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The world’s largest and most innovative cruise ship,
Freedom of the Seas, left Southampton on May 3, 2006 to make her transatlantic
voyage to New York.
At 160,000 tons and holding 3,634 guests
double-occupancy, Freedom of the Seas will be the largest cruise ship in the
world when it debuts in May 2006, according to chairman and CEO Richard Fain.
He noted that in choosing the name “Freedom" for the ship, the line was
emphasizing how all-inclusive the vessel will be. “Whatever you want to do, you have the
freedom to choose" he said.
In addition to the Voyager-class signature features –
such as an enhanced rock climbing wall, ice skating rink and Royal Promenade –
the 3,600 passenger ship, will feature a number of innovations: oversized
sculptures spraying water in all directions, a circular current pool and a
swimming pool fed by a waterfall a full-size boxing ring and a 14-person
family suite to an eager American audience.
Freedom of the Seas’ combined pool area is 43% larger
than on Voyager-class ships.
At night, the main pool area will be transformed into
an open-air nightclub, with a large dance floor situated between the two pools.
Passengers will have access to a water park, a promenade and a casino. She will
generate 1,800,000 litres of fresh water and require 35 tonnes of ice cubes
every day.
Freedom of the Seas will arrive at the Port of Miami
on May 25, where she will make a series of short sailings until June 4, when
she will begin her regular sailing schedule of 7-night Western Caribbean tour
calling at Cozumel, Mexico
George Town, Grand Cayman Montego
Bay, Jamaica and
Royal Caribbean’s private destination, Labadee, Hispaniola.
Freedom of the Seas wrest the biggest-ship-ever title
from Cunard’s Queen Mary 2.
The QM2 was the largest, longest, tallest, widest, and
most expensive ocean vessel ever built until the Royal Caribbean Freedom of the
Seas launches in June 2006. While QM2's passenger capacity is 2,620 passengers,
Freedom of the Seas can carry 6,000 passengers.
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. commissioned the world's
largest cruise ship, agreeing to pay Europe's
biggest shipbuilder a record 900 million euros ($1.1 billion) for a vessel that
will carry 5,400 passengers. Oslo-based Aker Yards ASA will deliver the Project
Genesis ship in late 2009. At 222,000 gross register tons, the Royal Caribbean
International vessel, codenamed Project Genesis, will be nearly half as big
again as the Queen Mary 2, and 43 percent bigger than the largest cruise
liner, Freedom of the Seas.
The world's two largest cruise operators, Carnival
Corp. and Royal Caribbean Cruises, are
commissioning larger ships as increasing numbers of customers buy on-board
package vacations. The number of people taking cruises surged 5.7 percent to
8.35 million in the first nine months of 2005, according to the New York-based
Cruise Lines International Association.
Book a Cruise Holiday at http://www.bookmeacruise.co.uk
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