
Carnival to send second ship to Alaska
The 2,980-passenger Carnival Freedom will join the 2,124-passenger Carnival Miracle in Alaska in 2021. The Freedom will increase Carnival’s Alaska capacity by 40%.
Carnival Cruise Line will sail the Carnival Freedom in Alaska in 2021, operating week-long voyages from Seattle. Starting in April, 2021, the Freedom will join the Carnival Miracle, which will operate 10- and 11-day Glacier Route cruises in Alaska from San Francisco beginning in May 2021.
“Alaska is a bucket-list destination that offers a unique combination of fascinating wildlife and unique cultural and sightseeing opportunities. We’re delighted to provide our guests with even more opportunities to choose fun as they experience and explore the beauty and majesty of Alaska,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line.
The Freedom will operate 21 Alaska cruises from Port of Seattle from April 27 to Sept. 22, departing every Tuesday. Port calls on the Glacier Route voyages include Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan, as well as Victoria, and scenic cruising of Tracy Arm Fjord. There is also an eight-day cruise featuring Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Icy Strait Point, Victoria and cruising Tracy Arm Fjord.
Prior to its Alaska program, the Freedom operates a 17-day Panama Canal cruise from Galveston to Seattle from April 10-27, with stops in Colombia, Costa Rica and Mexico.
Following its summer in Alaska, the Freedom will reposition from Seattle to Ft. Lauderdale, with a 17-day Panama Canal sailing Sept. 22-Oct. 9, then launching a winter schedule of six- and eight-day eastern and southern Caribbean cruises beginning Oct. 9.
Carnival Miracle, which launches Carnival’s first-ever service from San Francisco in March 2020, will return to San Francisco in 2021 to operate a summer schedule of 10- and 11-day Alaska cruises. Ten-day cruises call at Juneau, Skagway, and Icy Strait Point or Ketchikan, Victoria, and scenic cruising of Tracy Arm, while the 11-day cruises include calls in both Icy Strait Point and Ketchikan. The ship will also operate a series of 16-day Carnival Journeys Hawaii cruises. The program includes four-day-long weekend cruises to Ensenada.
The Miracle will also sail from San Diego in 2021-22, offering two- to six-day voyages visiting destinations in Mexico and Baja California, including Ensenada, Catalina Island and Cabo San Lucas, as well as series of 15-day cruises to Hawaii. The Miracle’s San Diego-based schedule runs from Oct. 3, 2021, to April 18, 2022.
Source: Cruise Industry News
About Carnival Freedom
Carnival Freedom is a Conquest-class cruise ship built by Fincantieri at its Marghera shipyard in Venice, Italy. She was delivered to Carnival on Feb. 28, 2007.
Tonnage: | 110,000 GT |
Length: | 952 ft (290.2 m) |
Beam: | 116 ft (35.4 m) |
Decks: | 13 (14 is the top, 13 was skipped) |
Installed power: | Six diesel-electric generators (Wärtsilä 12V46C) |
Propulsion: | Two shafts |
Speed: | 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph) (service) 22.5 knots (41.7 km/h; 25.9 mph) (maximum) |
Capacity: | 2,980 passengers |
Crew: | 1,150 |
Cruise visitor profile

When it comes to cruising in Alaska, the majority (82 percent) of cruise passengers hail from the U.S., with the western United States representing nearly one-third of the total market, followed by the South, East Coast and Midwest. “Destination” cruise passengers – those who prioritize the destination above all other factors when picking a cruise – rank Alaska as the number one domestic destination.
While cruising attracts many different types of travelers, they share some traits. Nationwide, cruise passengers tend to be slightly older than other vacationers, with a median age of 47, and 54 for Alaska. Most cruise travelers were employed (72 percent) and 21 percent had retired. Cruises are favored most (75%) by travelers making between $150K-$200K while 66 percent of travelers making less than $1,000K say cruises are the better vacation type.
The greatest benefit cruisers derived from their cruise vacation was the ability to see several destinations in one trip. In fact, 42 percent of cruisers later returned to a destination first visited during their cruise vacation, so Alaska can expect more tourists in the years to come.
References: CLIA Cruise Travel Report January 2018
Where are passengers coming from?
(2018 )

Cruise passenger demographics | |
---|---|
Average Age | 47 years |
Average Household Income | $114,000 |
Employment Status
Employed |
72% |
College/Post College Education | 69% |
Married | 84% |
Likely to book a cruise for next vacation | 82% |