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Miami Beach
August 2006 - In less than a year, Royal Caribbean
International's Freedom of the Seas, the cruise ship holding the title
"world's largest," will have
 to
share her designation with her new younger sister. With her hull now
complete, Liberty of the Seas, under construction at Aker Yards in Turku,
Finland, reached an important maritime milestone today when she was
"floated out" -- moved from dry dock to wet dock -- for the final months
of finishing work leading up to her May 2007 debut.
At
official ceremonies held at the shipyard, Royal Caribbean executives,
Harri Kulovaara, executive vice president, Maritime; Lisa Bauer, senior
vice president, Sales; and Alice Norsworthy, senior vice president,
Marketing, and Yrjo Julin, president for Aker Yards Cruise and Ferries,
assisted by an exclusive group of Royal Caribbean's travel partners,
turned the valve releasing 87 million gallons of water into the wet dock
area.
Freedom of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas will hold the dual title of
largest cruise ships at sea, weighing in at 160,000 GRT and holding 3,634
guests double-occupancy. Among new programs and onboard embellishments yet
to be announced, amenities on Liberty will include the popular innovations
already found on Freedom including the FlowRider(R) surf simulator; the
wet and wild H20 Zone aqua park; cantilevered whirlpools, suspended 112
feet above the ocean; an ice-skating rink; a boxing ring; and the
1,215-square-foot Presidential Family Suite, which sleeps up to 14.
"We are
pleased to announce that Captain Hernan Zini will command the newest
addition to Royal Caribbean's fleet, Liberty of the Seas," stated
Kulovaara. "Most recently serving as captain of Grandeur of the Seas,
Captain Zini brings with him a passion for nautical adventures and
appreciation for modern ship engineering and innovation."
Kulovaara
added, "We created Freedom based on guests' wishes and demands and there
are so many things to do, see and experience, that it allows cruisers to
escape and have the freedom of choice. It's a terrific time for our brand
and we look forward to introducing Liberty of the Seas to returning guests
and first-time cruisers."
The two
ships in Royal Caribbean's new Freedom class, to be joined by a third in
2008, will alternate between 7-night Western and Eastern Caribbean
itineraries, Liberty departing on Saturdays and Freedom on Sundays from
Miami. Both itineraries will bring guests to the Royal Caribbean's private
destination, Labadee, Haiti, before returning to Miami. In addition,
Liberty's Western Caribbean itinerary calls in Cozumel, Mexico; George
Town, Grand Cayman; and Montego Bay, Jamaica; while the Eastern Caribbean
itinerary calls in San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Philipsburg, St. Maarten,
allowing for a third day at sea to take advantage of all the ship has to
offer.
Royal Caribbean International is a global cruise brand with 20 ships
currently in service and three under construction. The line also offers
unique land-tour vacations in Alaska, Canada and Europe through its
cruisetour division. For additional information or to make reservations,
go to
http://www.royalcaribbean.com/ or call (800) 327-6700. |
