The Freedom of the Seas was built at the Aker Yards drydock in Turku, Finland which also is building the other ships of the Freedom Class. Upon her completion she became the largest passenger ship ever built, taking that honor from Cunard's Queen Mary 2.
Freedom is 2.4 meters narrower than QM2 at the waterline, 6 meters shorter, and has 1.5 meters less draft. Freedom however is the larger ship in gross tonnage. While her tonnage rating was estimated to range from 154,000 gt to 160,000 gt, her official rating by Det Norske Veritas, a Norwegian marine classification society, is 154,407 gt, compared with QM2's 148,528 gt. Freedom has the highest gross tonnage of any passenger ship yet built.The ship features three swimming areas: an interactive water park, a dedicated adult pool and the main pool. There are 2 whirlpools cantilevered out from the ship's sides, the Royal Promenade sports, a coffee shop, Sorrento's Pizzeria, a Ben and Jerry's ice-cream shop, Vintage's winery, the Bull and Bear Irish pub, and many Duty-free shops. The 13th deck features a sports area with amenities such as a rock climbing wall, the FlowRider (an onboard wave generator for surfing), a miniature golf course and a full size basketball court. Other items include an ice skating rink, a casino, a Johnny Rockets, Wi-Fi capabilities throughout the ship, flat panel televisions in all staterooms, and cell phone connectivity.
