How big?
Freedom of the Seas weighs 160,000 tons and can sail with a total of 4,375 passengers. It has 340,000 square meters of steel plates; was painted with 420,000 liters of paint; has 5,800 square meters of windows; 15 passenger decks; 1,817 state rooms, of which 1,084 have an ocean view; 733 with promenade views and 32 wheelchair-accessible staterooms.
That’s not all.
Five hundred thirty tons of water fill the swimming pools; 1,400 tons of fresh water are consumed a day; it has 750,000 light bulbs, and 78,000 pounds of ice cubes are produced a day.
And to make the picture of this humongous ship even clearer: The Freedom of the Seas weighs more than 80,000 cars or even more than 32,000 adult elephants. Standing upright from its bow, Freedom is taller than New York’s Chrysler Building or the Eiffel Tower and is approximately twice the height of the Statue of Liberty. It is longer than 37 double-decker buses. It is wider than the White House at 185 feet. The White House is 168 feet wide.
‘Nuff said.
Big, it was.
When I boarded Freedom of the Seas on its maiden voyage to "nowhere," as it was called, I was amazed.
"The largest ship in the world is on one of a series of 38 days of inaugural sailing," said Maria Sastre, Royal Caribbean International and Celebrity Cruises vice president for Latin America and Asia Pacific, sales and marketing. "We are sailing to nowhere, but we are getting there in style and comfort."
Our trip took us three days and two nights from the time we boarded at Southampton in London and back. We were flown to London from Amsterdam on KLM.
Lots of time to get to know Freedom.
Inside my comfortable stateroom, the adventure began. First there was the view, yup. My room had a balcony. The sea breeze and blue water were enough to get me high on Freedom. Just great. And the flat-screen TV, that we were told is a first for cruise ships, was on my favorite channel, the sports channel. The best part, of course, was the comfortable bed, the warm comforter and the many pillows (there were five different kinds, to suit every sleeping mood and position).
Sleep, sleep, sleep.
But, lunch was calling and I was hungry. Off I went to the Windjammer Resto. It was a fiesta of food galore – from Chinese to Thai and Indian, European to American. Drinks flowed and the desserts were too many to count or remember the names of.
I got my fill and more.
"We have made it a point to include vegetarian meals in all our menus," said Sastre. "And not as a separate menu, but as part of the main. This way, the food will be prepared with the same care."
We were informed that it took three years to construct Freedom.
"There are three vessels in the class of Freedom. The next is Liberty of the Seas, which will be delivered in 2007 and the third, still unnamed (although rumor has it that it will be called Independence) will be here in 2008," added Sastre.
Imagine. Three vessels of the same magnitude. What a way to see the world.
"We have geared our cruise ships towards families," quipped Sastre. "One of the things we have noticed is that more families are vacationing together."
And Royal Caribbean has made full use of Freedom’s 75-foot extension.
There was much to see, even more to do and lots of space to do everything in.
Swimming came to mind, but the freezing weather (it was 5º Centigrade) did not allow us to take a dip. We did enjoy the many colors of the H20 Zone, a kid’s delight with its aqua color scheme and the sculptured animals in various sizes and colors. The best part is that there is a spray that douses water on the kids as they swim in the kiddie pool.
For adults who prefer to swim in peace, there is the cantilevered pool, which gives great views of the ocean 112 feet below.
A first for the lovers of riding the waves while on board a cruise liner is the Flowrider, a shipboard surf park that allows you to surf or body board against a wave – like waterflow.
The solarium is another great escape that adults will love. Here, they can cool their heels in the contemplative pool area, which has rainforest-inspired mosaics, palm trees and hammocks.
Want to break into a sweat?
No prob. There is the rockclimbing wall, which reaches the sky at 30 feet. Add to that the volleyball and basketball courts and the nine-hole miniature golf course.
And a personal favorite is the gym, of course. I had the time of my life using as many of the aerobic and weight machines as I could. The boxing ring is also another first for Royal Caribbean, and so were some of the newfangled fitness machines like the Power Plate. Work out on this machine while standing still.
Interesting, really.
There is the spa, which, although it was not open when we were there, looked really relaxing.
What a life.
And that’s just on the upper deck.
The Promenade on the fifth floor is where the shoppers – and people who like to eat bistro-style – gather. A pizzeria, Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream kiosk, and Seattle’s Best Coffee shop are among the places to be. Of course, the shoppers will love the duty free shops, which carry stuff from batteries to seasickness meds to clothes and souvenirs.
There’s more.
The video game room on the 11th floor, which was full to standing room on the days we were there, is fun. I enjoyed several games of air hockey. I won, too. The casino is where the real players are. And check out the theaters for the many shows onboard.
Looking for silence and time for reflection? A trip to the non-denominational prayer room, which occupies the top deck, is a must. "Weddings can even be performed there," said Sastre.
But one of the major reasons Royal Caribbean celebrates Freedom are the many suites that have been carefully planned and decorated to accommodate all types of vacationers.
The Presidential Suite is for 14 persons. It is 1,215 square meters in size, has four bedrooms, a private balcony with whirlpool, 14-seat dining table, bathroom with Jacuzzi and a wet bar. The way the suite is built, it would come as no surprise if vacationers stayed in the room for the duration of the cruise. Other interesting suites are the Family Ocean View for 10 persons, the promenade stateroom, the deluxe balcony, junior suites and superior balcony.
Each suite is a vacation destination in itself. The amenities like the flat-screen TVs, comfortable beds and wonderful pillows make rest come easy.
But it is the first-class service that Sastre is most proud of. Of course, it is because 45 percent of the crew members of Royal Caribbean are Filipino. That says a lot about the quality of service of Freedom and the other Royal Caribbean cruise ships.
We were witness to the great Filipino service on board Freedom – from the Pinoys to all the crew members of whatever nationality.
As we sailed away to nowhere, fireworks lit the sky to bid us a safe journey.
Riding the waves in luxury and style is what an experience on Freedom of the Seas is all about.
KLM flies to London via Amsterdam. For more information, call 887-1144.