Undertaking its maiden voyage in May 2008, Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas is still one of the world’s largest cruise ships – along with its sister Freedom-Class ships, the Freedom of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas – despite having been overtaken by the company’s Oasis-Class vessels.Ĭosting $590m and carrying up to 4,370 passengers and 1,370 crew, the Independence of the Seas is 339m long, with a draft of 8.53m.
These included a nine-deck high zip-line cable, full-size carousel, the AquaTheatre amphitheatre (the largest freshwater pool on any cruise ship) and the Rising Tide bar, which moves slowly up and down between three decks in the cruise liner’s themed Central Park neighbourhood.
Dousing the flames: what should be done to prevent fires on container ships?
