''Independence of the Seas'' is a operated by

Royal Caribbean International Royal Caribbean International (RCI), also formerly known as Royal Caribbean Cruise Line (RCCL), is a cruise line brand founded in 1968 in Norway and organised as a wholly owned subsidiary of Royal Caribbean Group since 1997. Based in Miami, Flo ...

. The 15-deck ship was built in the Aker Finnyards Turku Shipyard, Finland. At 154,407 GT, she joined ''Freedom of the Seas'' and ''Liberty of the Seas'' as the largest cruise ships and passenger vessels then built. She is long, and typically cruises at . ''Independence of the Seas'' is the third of the ''Freedom''-class vessels. In October 2009, '' Oasis of the Seas'', the first ship in the , displaced the ''Freedom'' class as the world's largest passenger ship.

Areas of operation

''Independence of the Seas'' has operated from ports in Europe and North America. The ship was christened on April 30, 2008 during a ceremony in

Southampton Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...

by its godmother, Elizabeth Hill of Chesterfield, the founder of a children's disability charity.

Facilities

Independence of the Seas pool bar at Vigo, Spain

''Independence of the Seas'' facilities include an interactive water park, a dedicated water area for small children, and whirlpools which extend from the ship's sides. There is also a two-story theater, seating 1,200, an ice-skating rink and a complete conference center. On the Sports Deck, there is a rock climbing wall, the first ever trampolines at sea, a basketball/football court, water slides, and a FlowRider for surfing. The ship underwent an extensive dry dock refurbishment in April 2018: additional cabins were added, as well as the first trampoline park at sea, laser tag, water slides and an

escape room An escape room, also known as an escape game, puzzle room, exit game, or riddle room is a game in which a team of players discover clues, solve puzzles, and accomplish tasks in one or more rooms in order to accomplish a specific goal in a limite ...

designed in collaboration with

Puzzle Break Puzzle Break is an escape room company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, co-founded by Nate Martin and Lindsay Morse. It is the first American-based escape room company. History Puzzle Break's first escape room, Escape from Studio D, opened ...

. This ship hosts the annual 70000 Tons of Metal music festival.

Incidents

On May 22, 2014, the ship was arrested by port authorities in

Ålesund Ålesund () sometimes spelled Aalesund in English, is a municipality in Møre og Romsdal County, Norway. It is part of the traditional district of Sunnmøre and the centre of the Ålesund Region. The town of Ålesund is the administrativ ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the ...

for nonpayment of fees. The captain notified Royal Caribbean, which transferred NOK600,000 to cover port fees in less than an hour. The ship was then allowed to depart. Former drummer of the American rock band

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

Sib Hashian John Thomas "Sib" Hashian (August 17, 1949 – March 22, 2017) was an American musician, best known as a drummer for the rock band Boston. Career Boston Hashian was chosen by Boston founder and band leader Tom Scholz in 1975 to replace origin ...

, died on March 22, 2017, after collapsing in the middle of a set while performing on board. On December 11, 2017, 332 of 5,547 passengers became sick with a gastrointestinal illness (believed to be

norovirus Norovirus, sometimes referred to as the winter vomiting disease, is the most common cause of gastroenteritis. Infection is characterized by non-bloody diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach pain. Fever or headaches may also occur. Symptoms usually devel ...

-related) after the ship had departed from Port Everglades in

Fort Lauderdale A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

for a five-night Caribbean cruise. Royal Caribbean initiated a deep-cleaning of the vessel after its return to port.

References

External links

Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Independence Of The Seas Ships of Royal Caribbean International Ships built in Turku 2007 ships