Carnival Freedom Funnel Fire

[cruisingguy007]

4 hours ago, 1kaper said:

 

There are certainly worse ports. 
 

Im in the same situation. Not semi retired but my job is more flexible. I do realize it isn’t ideal for everyone. 

 

3 day weekend for a lot of folks too, all win for lots of folks. I'd be pumped to get this compensation package. Heck, I'd consider myself blessed..lol.  It's like a bonus cruise! I'd pay extra for this. 😁 

Edited May 27, 2022 by cruisingguy007

[quattrohead]

You can see that Freedom still has power so some engines are running, at least the ones to the starboard side. I am thinking they might be able to cut the exposed pipes off short and remove the damaged fiberglass and send her back to work.

Maybe remove the other side too to make it look uniform. Talks of scrapping it are wildly ridiculous.

@chengkp75 Does the angle of the exhausts in the whale tail stop rain entering the engines or is there some kind of drain ? Most other ships have upright pipes. Something I had always wondered about, seems like a good time to find out.

[chengkp75]

1 minute ago, quattrohead said:

Does the angle of the exhausts in the whale tail stop rain entering the engines or is there some kind of drain ? Most other ships have upright pipes. Something I had always wondered about, seems like a good time to find out.

While the angled exhausts will keep the rain out, that was not a design consideration, I'm sure.  The exhaust pipes run horizontally as well as vertically, to gather them from where the various engines are to the central funnel, and where the pipe turns vertical, there will be a small "sump" or box welded to the bottom of the elbow to collect rainwater, and this sump will have a drain.  However, the drain is almost never used, as no rainwater will collect when the engine is running, and whatever collects in the sump while idle, will get heated by the exhaust gas the next time the engine runs, and will evaporate and be carried up the exhaust.

[chengkp75]

9 hours ago, DavidDey said:

so… what’re the funnel and fins made of??

The central section of the funnel is steel, and the wings are fiberglass.  The two pipes seen angling up at a small angle are two engine exhausts, so those engines would be fully functional.  The horizontal pipe appears to be a boiler exhaust, which was next to the exhaust that caused the fire, and bent under the heat.  The part hanging down, is clearer in these photos than the ones I saw yesterday (or my eyes are better today), and that is an engine exhaust, the one that caused the fire, and "drooped" under the heat, so that engine is unusable.

[mz-s]

So kp is it your opinion that we had a chimney fire here, similar to when creosote builds up in a homeowner's chimney? That's what it looks like to me.

[Bgwest]

9 hours ago, Essiesmom said:

It’s covered in the 10+ page thread that already exists.  EM

But why struggle through 10+ mostly redundant pages when this approach is so much more efficient?

 

Thanks to @chengkp75

[Alabaster Cruiser]

9 hours ago, Sea Viewer said:

Many years ago(1995) I was on the Celebration when it caught fire in the engine control room. 2 days at sea with no power until Ecstasy came to rescue us. We had to transfer via lifeboat and were assigned same cabin number on both ships. No effort was made to transfer to like cabins. Luggage was delivered to cabins. We couldn't bring any bags onto lifeboat with us. This should be a much easier process to organize as passengers can walk from one ship to another and appear to still have power to hotel operations.

Remember it well.  We were in Miami Airport when we were told our cruise was cancelled on the Ecstacy.  Told to turn around and go back home!  Instead we rented a van and drove very fast to Port Canaveral and got on Primier Oceanic. Wow what a story that was.  Our family had flown in from Denver to meet us in Miami.  Only a good travel agent could have made those arrangements.

[chengkp75]

11 minutes ago, mz-s said:

So kp is it your opinion that we had a chimney fire here, similar to when creosote builds up in a homeowner's chimney? That's what it looks like to me.

Pretty much.  I think that the one exhaust pipe had a leaking gasket that allowed soot to build up in the fiberglass wing structure.  Then, at some point the exhaust gas from that engine got hot enough so the exhaust pipe ignited the soot.  I suspect that the repairs will entail replacing the two bent exhausts, and fabricating a temporary fairing around them from aluminum or some such, until they can mold another fiberglass wing.  I suspect that Fincantieri has the original molds for these.  I would think two to three weeks alongside a pier in Freeport shipyard should see her back in service, even if there was damage to the one engine.  That engine could be repaired while in service, as they are done all the time.

[toad455]

Carnival is doing great these days...

 

Fire on the Freedom

Toxic fumes on the Magic

Proposition issues on the Vista and Miracle

Any others I missed?

 

[ColeThornton]

3 minutes ago, toad455 said:

Proposition issues on the Vista and Miracle

 

 

 

 

They also had propulsion issues.  😉

 

[ontheweb]

13 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

Since this is all on Carnival, no insurance or passport really needed. The responsibility falls on Carnival.

Covering for what insurance would have covered is one thing, no passport is a wholly different ball game. Yes, the passengers will get back and Carnival will help with that, but it will still be much more of a hassle than having a passport.

[ontheweb]

13 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

And that compares how to other cruise lines?

That is truly funny. Are you trying to say misery loves company? Doing bad is doing bad.

[CruisingWalter]

12 hours ago, Lee Cruiser said:

I'm guessing it was the best (and least expensive) option for Carnival.  You have a way to provide lodging and food for their two day journey back if going by ship.  It is probably much cheaper than trying to arrange air travel for 3000 people.

It's a truly remarkable move by the cruise line, I think it's the best option given the circumstances. Looks like those onboard the Freedom are enjoying themselves in Grand Turk based on the TikTok videos coming out. It's the best possible outcome we could have hoped for after seeing all that black smoke and flames yesterday morning. 

[CruisingWalter]

10 hours ago, 1kaper said:

Ha. 
i was telling my parents and my son overheard. He said he was glad we weren’t on Carnival right now.  My response was I love Grand Turk. I’d be happy to stay. Leave me there forever. 

I 1000% agree!!  An extra day in Grand Turk sounds lovely to me. 🙂

[finoky]

17 minutes ago, toad455 said:

Carnival is doing great these days...

 

Fire on the Freedom

Toxic fumes on the Magic

Proposition issues on the Vista and Miracle

Any others I missed?

 

I have never been propositioned on a ship. Man I've been missing out.

[ontheweb]

10 hours ago, lyannea said:

I agree 100% as I'm semi-retired. 

IF you're going to be in an emergency on a cruise ship, having an extra day in Grand Turk and an extra day at sea would be the ultimate prize. I feel for people who have flights, family, pets, jobs, other appointments. Hopefully, they're not too upset.

 

We once had 2 extra days on a ship that could not get back to Fort Lauderdale because of a hurricane. If there had been 3 days or we could not end up with a flight back on the day we finally disembarked, it would have been a real hassle for DW as it was the day before school started and she needed to set up her art room.

[ontheweb]

14 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

And that compares how to other cruise lines?

The whole market is doing poorly with cruise stocks quite possibly doing the worst, and yet the most positive thing you can say is that other cruise stocks are also sinking?

 

Here you go, what cruise stocks are doing:

 

Cruise stocks lead S&P declines as cost increases, capacity concerns build | Seeking Alpha

[1980dory]

50 minutes ago, toad455 said:

Carnival is doing great these days...

 

Fire on the Freedom

Toxic fumes on the Magic

Proposition issues on the Vista and Miracle

Any others I missed?

 

Eaw sewage smells on the Ecstacy?

[1980dory]

Just now, 1980dory said:

Raw sewage smells on the Ecstacy?

 

[2wheelin]

41 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

Covering for what insurance would have covered is one thing, no passport is a wholly different ball game. Yes, the passengers will get back and Carnival will help with that, but it will still be much more of a hassle than having a passport.

How so?

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

10 minutes ago, 1980dory said:

Eaw sewage smells on the Ecstacy?

 

Not exclusive to Ecstasy unfortunately !

 

Tom

[Badfinger]

44 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

The whole market is doing poorly with cruise stocks quite possibly doing the worst, and yet the most positive thing you can say is that other cruise stocks are also sinking?

 

Here you go, what cruise stocks are doing:

 

Cruise stocks lead S&P declines as cost increases, capacity concerns build | Seeking Alpha

 

Wow...$1B debt at 10.5% interest.  That is $150M a year just to service that debt.  Reduced passenger load, higher fuel and food costs.  No pun, but lots of headwinds for a CCL investor.  Sure you get OBC...but that is not "free" money...you have to spend money, hundreds if not thousands, to get that OBC.  Will be an interesting couple years for the cruise lines.

[cruisecrazy]

Onboard Freedom now.

On the luggage transfer, have been told by several crew members that we have the option to roll our own luggage over to Conquest or they will transfer to new cabins. We plan on just carrying ours over ourselves. Staff have been told that this will be a lengthy dry dock in Freeport. Apparently the fire must have been in engine room and up. It is rumor among crew that ship will be towed to drydock and is unable to proceed on its own power. But keep in mind this is not official! But I will say that the same crew would not speculate before the official announcement about Conquest. Everything onboard is functioning  normally and crew has handled the situation very well ! I would give them an A+ for their efforts to keep everything as normal as possible. Very business like and professional during the call to Muster Stations. Now some of the passengers is another story but we wont go there. I was on deck by the funnel when the fire stared to become visible, and also  noticed 10 or so minutes before  that the Ship was belching a more than normal amount of black smoke. Just lucky we where pier side and not at sea! That is about it. Just about to head out to Jacks Shack and make the best of a extra couple of days in a beautiful Port. Good luck to everyone onboard with all  travel arrangements to get back home!

[toad455]

Whoops...

 

Carnival is doing great these days...

 

 

 

Fire on the Freedom

 

Toxic fumes on the Magic

 

Propulsion issues on the Vista and Miracle

 

Sewage on the Ecstasy.

 

Any others???

 

 

[Thenagers]

22 minutes ago, toad455 said:

Whoops...

 

Carnival is doing great these days...

 

 

 

Fire on the Freedom

 

Toxic fumes on the Magic

 

Propulsion issues on the Vista and Miracle

 

Sewage on the Ecstasy.

 

Any others???

 

 

Losing the port contract in Charleston in 2024:(