Freedom of the Seas, the largest cruise ship ever built, is about to head out on it’s maiden voyage and enter service for Royal Caribbean International as it’s Flagship. The Freedom of the Seas is a spectacular vessel, with such amenities as a surfing pool, a skating rink, and a rock climbing wall. The picture on the left is the ship in Hamburg, Germany as the Freedom of the Seas finishes getting outfitted for its maiden crossing.

The Finnish-built vessel - flagship of Royal Caribbean International - will have a thorough check and final polish at Germany’s Blohm and Voss shipyard.
It boasts the world’s first on-board surfing pool, called “Flow Rider”, a skating rink and a rock-climbing wall.
It will take up to 4,375 passengers at a time on Caribbean cruises.
The 160,000-ton ship is 339 metres (1,112 ft) long, 56m (184 ft) wide and has a cruising speed of 21.6 knots.
The crew had to carry out a tricky manoeuvre in Hamburg, as the ship’s berth was only three metres wider and 12m longer than the ship.
The ocean liner Queen Mary II is six metres longer but 15m narrower than the Freedom of the Seas, which will be based in Miami, Florida.
The Freedom of the Seas will leave Hamburg on 25 April for a stopover in Oslo before crossing the Atlantic and starting Caribbean cruises in June. via BBC NEWS

When planning your dream trip, it always makes sense to book travel insurance in case of cancellation due to serious illness or other catastrophes. We so often expect all to go well, but when a crisis does arise it can save a great deal of grief and heartache if you have a policy that can help. The Houston Chronicle has an interesting article on travel insurance today. Here is an excerpt:

Travel insurance — specifically trip cancellation insurance, emergency medical assistance and medical evacuation coverage — can protect the costly investment a major trip can involve. It also can ensure that you and your family get good medical care if you get sick or injured while you’re away.
You aren’t likely to need travel insurance if your idea of a trip is piling into the car and driving 50 miles to grandma’s house. But if you’re planning a major jaunt, especially abroad, it’s something to consider.
“I think the longer you book in advance and the more expensive your trip, the more you should consider buying travel insurance,” said Tim Jarrell, publisher of Fodor’s, the guidebook company. “If it’s an expensive or once-in-a-lifetime trip, you should get travel insurance just in case the trip is canceled or something happens.” Read the rest at the  Houston Chronicle.

Recognizing that people like to be with people who share their own interests, as the internet has shown us, Radisson Seven Seas Cruises have announced 26 spotlight cruises for the 2006 sailing season. These cruises will be topic driven and provide educational and informational programs on the topics of the cruises. The topics will range from Yoga to Food and Win to Theater to Antiques.

I think this is a great idea. People like to be with people who share the same interests. Liking to cruise used to be the single greatest denominator that people on a ship would share. Now, you can find a cruise that will bring people with like interests together for a week of fun and learning. Bravo Radisson!

To learn more about these programs, visit the Radisson Seven Seas Cruise web site.

The Clipper Cruise Line, the sailing ships that also serve as cruise ships, is offering a deal according to Frommers.  

Soft-adventure operator Clipper Cruise Line (tel. 800/325-0010; www.clippercruise.com) is offering discounts, including deals for single travelers, for a handful of itineraries in 2005 and 2006 in the Caribbean, Antarctica, Artic, Russian Far East, Southeast Asia and other regions. Double occupancy rates are lowered up to $4,000 (per cabin) and singles can save as much as $5,145 on a number of cruises aboard Clipper’s four small globe-trotting ships, the Nantucket Clipper, Yorktown Clipper, Clipper Adventurer, and Clipper Odyssey.(read more here)