georgiainfonews: Liberty of the Seas - Royal Caribbean cruise ship

Liberty of the Seas is a Royal Caribbean cruise ship of the Freedom class which entered regular service in May 2007. The 15-deck ship accommodates 4,370 passengers served by 1,360 crew. She was built in 18 months at the Aker Finnyards drydock in Turku, Finland, where her sister ship Freedom of the Seas was also built. At over 154,000 gross tons, she joins her sister ship Freedom of the Seas as the largest cruise ships and passenger vessels ever built. She is 1,112 feet (339m) long, and cruises at 21.6 knots (40 km/h).

On April 19, 2007, she was delivered to parent company Royal Caribbean. On April 22, 2007 she made her first port of call Southampton, on a promotional visit. She arrived at Cape Liberty Cruise Port on May 3, 2007.

Liberty of the Seas is the second of the Freedom Class vessels. A third ship, Independence of the Seas, is scheduled for delivery in 2008. In 2009, the first in a new Genesis class of ships measuring 220,000 gross tons is slated to displace the Freedom class as the world's largest passenger ships.

On one of its first voyages, the Liberty of the Seas was struck with the highly contagious norovirus, or "Norwalk virus" after a passenger brought the virus onboard.