freedom of the seas

Freedom of the Seas' Sickness

We spent a bit of time earlier this year covering Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas, the largest cruise ship currently in operation, but a story has just come to light that highlights the fact that not all cruises are as relaxing as the luxury accommodations seem to make them. About 10% of the ship's passengers and 46 crew members came down with a norovirus brought on board by a sick passenger. Such viruses, which case less-than-pleasant gastrointestinal problems, are spread through contact and a cruise ship is one of the worst places to be when one strikes. The age and size of the ship are not necessarily factors, but since the Freedom of the Seas carries more than 4,000 people, maintaining a completely sanitized environment is much more difficult than it is on board a smaller ship.

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Tags: cruise, cruise ship, Freedom of the Seas, FreedomOfTheSeas, norovirus

Freedom of the Seas Completed

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Though the construction of the behemoth Project Genesis cruise liner casts a slightly shadow on the glory of its launch, the current world's largest cruise ship is complete and the ship is en route to its new owners, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., in Florida. Freedom of the Seas can hold a total of 4,000 passengers - 1,000 more than its closest rival - and can entertain them with pools, an ice skating rink and the largest ship-bound rock climbing wall. To see all that the ship has to offer or to making bookings on one of its upcoming Caribbean cruises, take a look at its website, where you can take a virtual tour of the ship. The ship's first passenger voyage with Royal Caribbean is scheduled for June 4.