With a crowd-pleasing combination of brand new thrills and guest favorites, Royal Caribbean’s newly amplified Freedom of the Seas debuted her US$116 million transformation in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The vessel received the Perfect Storm duo of racing waterslides, a 3-level Lime & Coconut poolside bar, and a Splashaway Bay toddler aqua park.
The renovations have introduced new dining venues. Giovanni's Italian Kitchen features "Sunday supper" Royal Caribbean-style. El Loco Fresh, Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade, and Izumi Hibachi & Sushi are also part of the refit.
So is the laser tag, in the form of glow-in-the-dark Clash for Crystal City. The dedicated teen space Social033 and Adventure Ocean area onboard Freedom have also been redone. Adventure Ocean takes on a new look, from exploration at Play Place to science, tech, and art activities at Workshop and challenges at Arena. Gaming consoles and places to chill are available at Hangout. Babies and 3- to 5-year-old kids now have personalized areas via AO Babies and AO Junior. The ship's teen space features the latest in gaming, music, and movies, along with a new outdoor deck.
Starting March 2020, the refurbished Freedom OTS is scheduled to operate from homeport San Juan Puerto Rico on 7-day Southern Caribbean itineraries. The 3782-passenger liner will replace the 2050-passenger fleetmate Vision OTS.
Freedom OTS joins the sistership Independence OTS as part of the line's Royal Amplified fleet modernization effort which is an investment of more than US$1 billion across ten ships in four years.