Third Freedom Ship on the Way
April 04, 2005
Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines has made it official. There will be a third addition to the highly anticipated new "Freedom Class" family of ships. The company made the announcement the morning after the deadline on the letter of intent it signed in early March with the Aker Finnyards shipyard in Turku, Finland. Aker Yards has said in a statement that the vessel will be the world's largest cruise ship to date when it is released in early 2008.
This yet to be named vessel will join a second unnamed ship along with Royal Caribbean's soon to be released Freedom of the Seas, due out in the Spring of 2006, as the first three vessels in Royal Caribbean's innovative new Freedom-class family of ships. These massive vessels will be a whopping 15 percent larger than Royal Caribbean's current mega-sized Voyager-Class ships, which since there introduction have revolutionized the cruise industry as well as set the standard for the extraordinary new onboard amenities that are now being offered today.
As with the two current "Freedom" ships under construction, this third unnamed vessel will be constructed by European shipbuilder Aker Finnyards, and will gross at least 158,000 tons, carrying an remarkable 3,600 guests at one time, and offering more than 1,800 luxurious onboard staterooms. It is expected that Royal Caribbean International could pay an incredible $828 million dollars for this colossal vessel before its completion in late 2007 or early 2008.
All three Freedom Class vessels will boast all of Royal Caribbean's best-known and now signature elements made famous by the Voyager-Class ships including the 200 feet above sea level rock climbing wall, an ice skating rink, a full-size onboard jogging track, volleyball and basketball courts, some of the most spacious staterooms at sea, lavish entertainment venues, a limitless array of fine dining options, the opulent ShipShape Day Spa and Fitness Center, plus a number of exciting new shipboard innovations, including bungee trampolines for all those onboard thrill seekers!
"We have said all along that the continued success of our brands will depend on the steady, sustained growth of our fleet," stated Royal Caribbean Chairman and CEO Richard Fain. "We are pleased to reaffirm that pledge today and are excited about the enormous possibilities inherent in these new ships" (TravelDailyNews.com).
Royal Caribbean also recently announced that not only will three new ships be introduced in the next three years, but all of the fleets current 19 vessels will all undergo some kind of refurbishment, update, or renovation, also within the next three years. Some existing work already in progress includes the refurbishment of Royal Caribbean's Enchantment of the Seas, which is currently undergoing an extensive list of updates and improvements, including the addition of more staterooms, a brand new 73-foot mid-section complete with suspension bridges, and an overhanging island bar offering breathtaking panoramic sea views! The Enchantment of the Seas is set to debut as her newer and larger self sometime this summer.
Booking is also now open for the Freedom of the Seas, which is scheduled to make her maiden voyage in April of 2006, offering year-round alternating Eastern and Western 7-night Caribbean itineraries from Miami, Florida, and space is filling up fast! Contact your friendly Cruise Network Cruise Specialist at 888-267-1232 to claim your spot on this extraordinary new vessel, and be prepared for the cruise vacation experience of a lifetime!!
Brian Reitter
