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| OK, now that we have your attention, we are talking cruise ships here. Recently we had the pleasure to sail on the newest and the largest cruise ship ever built- Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas. Before describing how big it is, let's put it in a historical perspective. The largest ship in the early part of the last century was a titanic ship whose name need not be mentioned. That ocean liner was 46,329 gross registered tons (GRT). It was 882 feet long and could hold 2,603 passengers. In comparison, The Freedom of the Seas is 160,000 GRT. The length is 1,112 feet with a passenger capacity of 3,608 based on two people per stateroom. So why are they building bigger and bigger ships? Only 15% of the population in North America has ever been on a cruise , which means 85% have yet to experience this type of vacation. One of the objections we hear is a concern about boredom while on the ship. Well let's just say if you are bored on the Freedom, there is something wrong. There is so much to do, or not to do while on the ship. It has such innovations as the Flow Rider- a device that allows people to actually surf on the ship. There is an ice rink (and yes, a Zamboni), a rock climbing wall, golf simulator, day spa, the H2O zone water park, kids clubs , whirlpools cantilevered off the side of the ship (WOW!) , swimming pools, a Solarium, a boxing ring, state of the art gym, a library, a movie theatre, over $8 million in art, numerous bars, dance clubs , casino, shows, and of course many dining and entertainment options. A daily newspaper is delivered with all the day's activities. Bored? No way. We had a great time on the ship, although the size can seem daunting with the very long hallways. One can certainly work off the great meals quite easily. Our annual January cruise will be on the Freedom. The ship is already completely sold out for that date, and we even have people on a waiting list for cancellations! What does the future hold? In 2009 Royal Caribbean will be building a class of ship called "Project Genesis". It will cost $1.4 BILLION to build and is projected to come in at 240,000 GRT. The passenger capacity will be at least 5,400 people. We 'll keep you posted. Feel free to contact us at Anderson@CruiseStore.com or call 413-525-9001 x.110 or visit www.CruiseStore.com/ Bon Voyage! |