Freedom of the Seas Launched

Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas has just taken to the seas, as the world's largest Passenger Ship, eclipsing the Cunard (Carnival) Queen Mary II.

As I had noted in this TDB post, the Passenger Ship label is important, as FotS cannot be considered an Ocean Liner.

I had trivialized the differences in my earlier post; but they are actually significant. Indeed, the most notable differences are those of speed and endurance. And, should the FotS be confronted with a hurricane, before it could make it safely to port, it would likely endure, with minimal damage, and no hazard to it's passengers or crew. But a true Ocean Liner, like the QM2, is designed to do five days in 40' seas, restock in port, and go back to do the same over again.

As such, a true Ocean Liner must be built a bit heavier than a Cruise Ship. But, more importantly, it must have more of its mass closer to the center (notice how relatively short the superstructure of the QM2 is). This means that, despite the QM2 being slightly longer than the FotS, she displaces a bit less, and carries far fewer passengers.

None the less, two very grand ships.  ¶ 1:50 AM