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.
