Freedom-class cruise ship
Freedom of the Seas in Oslo, 2006.
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| Class overview | |
|---|---|
| Builders: | Aker Finnyards Turku Shipyard, Finland |
| Operators: | Royal Caribbean International |
| Preceded by: | Radiance class |
| Succeeded by: | Oasis class |
| Built: | 2004-2008 |
| In service: | 2006-present |
| Planned: | 4 ships |
| Completed: | 3 ships |
| Cancelled: | 1 ship |
| Active: | 3 ships |
| General characteristics | |
| Type: | Cruise ship |
| Tonnage: | 154,407 gross tonnage (GT) |
| Length: | 1,111 ft 6 in (338.8 m) |
| Beam: |
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| Height: | 209 ft (63.7 m) above water line |
| Draft: | 28 ft (8.5 m) |
| Decks: | 18 total, 15 passenger |
| Installed power: | 6 × Wärtsilä 46 V12 diesels each rated at 12.6 MW (~17,000hp) driving electric generators at 514 rpm |
| Propulsion: | 3 × ABB Azipod podded electric propulsion units, two of them azimuthing, one fixed. 4 additional bow thrusters. |
| Speed: | 21.6 kn (40.0 km/h; 24.9 mph) |
| Capacity: | 4,370 passengers (double occupancy) |
| Crew: | 1,300 (average) |
The Freedom class is a group of three cruise ships for Royal Caribbean International. The first ship of the class, Freedom of the Seas, was the largest passenger ship in the world, and the largest ever built in terms of passenger capacity and gross tonnage, when it was built in 2006. These two records were then shared by all three ships until the construction of the Oasis of the Seas was completed in November 2009.
Freedom of the Seas left Aker Finnyards Turku Shipyard, Finland on 24 April 2006 and started regular sailings out of Miami the next month. The second ship of the class, Liberty of the Seas, sailed on its maiden voyage on 19 May 2007. The third ship of the class, Independence of the Seas, was delivered and started work out of Southampton in April 2008.
The Freedom-class ships are similar in design and layout to the earlier second-generation Voyager class, including an ice skating rink and a 400-foot (120 m) mall named the Royal Promenade, featuring pubs, shops, arcades, bars, and a 24-hour Cafe Promenade. New features added to the Freedom class include the FlowRider surf park, cantilevered whirlpools, a full-size boxing ring, and the H2O Zone waterpark.
In March 2008, Aker Yards and Royal Caribbean announced a memorandum of agreement for a fourth ship in the class, subject to board approval and finalization of terms and conditions, but no actual order for the ship was ever announced. In 2011, Royal Caribbean announced that it had ordered two ships from the similarly-sized Quantum class, making an order for a fourth Freedom-class ship unlikely.
As of 2012[update], Independence of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas sail out of European ports in the summer and out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, during winter months. During the summer, Liberty of the Seas sails Mediterranean itineraries out of Barcelona, Spain, Toulon, France, and Sorrento, Italy while Independence of the Seas sails Northern Europe itineraries out of Southampton, Hampshire.
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Wikipedia