MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Largest cruise vessel christened in New York

Freedom of the Seas, the world's largest cruise ship, was formally christened live on NBC's Today show on May 12th as it received the traditional salute from fireboats just off the Statute of Liberty in New York Harbor.

A heavy mist failed to dampen spirits of special guests aboard the cruise ship as Katherine Louise Calder, foster mother to over 400 children, cut the ceremonial ribbon to formally dedicate the ship.

The ribbon-cutting triggered the smashing of a Sovereign of Champagne, a 25-liter bottle appropriately sized for the 158,000-ton Freedom, against the hull of the huge ship,

The night before the formal christening, a Gala Celebration was held in the ship's Arcadia Theater during a special one-night sailing. The New York City Festival Chorale and Royal Caribbean Singers performed a song written for the occasion -- "Freedom to Explore" -- to a VIP audience.

On Sunday Freedom sailed up the Hudson and docked at the old West Side cruise terminal to give Manhattan residents a close up view of the ship. After a couple more preview cruises out of Cape Liberty, Freedom of the Seas sail to Boston May 18th and remain there until May 22nd, when she will depart for her regular homeport of Miami.

Freedom will make several additional preview cruises out of Miami before commencing regular cruises on June 4th.

Freedom of the Seas which arrived from Southampton, Britain, is 237 feet tall and 1,112 feet long with 15 passenger decks. Standing upright on its bow, it would be taller than the Eiffel Tower.

Built by Norwegian shipbuilder Aker Yards ASA, the ship cost 800 million US dollars and can carry more than 4,000 passengers. The world's previous largest ship, the Queen Mary 2, can carry about 3,000.

A three-level dining room seats 2,140. There are more than 2,000 deck chairs and an ice-skating rink. The fitness center measures 9,700 square feet and has a boxing ring.

Bigger isn't always better, and a large ship can be overwhelming and impersonal, said Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor of cruisecritic.com.

"This ship, more than any other ship out there represents the on-land resort experience. There's so much to do you really don't have to get off," she emphasized.