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Mega ship to offer more space for families
An expanded range of cabins designed for larger family groups will be offered by Royal Caribbean on its largest ever cruise ship.
The 158,000-ton Freedom of the Seas will be the largest cruise vessel in the world when it enters service next May, outstripping Royal Caribbean’s Voyager-class ships and the Queen Mary 2.
Revealing the first details of facilities onboard, Royal Caribbean said there would be six different cabin categories to cater for larger families and groups of friends.
These range from six and eight-person cabins to a 1,215 square feet, four-bedroomed Presidential Suite for 14 people with an outdoor living area of more than 800 square feet.
The first of three 3,600-passenger Freedom-class vessels ordered by the cruise line will also feature a combined pool area 43% larger than on the Voyager ships. There will be three separate sections: a family pool, adults-only solarium and a main pool area. One of the main swimming pools will be a sport pool offering a range of watersports while cantilevered whirlpools will jut 12 feet out from the sides of the ship 112 feet above the sea.
At night the main pool area will become an open-air nightclub with a large dance floor. The ship will also have a 43-foot tall rock climbing wall.
Freedom of the Seas will offer seven-night western Caribbean cruises from Miami.
Chairman and chief executive Richard Fain said: “The new stateroom categories give guests the ability to spend downtime together comfortably between onboard activities and shoreside adventures. We’re introducing several new configurations, giving guests the freedom to choose from different stateroom sizes and prince ranges.”
Report by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
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