Royal Caribbean International has announced that the first of its new class of Ultra Voyager vessels will be called the Freedom of the Seas.
“The name was chosen to convey the enormity of features and amenities offered,” said Royal Caribbean Chairman and CEO Richard Fain. ”Freedom of the Seas is about freedom of choice; freedom to explore; freedom to relax; freedom to make one’s own vacation plans reflective of one’s own tastes and interests,” he added.
The new ships will include the Voyager class Royal Promenade, rock-climbing wall and ice-skating rink, but also other new features which Fain said would be revealed as the construction progresses.
Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean promised that the new ships will have some of the largest staterooms and most spacious balconies in the industry; flat screen televisions in the staterooms; and WiFi capabilities and connectivity for cell phones ship-wide. Other features will enhance the ship’s security, navigational and environmental management systems, according to Royal Caribbean.
The Freedom of the Seas will be 158,000 tons, 1,112 feet long with a beam of 184 feet and a draft of 28 feet. She will have 15 passenger decks with a double occupancy capacity of 3,600 passengers in 1,800 staterooms and a total occupancy of 4,370 plus 1,360 crewmembers. The cruising speed will be 21.6 knots.
