Extensive WiFi capabilities and connectivity for cell phones. Because when you're on vacation it's great fun to let the folks at home know what they're missing.

Staterooms and balconies that are among the largest in the industry. Plenty of room to relax and plan your adventures.

A full-size, flat-screen TV in every stateroom. But then again, with all the incredible vacation activities to explore, try not to be too disappointed if you have trouble finding time to turn it on.

Freedom of the Seas will be sailing year-round, 7-night Western Caribbean itineraries from Miami. Ports of call will include Cozumel, Mexico; George Town, Grand Cayman; Montego Bay, Jamaica; and Labadee®, Hispaniola. So basically, we'll be ready to set sail to tropical paradise whenever you need a vacation.

Deck plans will be revealed on royalcaribbean.com in late March.

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"Freedom of the Seas will be the most head-turning, most innovative and most forward-looking ship in the cruise industry," said Richard D. Fain, Royal Caribbean Chairman and CEO. "Its name was chosen deliberately to convey the enormity of features and amenities offered on this extraordinary ship."

"Freedom of the Seas is really all about freedom of choice. Freedom to explore. Freedom to relax. Freedom to make one's own holiday plans reflective of one's own tastes and interests," he added.

Royal Caribbean's newest ship again elevates cruise-ship design and innovation to new levels. Freedom of the Seas builds on the line's popular Voyager-class ships, so once breakthrough, now signature, elements such as the Royal Promenade, rock-climbing wall and ice-skating rink are standard on Freedom of the Seas. The company will reveal this ship's major new features as she takes shape in drydock.

One feature the company will share now, in keeping with its "freedom" theme, is the great freedom of space planned for the new ship. Freedom of the Seas will have some of the largest guest staterooms and the most spacious balconies in the industry. One reason for the roominess? Freedom of the Seas will have full-size, yet space-saving, flat screen TVs in 100 percent of the guest staterooms and public areas.

The first-in-the-industry flat screen TVs dovetail with other technologies onboard, earning Freedom of the Seas the distinction of being the most digitally advanced cruise ship at sea. The new ship will be free of wires by having extensive WiFi capabilities and connectivity for regular cell phones. Other functions will enhance the ship's security, navigational and environmental-management systems.

[ 03-06-2005: Message edited by: Malcolm @ cruisepage ]

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Originally posted by recab:
Malcolm,
Plans for cabin decks are already uploaded.

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Originally posted by Malcolm @ cruisepage:

Are they rhe same as the 'Voyager' class, but just longer?

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Basically yes. All this should come as no surprise. RCI has said all along that FREEDOM will basically be a lengthened Voyager Class. Yes there will be surprises, but essentially the basic design is the same but longer.

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Originally posted by recab:
Malcolm,
Plans for cabin decks are already uploaded.

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IT is modern times, I suppose.

Perhaps in 30 years time the first rock climb wall to be mounted on a ship will be preserved at the Ocean Liners Museum

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Originally posted by Sailor Sam:
I took a quick look at those plans.
It seems this ship does not have more elevators, which seems strange for a significantly enlarged ship

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Originally posted by Keitaro:
I hope RCI is planning/designing a new class of ships. I am tired of seeing VOYAGER-class derived ships....

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I think RCI's attitude is that if it ainnt broken, don't fix it.

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Originally posted by 6263866:
Sure the Voyager-Class ships are great, but 3 more bigger ones plus the current 5 is way to much.

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Originally posted by jsea:
Aren't those deck plans just taken from the standard Voyager Class?

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No. they are updated. The cabin decks are pretty much the same, although there are some new cabin grades and some cabin types were moved to other areas of the deck. The public areas deck plans have not been released yet. There will be some surprises but generally the layout will be the same as the current Voyager Class.

Regarding what comes next ... I have no doubt that RCI is already working on plans for a new design to follow the Voyager/Freedom Class, and I know a new design is being worked on for Celebrity as well that will probably come first.

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Originally posted by Johan:
Are those rock climbing walls really used , Or only for marketing purposes ?

They are so 1990s. It was a fad like indoor racket ball courts in the mid 1980s.

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