Royal Caribbean to Revamp Another Cruise Ship

Royal Caribbean International has announced another multimillion dollar cruise ship renovation - $116 million to be exact - as part of their Royal Amplified program designed to bring popular features from other ships to the entire fleet. In March 2020, Freedom of the Seas will emerge from dry dock with new venues including Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen, The Perfect Storm water slide duo, and more.

On Deck Thrills

Freedom already offers the FlowRider surfing simulator, a mini-golf course, and rock climbing wall. The following features will be added:

• The Perfect Storm water slides Cyclone and Typhoon, which span three stories and take passengers on a head-to-head, twisting and turning race to the bottom.
• The lido pool will be redesigned with Caribbean vibes in mind, including a larger variety of seating and shade with daybeds, casitas, and hammocks. The littlest travelers will be able to enjoy the Splashaway Bay aquapark, and the ship’s adults-only Solarium will also be revamped. 
• Royal Caribbean’s new poolside bar, The Lime & Coconut, already popular on Mariner and Navigator of the Seas, will be added to the lido deck as well, serving up live music, tropical cocktails, and a rooftop deck.

Culinary Delights

The vessel’s amplification will also include new dining venues, offering passengers more variety.

• Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen — a fresh twist on a guest favorite, serving up Italian dishes with a modern flair. Highlights include hand tossed made-to-order pizzas baked in an in-house pizza oven and a selection of wines and limoncellos. 
• Izumi Hibachi & Sushi — an Asian-inspired restaurant with both a sushi bar and teppanyaki tables, serving a variety of hot and cold appetizers, entrées, desserts, and more. 
• El Loco Fresh — the ship’s poolside grab-and-go Mexican eatery, offering tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and a variety of salsas to choose from. For the first time in the fleet, the venue will also include a full-service bar with a selection of tequilas. 
• Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade — the new sports bar, and will have 80 TV screens as well as arcade games, classic bar food, and ice-cold beers on tap. 

Playtime Reimagined

Freedom of the Seas will introduce a new glow-in-the-dark laser tag adventure called Clash for the Crystal City. The ship’s youth clubs will also be revamped. 

• Adventure Ocean, the babies and kids club, will be fully remodeled with a new layout and ambiance. The new layout will encourage young cruisers to be interactive not only with elements in the space, but with each other. Play Place will encourage thought-provoking exploration, Workshop will offer science, art, and tech activities, and kids will be challenged at Arena. Hangout is the spot for chilling out and playing video games, and babies and 3-5 year olds will each have their own areas with AO Babies and AO Junior. 
• The teen space onboard will also be remodeled to include a new, private outdoor deck and the latest in movies, gaming, and music. 

Beginning March 8, 2020, the reimagined Freedom of the Seas will sail 7-night, roundtrip southern Caribbean cruises from San Juan. The year-round itineraries visit destinations including Aruba, Curaçao, St. Lucia, Barbados, Antigua, and Bonaire.