MS Freedom of the Seas
M/S Freedom of the Seas is a Royal Caribbean International cruise ship and the world's largest passenger vessel. She can accommodate over 4,300 passengers, served by over 1300 crew, on her eighteen decks. She and her sisters likely will keep the title of the largest passenger ships ever built until construction of her owner's Genesis class ships.
Freedom is 2.4 meters narrower than Cunard's Queen Mary 2, 6 meters shorter, and has 1.5 meters less draft. Freedom however is the larger ship in gross tonnage. While her tonnage rating has been estimated to range from 154,000 gt[1] up to 160,000 gt, her official rating by Det Norske Veritas, a Norwegian marine classification society, is 154,407 gt, [2] compared with QM2's 148,528 gt. Freedom has the highest gross tonnage of any passenger ship ever built.
The ship features three swimming areas; an interactive water park, a dedicated adult pool and the main pool. Also, there are 2 whirlpools which extend from each of the ship's sides. In addition to these luxuries the Royal Promenade sports a coffee shop, Sorrento's Pizzeria, a Ben and Jerry's ice-cream shop, Vintage's winery, the Bull and Bear Irish pub, and many Duty-free shops.
The 13th deck features a sports area with amenities such as a rock climbing wall, the FlowRider (an onboard wave generator for surfing), a miniature golf course and a full size basketball court. Other items include an ice skating rink, a casino, a Johnny Rockets, Wi-Fi capabilities throughout the ship, flat panel televisions in all staterooms, and cell phone connectivity.
The Freedom of the Seas was built at the Aker Finnyards drydock in Turku, Finland which is also building her sister ship, Liberty of the Seas (scheduled for delivery in 2007). The third ship named Independence of the Seas is (scheduled for delivery)in 2008.
Freedom was docked at Blohm und Voss in Hamburg, Germany on 17 April 2006 for final touches prior to her official hand over to Royal Caribbean International on 24 April 2006. Following this, she departed first to Oslo, Norway on 25 April for some official festivites before making her way to Southampton, England on 27 April (arriving at 9am on 29 April) prior to her first transatlantic crossing on 3 May 2006.
Freedom arrived in New York Harbor USA for her official naming ceremony on 12 May 2006 which was broadcast live on NBC's The Today Show from Cape Liberty Cruise Port in Bayonne, New Jersey (which is the ship's official New York berth), and thereafter travelled to Boston for the weekend of May 19-22. She began operations out of Miami with her first cruise and maiden voyage on June 4, sailing to western Caribbean locations in Mexico, the Cayman Islands and Jamaica as well as Labadee, in Haiti, one of Royal Caribbean's private resorts. In December 2006, the cruise returned to Miami with 380 sick passangers and crew, attributed by Royal Caribbean Cruise Line officials to the norovirus. It was likely brought on board on November 26 by an ill passenger. All on board were treated with over the counter medication. Crew members also sanitized the ship.
The added width of the ship is utilized by the interior promenade extending through the upper decks of the ships. This gives all upper level cabins a window, either to the port or starboard side or inwards to the promenade. This design was first used in the cruiseferry M/S Silja Serenade and her sister ship in 1990.
In 2009, the first in a new Genesis class of ships is slated to displace the Freedom class as the world's largest passenger ship.
Source: