Major Port Change Hits Carnival Freedom’s Transatlantic Sailing
Carnival Freedom will briefly say goodbye to Port Canaveral and operate a sold out transatlantic crossing to Barcelona beginning on August 18, 2026. However, the itinerary guests booked is not quite what they are getting.
The 14-night one-way sailing was supposed to visit Gibraltar, UK, on August 29 as part of its journey. However, this particular stop has been cancelled and replaced by Tangier, Morocco.
“We have made an adjustment to your itinerary – Gibraltar was replaced with a visit to Tangier, Morocco, and port times were slightly modified,” Carnival said in a letter, which was obtained by Cruise Hive.
The revised port times were not yet publicly available as of the time of this writing, but they should be posted on Carnival’s website and in the Hub App within 24 hours.
Aside from adjusting the time in port, there is no impact on the rest of the itinerary at this time. The 2,980-guest ship will also visit Celebration Key, Bahamas; Malaga, Spain; and Alicante, Spain; before arriving in Barcelona on September 1.
Additionally, any Carnival tours that were purchased for Gibraltar will be automatically cancelled and refunded to the original payment method. New shore excursions for Tangier are available for purchase.
A Quick Visit to Dry Dock for Carnival Freedom
Carnival Freedom will only be in Europe for a little over a month before making her return to the US. During that time, the 2007-launched vessel will exit service to visit dry dock from September 1 to October 8 to undergo routine maintenance and potential refurbishments.
This will be the first time the ship goes to dry dock since 2023, which is when the Conquest-class vessel received a new “whale tail” following a funnel fire in 2022.
She will re-enter service in Barcelona on October 9 to operate her one and only round-trip Mediterranean sailing of the season, which is an 8-night cruise.
The 110,000-gross ton vessel will then begin the 13-night voyage back to Port Canaveral, Florida, on October 17. She will then homeport in the Orlando-based cruise hub until she relocates to Norfolk, Virginia, in May of 2027.
No Changes to the Journey Home
Interestingly, Carnival Freedom’s repositioning cruise from Barcelona back to Port Canaveral is the same itinerary as her voyage to Barcelona, but in reverse. The ship is once again scheduled to stop in Alicante, Malaga, Gibraltar, and Celebration Key, but in the opposite order.
Per booked passengers, Gibraltar is still part of the voyage back to the US as of the time of publication. These guests are hopeful it won’t be cancelled a second time.
“We are the Freedom going over and coming back also. Excited about the Tangier and change but hoping they keep Gibraltar on the October return,” one guest, who is booked on both repositioning voyages, said.
As Carnival did not confirm the reason for the port swap, it’s hard to predict what the future may hold for the return sailing.
Port swaps happen for a variety of reasons, such as changes in port availability, safety concerns, and revenue management. If additional itinerary changes are made, Cruise Hive will make sure to report on the updates.
Major Port Change Hits Carnival Freedom’s Transatlantic Sailing