ship caught fire in the ocean over the weekend.

ORLANDO, Fla. - Spring breakers are stranded, and cruisers are crushed after a Carnival cruise ship caught fire in the ocean over the weekend. 

The Carnival Freedom, a cruise ship based in Port Canaveral, made it back to land on Monday morning, but the rest of the ship’s sailings for the week were canceled because of the damage. 

Carnival is still investigating what caused the fire, but guests on board say they saw the ship struck by lightning on Saturday.

People disembarking the ship tell FOX 35 they’re thrilled to be back on land after going through a terrifying situation. 

"It was scary, very scary, fire on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean," said passenger Jamie Eubanks. 

It sounds like a movie, but it really happened. On Saturday, people shared a video with FOX 35 as they watched in disbelief as flames and smoke engulfed an exhaust pipe on the ship.

"I’m kind of shaken up by this whole situation," added another passenger after he disembarked. 

"When the flames started, it took them about three hours to put it out," said Nicole, noticing how rocky the trip was back to port after the fire. 

Because of the fire, the top deck was closed for the rest of the trip, and cruisers didn’t get to visit all the ports they had planned for.

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"Carnival got to step it up, man," said another passenger. 

FOX 35 asked the Moore family, visiting from Indiana, if they still wanted to cruise after the ordeal. First-time cruiser Brandon says, "Maybe a different kind of cruise, maybe not Carnival."

Carnival says the fire didn’t spread past the smokestack, but the damage was worse than they thought. The funnel has to be stabilized before it can sail again.

The next two trips are canceled because the car will be repaired in another country. This has left thousands of spring breakers stranded in Central Florida. 

"I didn’t expect our ship to get hit and start a fire," said Moore. 

No one would, but passengers are still thankful they survived.

"Hey, they got us back safe," concluded Nicole. 

At this time, Carnival says the ship will be fixed in the Bahamas.

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. 

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Carnival freedom cruise ship catches fire after possible lightning strike.

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Video by Heath Barnes

The Carnival Freedom is scheduled to return to port on Monday morning, following an incident where a fire erupted on board, leading to the cancellation of at least two cruises from Port Canaveral.

This marks the second occurrence of a fire originating from the ship's exhaust funnel during a voyage.

Cruise ship officials reported the fire broke out on the port side of the ship’s exhaust funnel around 3:15 p.m. local time, according to a news release from Carnival Cruise Line.

The ship was about 20 miles off Eleuthera Island, Bahamas, when the fire broke out. The blaze started as the ship headed to Freeport.

Witnesses reported the ship may have been struck by lightning, but that has not been confirmed, and the cause is still being investigated, according to the cruise line.

Passengers aboard the Carnival Freedom witnessed and recorded the fire as the ship was navigating near the Bahamas on Saturday. The cruise line said the fire was quickly brought under control.

Over the weekend, Carnival's technical team conducted a thorough assessment of the ship while docked in Freeport. Subsequently, the company made the decision to cancel the cruises set to depart on Monday and the following Friday from Port Canaveral.

Carnival announced full refunds and future cruise credits for passengers scheduled to depart on the canceled cruises.

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‘Why is our tail on fire’: Carnival Freedom ship catches fire after possible lightning strike

Carnival Freedom The Carnival Freedom is docked in the Port of Galveston on Saturday, Feb. 14, 2015, in Galveston. (Houston Chronicle/Hearst Newspap/Houston Chronicle via Getty Imag)

Smoke spewed from the funnel of the Carnival Freedom on Saturday after what passengers said was a lightning strike.

>> Read more trending news

The cruise ship, which sails from Port Canaveral, Florida, caught fire on Saturday afternoon, Carnival Cruise Lines said in a news release obtained by CNN .

Passengers on a Carnival cruise ship that caught fire over the weekend are expected to disembark at Port Canaveral. https://t.co/KexJ1pykbJ — WFTV Channel 9 (@WFTV) March 25, 2024

The fire was seen coming from the port side exhaust funnel when the ship was about 20 miles from Eleuthera Island in the Bahamas. It was on the way to Freeport on Grand Bahama Island.

In a video shared to CNN , the person recording can be heard asking, “Why is our tail on fire?”

The ship’s fire response team was able to put out the flames. At the same time, the captain turned the ship into heavy rain to allow the storm to help extinguish the blaze, which was confined to the funnel, USA Today reported.

Within two hours, it was put out. No guests were hurt. Two firefighting crew members, however, had to be treated for minor smoke inhalation.

Passengers were informed by the ship’s captain about the incident, who told everyone — except for essential safety crew members — to stay away from balconies and open decks, USA Today reported.

Part of the exhaust funnel fell onto deck 10, the company said. But despite the damage and fire, passengers were able to attend their dinner as planned on Saturday.

The ship was examined after it arrived in Freeport, and it was found that the damage was more extensive than originally thought. The Freedom was scheduled to leave Port Canaveral on Monday, but that trip and the one that was to take place on March 29 have both been canceled to allow for “immediate repair to stabilize the funnel” the company said, according to WFTV . The ship will return to Freeport for repairs on Monday.

Those scheduled to sail on the canceled cruises will get full refunds and credits for future travel.

Passengers said that it might have been a lightning strike that caused the fire, but that has not been confirmed by the company.

The Carnival Freedom has a double occupancy of 3,754 and 1,150 crewmembers. It started sailing in 2007 and it’s country of registry is listed as Panama.

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Carnival ship catches fire, leaving passengers awaiting rescue cruise

Carnival freedom’s signature red, white and blue funnel was ablaze thursday.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Couple describes harrowing tale after Carnival Cruise ship struck by lightning: 'This doesn't look good'

The carnival freedom was about 20 miles off eleuthera island in the bahamas on march 23, sailing to freeport after being unable to dock at princess cay earlier that morning due to strong winds. then thunderstorms rolled over the ship during the afternoon..

Couple tells of how cruise ship caught fire after lightning strike in Caribbean

Florence & Joe Torchia tell FOX Weather about the harrowing experience they had on a cruise ship that was hit by lightning and then caught fire while at sea in the Caribbean. 

OCALA, Fla. –  A couple, who were vacationing on a Carnival Cruise ship in the Caribbean last week when a lightning bolt reportedly struck the ship, described how it turned their relaxing afternoon into a harrowing experience.

The Carnival Freedom was about 20 miles off Eleuthera Island in the Bahamas on March 23, sailing to Freeport after being unable to dock at Princess Cay earlier that morning due to strong winds.

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

(@breezebreeze_ via Storyful)

Then thunderstorms rolled over the ship during the afternoon. Florence and Joe Torchia were in their cabin at the back of the ship when the storm struck.

"I saw the lightning," Florence Torchia told FOX Weather.

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

(FOX Weather)

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

Moments later, the crew reported a fire on the port side of the ship's exhaust funnel.

"We saw it on the TV because they had a (camera) set up," Joe Torchia said. "And then we said, 'Oh my God, this doesn't look good.' And then they were trying to put it out and the hoses just didn't reach the funnel."

The captain then announced to the passengers that there was a fire on the ship.

Carnival Freedom cruise ship on fire

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

"And so we tried to go down to the muster station," Joe Torchia said. "And it was kids crying, looking for their parents. And it was scary."

Florence said they couldn't see the fire from their cabin due to the angles of the ship.

"But then the (exhaust) stack fell down onto the 10th deck, and then the plume of smoke came down, and we had it in our cabin and everything," she said. "So (it) was a little scary for a bit, but the staff… notified us of everything."

LIGHTNING SAFETY: WHEN THUNDER ROARS, EVEN TAKING OUT THE TRASH CAN TURN DEADLY

"Communications were pretty good. And the captain did a good job," Joe added.

A Carnival Cruise spokesperson said their onboard team acted quickly to contain and put out the fire.

"While we continue to investigate multiple eyewitness reports of a lightning strike, our technical team completed a thorough assessment during the ship’s visit to Freeport on Sunday," the spokesperson said.

Carnival cruise ship catches fire during storm at sea

Passenger video shows smoke billowing from the exhaust tunnel of the Carnival Freedom cruise ship on Saturday. (Video: Heath Barnes/LOCAL NEWS X /TMX)

The Freedom eventually had to return to Port Canaveral , Florida , on that Monday, 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 25 and March 29 were canceled. All guests on the canceled trips will receive a full refund and a 100% future cruise credit.

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

DEBUNKING 7 MYTHS ABOUT LIGHTNING

Joe Torchia said it was the couple's third cruise, "but it might be our last."

"I'd rather go to the Caribbean to a single destination," Florence Torchia added.

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

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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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Passengers furious about how Carnival cruise ship fire was handled

FLORIDA — Midway through a five-day cruise in March, the tail of the Carnival Freedom cruise ship caught fire.

Passengers chronicled the drama that played out on board in hundreds of social media posts. They showed flames shooting from the tail, water leaking from the 5th-floor interior, and shuttered areas like pools, sports venues, and restaurants.

For 9-year-old Katherine Drey and her family, it marked the beginning of the end of what had been a great getaway.

“We couldn't swim, we couldn't eat, we couldn't do water slides, we couldn't go to the sports area,” Katherine recalled.

Katherine's mom, Kelly Booth, said many of the venues on the back half of the ship, including the pool and restaurants, shut down for the day. Some closed for the remainder of the cruise. The main dining room opened that same night, but several on board described waiting in line for up to four hours for dinner.

Passenger Gemma Phillips is one of several who told ABC Action News that Carnival brushed them off when her family asked for cruise credit or some sort of compensation for the trip’s interruption.

“The second that happened, like, vacation was no longer a vacation,” she said.

Phillips created a Facebook page for Carnival Freedom passengers. It has more than 280 members from the nearly 3,000 that were on board the full-capacity ship.

Many of the people posting in the group are outraged that Carnival isn't offering a partial cruise credit or anything else to make up for the stress and inconvenience.

A Carnival spokesperson said in a statement:

Any venues that were temporarily closed because of lightning in the area, or from the brief cleanup after the fire was extinguished, were reopened by the late afternoon/early evening.

Veteran travel agent Tammy Levent, owner of Elite Travel, said there is no regulatory agency to advocate on passengers’ behalf when things go south on board. She recommended cruisers purchase travel interruption insurance, which could apply in cases where part of a trip is interrupted.

Gemma Phillips said this was her tenth cruise on Carnival and likely her last.

“I don't want to break up with Carnival," she said. "But I feel I have no choice by the way they are handling this.”

And Kelly Booth, a three-time Carnival cruiser, said she's already canceled a future Carnival trip and booked with one of their competitors.

“The way Carnival has handled this and the way Carnival has treated the guests that were on board has ruined what I think of them as a company,” she said.

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A beach hazard statement in effect for coastal volusia region, carnival freedom returns to cruising within 2 weeks of funnel fire, passengers aboard burning cruise not expected to see refund.

James Sparvero , Reporter

PORT CANAVERAL, Fla. – Less than two weeks since a cruise ship caught on fire, the Carnival Freedom returned to sailing Thursday.

On March 23 in the Bahamas, passengers took video of the ship’s funnel burning after it was believed to have been struck by lightning.

It was the second time in two years that the ship’s funnel caught fire.

Like the May 2022 fire, Carnival will also have to replace its signature ‘whale tail’ at the top of the funnel, which was burned again.

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Thursday, passengers talked to News 6 reporter James Sparvero about boarding the ship for its first cruise to the Bahamas since the fire.

Cornelia Marshall was traveling with friends from Birmingham, Alabama.

“We put it in God’s hands,” she said. “I mean, that was an act of mother nature. There’s nothing you can do about it.”

Thursday, Carnival said it was still investigating a possible lightning strike as the cause of the fire.

Marshall and her friends also weren’t concerned about the ship catching on fire two years earlier.

“You know, when life gives you lemons, just take tequila shots because we’re coming on the cruise,” Marshall said.

Another group of passengers said they were unhappy that Carnival didn’t tell them about the March 23 incident.

Kelin Sorto from Philadelphia said she found out there was a fire from her Uber driver, who brought her family to the port.

“That’s my only concern because how fast can they fix that problem?” she said. “They assured us that it’s secure. Hopefully, it is. We’re just trying to have fun.”

Carnival refunded passengers for the two canceled cruises, but if you were on the cruise that caught on fire and you’re still expecting a refund, you won’t be getting one.

A statement from Carnival reads, “We’re very proud of the Carnival Freedom team for keeping everyone safe and still delivering a full cruise to the guests who were on board. We appreciate our guests for their cooperation and support.”

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About the Author

James sparvero.

James joined News 6 in March 2016 as the Brevard County Reporter. His arrival was the realization of a three-year effort to return to the state where his career began. James is from Pittsburgh, PA and graduated from Penn State in 2009 with a degree in Broadcast Journalism.

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Passengers aboard carnival cruise ship that caught fire return to port canaveral, carnival freedom catches fire near bahamas; 2 future cruises from port canaveral canceled.

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Navy ship carrying equipment for Gaza aid corridor catches fire, returns to US

The USNS 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo, shown in March 31, 2014, in Australia, had to return to Florida following an engine room fire last Thursday. The Navy transport ship was carrying equipment for building a temporary humanitarian aid corridor in Gaza. (Scott Reel/U.S. Marine Corps)

A Navy ship carrying supplies and equipment for construction of a humanitarian corridor off the coast of Gaza has returned to the U.S. after an engine room fire, leaving behind questions over whether the project will be completed on schedule.

USNS 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo, a Military Sealift Command roll-on/roll-off ship, arrived in Jacksonville, Fla., under its own power on one engine Tuesday, the Navy said in a statement Thursday.

The service did not say what equipment or supplies the ship was carrying when the fire broke out in the engine room April 11 while it was traveling to the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

There were no injuries and crew members put out the fire using portable extinguishers, according to the statement.

The Navy didn’t say how, or if, return of the ship to the U.S. would impact the scheduled operational date of a floating dock and 1,800-foot-long causeway needed to deliver 2 million meals daily into Gaza.

The Defense Department and U.S. Central Command referred Stars and Stripes’ questions about the status of the Joint Over-the-Shore project to the Navy.

The Pentagon has stated repeatedly that the project will be operational by the end of this month or early May.

Cargo offloaded from the Navy-built dock would be ferried to the causeway, which would extend to the Gaza shore. No U.S. service members would be on the ground in Gaza, and security would be provided by Israel, according to the DOD.

The department is working with the U.S. Agency for International Development and other groups to finalize the details on how the food would be received and distributed, a job complicated by the killing of seven humanitarian workers in an Israeli airstrike in April.

Earlier this month, just two of the eight ships carrying supplies and equipment to build the dock and causeway had entered the Mediterranean.

But on Monday, USAV General Frank Besson, which entered the sea April 3, was in port in Crete along with two other Army ships, USNI News reported the same day. Naval Support Activity Souda Bay is located on the island.

A fourth Army ship was transiting west of the island, while a fifth, USAV Wilson Wharf, was in the eastern Atlantic Ocean off the coast of north Africa, according to the USNI report.

MV Roy P. Benavidez, assigned to the Military Sealift Command, also was near Crete on Monday. USNS 1st Lt. Baldomero Lopez was transiting the Mediterranean off the coast of north Africa, USNI said.

An investigation into the cause of the fire aboard 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo, along with an assessment of the ship, was ongoing, the Navy said.

previous coverage

• 2 US ships in Mediterranean as Pentagon sticks to timeline for Gaza aid corridor
• 260 sailors, 2 US Navy ships will deploy to help build temporary Gaza port
• Humanitarian aid ship completes first food delivery to Gaza by sea
• Army ships deploy to build temporary Gaza port to aid Palestinians
• 1,000 US troops will deploy for temporary port operations to move aid into Gaza

related stories

• Senators urge deployment of Navy hospital ships to aid Gaza

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Man arrested in beating death of transgender woman outside Miami City Ballet

Gregory fitzgerald gibert, 53, has been charged with one count of second-degree murder, by chris hush and maria fernanda toledo • published april 24, 2024 • updated 2 hours ago.

Miami Beach Police have arrested a man in the beating death of a transgender woman whose body was discovered near the Miami City Ballet Tuesday morning.

Gregory Fitzgerald Gibert, 53, has been charged with one count of second-degree murder in the killing of 37-year-old Andrea Dorias Dos Passos, police said Wednesday.

Dos Passos' body was discovered in the area of 22nd Street and Liberty Avenue, near the Miami City Ballet, after an employee "observed what he believed to be a person sleeping outside... near the main entrance," Gibert's arrest report said.

Once police and fire rescue arrived on the scene they pronounced the victim deceased.

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Trauma and blood were observed on the victim's face and head, according to the report.

Detectives obtained video surveillance that showed the victim arriving at the scene around midnight.

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According to the police report, some hours later, a man approached the victim as she was sleeping. In the video, he can be seen grabbing some type of metal pipe from the ground and hitting the victim in the head and face several times.

"The male is then seen standing over her, striking her and then manipulating her body... then walks away and places the pipe inside a nearby trashcan," read the report.

Police were able to locate the suspect, identified as Gibert, and take him into custody.

When Gibert was taken into custody, he was wearing clothing seen in the surveillance footage that had what appeared to be bloodstains, the report said.

Records showed Gibert had just been released from prison on April 17 after having spent more than a year in Miami-Dade custody, including for mental evaluations. He was given four years felony probation after being charged with attempted armed robbery with a weapon and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, records showed.

Police said Gibert refused to cooperate with investigators so a motive for the killing was unknown.

"No evidence alludes to the fact that this was a hate crime. The evidence does not allude to the fact that the defendant targeted the victim based off her sexual orientation and or her gender," Miami Beach Police spokesman Christopher Bess said. "What we do know is that the offender was a very violent individual and should not have been on our streets.”

Gibert also refused to show up in bond court Wednesday and remains behind bars.

Dos Passos' stepfather said he was devastated by her loss.

"I do not know if Andrea had an interaction before with this suspect and it was a revenge case, or this was a total random act. I do know that she had no chance, she was sleeping,” Victor Van Gilst said. "I think that the system let her down. At this moment I also have the feeling that I let her down."

The Miami City Ballet & Museum closed for the rest of the day Tuesday due to the incident.

"I used to go to ballet classes right here when I was a child. I just feel like it’s getting increasingly more scary to be a woman," resident Daniela Tabbara said.

"This remains an open investigation and as the judicial process unfolds, we are committed to collaborating closely with the State Attorney's Office," police said in a statement Wednesday.

Check back with NBC6 for updates.

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Navy Ship Slated to Help Build Gaza Aid Pier Forced to Return to Port as Experts Warn of Other Delays

The Navy revealed that one of the ships it deployed to support the mission of building a pier to deliver aid to starving residents in Gaza was forced to turn back last week after it suffered a fire in its engine room.

The incident comes as the Pentagon's self-imposed deadline of having the pier operational and delivering the needed aid by May rapidly approaches, and experts say there are other delays and problems cropping up with the mission.

The USNS 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo "experienced a fire in the engine room while in transit to the eastern Mediterranean Sea" on April 11, and while the crew evacuated the area and used portable extinguishers to put out the fire, the ship had to return to Jacksonville, Florida, using just one engine, "for further assessment," according to a Navy statement provided Wednesday.

Read Next : Air Force Identifies Seemingly Higher Rate of Rare Brain Cancer Among Children at New Mexico Base

When the Pentagon first announced the plan to use the Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore, or JLOTS, platform to construct the pier that would serve as a way to quickly deliver large amounts of aid to war-torn Gaza in early March, spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said the pier would be operational in the next 60 days.

Shortly after that announcement, a group of five Army ships left for the Mediterranean, followed by the MV Roy P. Benavidez, a military sealift command vessel that was carrying "heavy equipment and material needed to construct a temporary pier," according to a statement.

Finally, in late March, the Navy said that it would deploy Naval Beach Group 1 along with the Bobo and the USNS 1st Lt. Baldomero Lopez. The unit and the ships would bring enough watercraft and equipment to operate a huge floating dock three miles off the coast of Gaza that would serve as the off-load point for aid.

Now, more than a month later, not all of the ships in the flotilla have made it to the Mediterranean, a tracker run by USNI News shows .

Sal Mercogliano, an academic and shipping expert, noted to Military.com on Wednesday that one of the Army Landing Craft Utility ships, the Wilson Wharf, seems to be stuck in Tenerife -- a small island that is part of the Canary Islands cluster off the west coast of Africa. Plus, the Army's Logistics Support Vessel General Frank S. Besson spent a week in the Azores before finally making it to the Navy's base at Souda Bay in Greece.

Mercogliano said such a long stay may indicate the ship had an engineering issue.

A retired Army chief warrant officer who has significant experience in the Army's watercraft community also told Military.com in an interview Wednesday that "if those boats don't have multiple major mechanical failures -- I mean 'dead in the water' mechanical failures -- I will be shocked."

"They're horrendously maintained. I've got videos of these things falling apart," the retired officer added.

According to the officer, the delays of the Bobo and the smaller Army ships mean "they're going to have a lot fewer pieces to work with as far as building the actual pier."

"The other rub point ... is security arrangements," the officer said, noting that "these boats have next to no security."

"You've got a couple of .50 cals and small arms ... and the vessel masters are not taught maritime tactics," the officer explained.

When asked about the safety of the vessels, Ryder told reporters Tuesday that there will be "some Israeli support when it comes to the maritime aspect of security" and noted that the Navy's 6th Fleet has "capabilities there as well."

Ryder also added some nuance to the 60-day goal that he laid out at the beginning of March.

The Pentagon spokesman told reporters that the Defense Department is "still on track to have JLOTS achieve operating capability by the end of the month or early May" but went on to draw a distinction between an initial operational capability and full operational capability.

"Right now, we're tracking that it will be operational, which means it will have some initial operating capability, by the end of the month or early May," he said.

Ryder said the construction of the two piers will probably begin "in the next two to three weeks."

Related : Navy Deploying Ships, 260 Sailors to Help Operate Gaza Aid Pier

Konstantin Toropin

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Carnival Freedom cruise ship catches fire near Bahamas

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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