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| Call it what you want: pushing the envelope, raising the bar, or hyping the hype, Royal Caribbean always seems to come along with a ship that grabs the headlines. Freedom of the Seas is one of those ships. Here’s why:
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| Size: Freedom of the Seas tips the scale at 160,000 tons – the biggest cruise ship ever, bigger even than Cunard’s 151,000-ton Queen Mary 2.
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| FlowRider®: So what if you never go surfing aboard a cruise ship. Most never go rock-climbing or ice-skating aboard Royal Caribbean’s ships, either, yet it’s somehow nice to know you could. Besides, it’s fun to watch those who do.
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| Cantilevered Whirlpools: Now here’s something anybody can do; soak in a hot tub that juts 12 feet off the side of the ship, 112 feet above the waves.
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| Water Park: It’s called H2O Zone – and your kids will love it. Water spills, shoots and soaks from all directions. There’s also a water slide and a wading pool for the little ones. By night, the fountains morph into a moving water sculpture.
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| Full-size Boxing Ring: OK, maybe not your thing, but Royal Caribbean‘s betting you’ll drop by to check it out, anyway…just like you do the folks who putt through the 9-hold miniature golf course.
Rock-climbing Wall: Every big Royal Caribbean ship has one – but not this big. Freedom’s is 43 feet tall and 44 feet wide. Plus, there are 11 ways to climb to the top, including a behind a central spire. Fun!
Sports Pool: Ever hear of “Floating Golf?” Royal Caribbean has. They’ve also got pool basketball, “pole jousting,” and volleyball, of course.
Connections: Every TV in every stateroom on this ship features a space-saving flat-screen monitor. And most public areas are WiFi capable and connected for cell phone use.
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| Presidential Suite: With 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms, 5 flat-screen TVs, a private whirlpool and an enormous private balcony with a wet bar, it’s the biggest ever offered on a Royal Caribbean ship. Serves 14!
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| Plus the Voyager-class Draws: As Freedom of the Seas is basically a beefed-up, Voyager-class ship (now Royal Caribbean’s second-largest class of ships) it comes with all those popular bells and whistles: ice-skating rink, branded food venues like Johnny Rockets® hamburger joint and a Ben & Jerry’s® ice cream parlor, and an enormous four-deck-high Royal Promenade.
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 | | Freedom of the Seas has not just one, but two Atriums. Royal Caribbean calls them “Centrums. ” Aside from the “wow factor,” they bring useful vertical transportation, courtesy of the obligatory glass-sided, scenic elevators that run their heights. And they also perform another important function. They connect this huge ship to her passengers, providing “you are here” reference points. That’s important when you step out of your stateroom, turn, and face an almost thousand-foot hallway! (More on that to follow.)
Freedom of the Seas “boasts” 15 passenger decks, so for the more aerobically inclined, stairways complement each Centrum. Passenger “lookouts” at each level cater to the ever-popular shipboard sport of people-watching and most levels of the aft Centrum also supply very functional venues such as Guest Relations, Library, Internet Center, Concierge Club, Business Services and Photo & Art Gallery.
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| What the Centrums are for Freedom’s vertical connection, the Royal Promenade is for the horizontal connection – at least for four of her fifteen decks. Connecting the forward Centrum with the aft Centrum, the Royal Promenade is the ship’s Main Street. You can shop its length; clothing stores, a jewelry shop, a logo shop, a general store – plus cafés, bars and lounges line the way.
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| Like the Centrums, the Royal Promenade connects passengers in a very visual way. Find a chair at one of the indoor/outdoor cafes or bars and watch the passing parade. At least one night on every cruise offers a real parade as costumed entertainers – some on stilts – pass by. And guests who choose Promenade Staterooms (Category PR) can watch it all through their private bow windows that overlook the action. Over 170 staterooms offer these Royal Promenade views. (See more information under the “Cabins” section.)
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| Elevators move you up and down, but what about fore and aft? This ship is going to make you walk. Still, those long hallways are interrupted with those fabulous Centrum views. And interesting, “themed” original hallway artwork can make the trip almost entertaining.
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Step outdoors onto Deck 11 and you’ve got two outdoor pools and one sky-lit, all-weather “Solarium” pool. One outdoor pool is the Sport Pool, offering water volleyball, basketball, “floating golf,” and “pole jousting.” Adjacent to the Solarium Pool and jutting 12 feet out over the deck, are two cantilevered whirlpools, each 112 feet above the water. The Solarium itself offers up a serene, rainforest theme.
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| Surf’s up! Freedom’s big headline grabber is the FlowRider® - a water-mover that allows you to actually “surf” or “boogie board” the current. It’s a Royal Caribbean first! See more on this and the kids’ H2O Zone – a water theme park – in the Fitness & Spa and Children’s Programs sections.
Fifteen decks up, at the very top of the Freedom, is the Skylight Chapel. The Skylight Chapel can handle the wedding and reception; the ship’s itinerary can then provide the honeymoon! Other wedding package and vow-renewal arrangements can be made, as well. Also near the ship’s upper decks is the Bridge Overlook, offering a unique overhead view into the Bridge.
Forward on Deck 5 – way far forward – is the Observation Deck, affording a wind-blown perch where you’ll have views and photo-ops of “titanic” proportions. | |  |
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