Carnival Cruise Line has announced that Carnival Freedom is returning to service after a 35-day dry dock at the Chantier Naval de Marseille shipyard in Marseille, France. At the same time, the cruise line has opened bookings for the ship’s 2028/29 season from Norfolk, Virginia.
What changed in dry dock
- New funnel: the ship now has Carnival’s whale tail funnel, which is lower than the previous one. According to Carnival, the lower height will allow the ship to call at more ports.
- Casino: redesigned, with more than 100 additional gaming machines.
- Other work: a refreshed video arcade, updated shops and accessibility improvements throughout the ship.
- Bow crest: the ship now carries Carnival’s new “From Sea to Shining Sea” bow crest.
Return to service
Carnival Freedom arrives in Barcelona on 9 October 2026 for an 8-day Mediterranean cruise, followed by a 13-day transatlantic crossing under the Carnival Journeys name. She will arrive in Port Canaveral on 30 October and will sail from there until May 2027, when she moves to Norfolk.
Norfolk 2028/29
The new season runs until April 2029 and offers 6- to 8-day cruises from Norfolk to the Bahamas, Bermuda, the Eastern Caribbean and Canada. Calls include Celebration Key and RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay, Carnival’s two destinations in the Bahamas, as well as Grand Turk and Amber Cove, among other ports.
Carnival Freedom entered service in 2007 and is the last of the five Conquest-class ships.
