{"version":"1.9","identifier":"5fd488aa-0ca1-43d8-a788-7c0bd8844e3b","language":"en-US","title":"Carnival Freedom got a shorter funnel so it can reach more ports. Here's what else changed","layout":{"columns":7,"width":1024,"margin":32,"gutter":20},"componentLayouts":{"text":{"columnStart":0,"columnSpan":7,"maximumContentWidth":720,"margin":{"top":12,"bottom":12}},"photo":{"columnStart":0,"columnSpan":7,"margin":{"top":20,"bottom":20}}},"componentTextStyles":{"default":{"fontName":"HelveticaNeue","fontSize":18,"lineHeight":29,"textColor":"#171717"},"headline":{"fontName":"HelveticaNeue-Bold","fontSize":36,"lineHeight":42,"conditional":[{"conditions":{"maxViewportWidth":480},"fontSize":28,"lineHeight":34}]},"intro":{"fontName":"HelveticaNeue","fontSize":20,"lineHeight":28,"textColor":"#555555"},"caption":{"fontName":"HelveticaNeue","fontSize":13,"lineHeight":19,"textColor":"#666666"},"byline":{"fontName":"HelveticaNeue","fontSize":13,"lineHeight":20,"textColor":"#666666"},"body":{"fontName":"HelveticaNeue","fontSize":18,"lineHeight":29,"paragraphSpacingAfter":14,"linkStyle":{"textColor":"#00704a"}}},"metadata":{"canonicalURL":"https://cruisesfrog.com/news/carnival-freedom-whale-tail-funnel-dry-dock-norfolk-2028","datePublished":"2026-10-25T23:57:30.068159Z","dateModified":"2026-10-25T23:57:44.640769Z","authors":["Patrick Karsh"],"excerpt":"A 35-day Marseille dry dock added a lower whale tail funnel and a bigger casino, and Carnival opened 2028-29 sailings from Norfolk.","thumbnailURL":"https://pub-fac99da959e344fe99d810d309cef7df.r2.dev/photos/article/5fd488aa-0ca1-43d8-a788-7c0bd8844e3b/d277a9bfe96e9a6dc16487b8d8a33cb1.jpg","keywords":["ship"],"generatorName":"Frog News","generatorVersion":"1.0"},"components":[{"role":"title","text":"Carnival Freedom got a shorter funnel so it can reach more ports. Here's what else changed","textStyle":"headline","layout":"text"},{"role":"intro","text":"A 35-day Marseille dry dock added a lower whale tail funnel and a bigger casino, and Carnival opened 2028-29 sailings from Norfolk.","textStyle":"intro","layout":"text"},{"role":"byline","text":"By Patrick Karsh · Published October 25, 2026","textStyle":"byline","layout":"text"},{"role":"photo","URL":"https://pub-fac99da959e344fe99d810d309cef7df.r2.dev/photos/article/5fd488aa-0ca1-43d8-a788-7c0bd8844e3b/d277a9bfe96e9a6dc16487b8d8a33cb1.jpg","caption":"Carnival Freedom departs the shipyard in Marseille, France, en route to Barcelona. · Carnival Cruise Line","accessibilityCaption":"Carnival Freedom departs the shipyard in Marseille, France, en route to Barcelona.","layout":"photo"},{"role":"caption","text":"Carnival Freedom departs the shipyard in Marseille, France, en route to Barcelona. · Carnival Cruise Line","textStyle":"caption","layout":"text"},{"role":"body","format":"markdown","text":"Carnival Freedom looks different from the top. After a 35-day dry dock in Marseille, France, the 2007-built ship now has a lower \"whale tail\" funnel, and Carnival says the change lets the ship reach more ports.\n\nThe ship is due in its new winter homeport of Port Canaveral, Florida, on Oct. 30. Here is what changed and where it is headed.\n\n## The new whale tail funnel\n\nCarnival's signature red, white and blue funnel is still there, but it is shorter. \"Carnival Freedom's new whale tail funnel features a lower height to allow access to additional ports,\" the line said in its Oct. 8 announcement.\n\nHeight can matter for some bridges and port approaches. Carnival did not say which new ports the lower funnel opens up.\n\nThe work was done at Chantier Naval de Marseille. Carnival also released photos of the ship leaving the shipyard on its way to Barcelona.\n\n## What changed on board\n\nThe dry dock went beyond the funnel. Carnival listed these upgrades:\n\n* **A redesigned casino** with more than 100 additional gaming machines\n* **A refreshed video arcade**\n* **Updated shops**, including a refreshed Effy Jewelry store, based on photos Carnival released\n* **Accessibility improvements** throughout the ship\n* **A new bow crest** called \"From Sea to Shining Sea,\" which Carnival says celebrates its place as \"America's cruise line\"\n\nCarnival did not list new restaurants, bars or cabins as part of this refit.\n\n## How Freedom gets to Florida\n\nCarnival said the ship was due in Barcelona on Oct. 9 to start an eight-day Mediterranean cruise. After that, it sails a 13-day Carnival Journeys transatlantic crossing to Port Canaveral, arriving Oct. 30.\n\nThe ship then homeports at Port Canaveral through May 2027, before moving north to Norfolk, Virginia.\n\n## New Norfolk sailings for 2028-29\n\nCarnival also opened bookings for Freedom's 2028-29 season from Norfolk. The sailings run through April 2029 and last six to eight days.\n\nCarnival said they will go to:\n\n* The Bahamas\n* Bermuda\n* The Eastern Caribbean\n* Canada\n\nPorts named in the announcement include Celebration Key, RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay, Grand Turk and Amber Cove.\n\nThat gives East Coast cruisers a drive-to option for Carnival's newer private destination, Celebration Key on Grand Bahama, and for RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay, the private island run by sister line Holland America. Holland America has opened a new paid Beach Club there; see [what the $125 Beach Club includes](https://cruisesfrog.com/news/holland-america-half-moon-cay-beach-club-125-open-october-2026).\n\n## Freedom by the numbers\n\nAccording to [Cruise Frog's Carnival Freedom page](https://cruisesfrog.com/ships/carnival-freedom), the ship:\n\n* Is the last of Carnival's Conquest-class ships\n* Debuted in 2007\n* Measures about 110,000 gross tons\n* Carries about 2,980 guests\n* Has about 1,150 crew\n\nOur editors rate its value a 5 out of 5, the ship's highest score.\n\n## Part of a busy dry-dock season\n\nFreedom is one of several Carnival ships that went to the yard this fall. [Carnival Radiance returned to Long Beach](https://cruisesfrog.com/news/carnival-radiance-returns-to-long-beach-after-15-day-dry-dock) after a 15-day dry dock in Victoria, Canada. Carnival is also rolling out [FunPacks and dynamic pricing for drinks and Wi-Fi](https://cruisesfrog.com/news/carnival-funpacks-prices-dynamic-pricing-drinks-wifi-december-2026) starting this winter.\n\nIf you are sailing on Freedom from Port Canaveral this season, expect the bigger casino and the new look up top. The core ship, from its cabins to its dining rooms, is the one regular Carnival guests know.\n\n*Source: Carnival Cruise Line news release (Oct. 8, 2026); Cruise Frog ship data.*","textStyle":"body","layout":"text"}]}