A member of Royal Caribbean’s Freedom-class, Liberty of the Seas was once one of the largest cruise ships in existence. However, the Freedom class was surpassed by the Oasis class, in terms of size, soon after the Freedom class launched and, now, even the Oasis class has been surpassed by the newer Icon class.
Regardless, Liberty of the Seas is still worth your consideration for an upcoming cruise. There’s still plenty to enjoy aboard this ship. Intrigued? Here’s what you need to know, before you book.
In This Article:
Liberty of the Seas Stats
Despite Liberty of the Seas’ once-upon-a-time status as one of the largest cruise ships in the world, the ship doesn’t hold a candle to some of today’s mega-ships. That said, the ship isn’t tiny and you’ll still find plenty of stateroom, dining and entertainment options.
Here’s how the ship measures in:
- Gross tonnage: 154,407
- Length: 1,112 feet
- Total guest capacity: 4,960
- Guest capacity at double occupancy: 3,798
- Crew: 1,360
- Total decks: 15
- Passenger decks: 14
- Staterooms: 1,899
This puts Liberty of the Seas at just slightly smaller than Independence of the Seas, which would debut the year after Liberty of the Seas.
Construction of Liberty of the Seas
Liberty of the Seas was built at Kvaerner Masa-Yards in Turku, Finland. The ship was the second Freedom-class ship, following Freedom of the Seas, and to be followed by the slightly larger Independence of the Seas the next year.
It’s worth noting that Independence of the Seas did not stay the largest Freedom-class ship, even though it was the last of the trio; later renovations would bump up Liberty of the Seas’ size, putting it ahead of the rest.
Fun fact: Liberty of the Seas was originally named Endeavour of the Seas, but the name was changed before the ship actually launched.
Liberty of the Seas was delivered in April 2007 and arrived for its christening in New York, in May 2007. The ship’s godmother is Donnalea Madeley, a travel agent who was nominated to be the ship’s godmother based on her philanthropic work. (After nomination, the public was invited to vote for the ship’s godmother, and Madeley was chosen.)
In addition to honoring Madeley as the ship’s godmother, Royal Caribbean also made a donation to Madeley’s charity, Hands Across the Nations, which promotes equity and sustainability in under-privileged countries around the globe.
Overall, the Freedom class is quite similar to Royal Caribbean’s Voyager class, and the Freedom class offers features that are considered quite standard on Royal Caribbean’s newer ships today, such as the Royal Promenade, FlowRider surfing simulators and waterparks.
Liberty of the Seas Refurbishments
Since its launch 2007, this ship has received multiple renovations, including some minor renovations in 2011 (that included the addition of the main pool’s outdoor video screen) and larger renovations in 2016, which added cabins, new restaurants and lots of enhancements for the pool deck, as well as new sports facilities, including the Perfect Storm water slide complex.
These changes increased Liberty of the Seas’s gross tonnage, which gave the ship its status as the largest Freedom-class cruise ship and the 11th-largest cruise ship in the world at the time. The ship also underwent a routine dry dock in 2021.
Liberty of the Seas Staterooms
With a total of 1,899 staterooms, the cabins on Liberty of the Seas include options such as:
- 858 balcony staterooms
- 444 exterior staterooms
- 765 interior staterooms
- 33 accessible staterooms
While Liberty of the Seas itself isn’t quite that old, the staterooms do leave a little to be desired in terms of aesthetic. While certainly not the most outdated staterooms we’ve seen on a cruise ship, they still could be further upgraded, with more modern furnishings.
As is, interior staterooms offer a spacious layout for being interior staterooms, with small couches and sitting areas/desks. Exterior, or ocean view, staterooms are much the same, with even more floor space, and large, circular windows on one side of the cabin (unfortunately, sometimes, these windows are positioned behind the bed, which is less than an ideal layout).
Balcony staterooms, meanwhile, offer even more floorspace, and that added outside space that’s accessed via a large glass door. Balconies are furnished with simple, resort-style chairs.
In addition to these basic cabin types, there are also panoramic staterooms, with larger windows and greater views, and promenade-view interior cabins that offer windows that overlook the ship’s central promenade rather than the ocean.
Liberty of the Seas Suites
There are 122 suites on Liberty of the Seas. Your suite options will include:
- Panoramic ocean view suites
- Two-bedroom ocean view family suites
- Junior suites
- Grand suites
- Owners suites
- Royal suites
- Family villa vista suites
In terms of passenger capacity, the largest of these is the family villa vista suite, with capacity for 14 passengers and 1,210 square feet inside, and more than 800 square feet on the balcony. However, in terms of overall interior living space, the largest option is the royal suite, with 1,400 square feet inside, and 260 square feet outside, on the balcony.
Owners suites are remarkably smaller, at less than 600 square feet inside, and the two-bedroom family grand suite isn’t much better, at 590 square feet inside. Basic grand suites and junior suites are even smaller, and are more similar to large staterooms than suites, due to the lack of separate sleeping areas.
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Overall, though, if you’re looking for a more stylish option than what you’d find with the normal cabins, which can be outdated, and if you’re looking for more luxe touches and included amenities, it’s worth considering booking any of these suites.
Free Dining
The free dining options on Liberty of the Seas include brand basics that you may already know from past Royal Caribbean cruises. If not, and this is your first Royal Caribbean cruise, you’ll be glad to know there’s a nice mix of cuisine and experiences available, without spending extra.
Complimentary dining options on the ship include:
- A three-level main dining room, serving sit-down meals in elegant settings
- Windjammer Buffet, for all-you-can-eat goodness
- Sorrento’s Pizza, for your favorite pies
- Café Promenade, a 24-hour eatery serving casual bites
Room service is also available, for a slight delivery fee.
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In sum, if you plan to eat at the main dining room each evening (don’t worry, the menu is varied enough to keep you from getting bored), and then you change up your options for lunch each day, you’ll likely feel no need to dine at any of the ship’s specialty restaurants, if you don’t want to spend extra during your cruise.
Specialty Restaurants
If you do, however, fancy splurging on a nice meal, you’ll find a broader selection of for-a-fee dining options, which charge either a la carte menu prices or a set fee per diner. These options include:
- Chops Grille, a steakhouse
- Giovanni’s Table, for rustic Italian fare
- Sabor Modern Mexican, a newer addition to the ship
- Johnny Rockets, the same classic diner brand you’ll find on land
- Cupcake Cupboard, for your sweet treats
There’s also an ice cream parlor, where you can purchase cones and cups for a small price.
Bars and Lounges
Watering holes aboard Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas are plentiful, that’s for sure. Night or day, you’ll find bars and lounges serving up beers, wines and your favorite cocktails.
No matter what kind of bar scene you normally enjoy (loud and raucous, relaxing and quiet), you’ll find it aboard this cruise ship. Some of your options?
- On Air Club, for karaoke nights, Wii games and low crowds
- Boleros, for salsa, jazz and dancing
- Schooner Bar, a nautical-themed watering hole with trivia and piano music
- Vintages, where you can taste to your heart’s content and then pair your favorite vino with some tapas or charcuterie
- Hoof and Claw Pub, a British-style spot
- R Bar, which took the place of the ship’s previous Champagne bar and is now a more elegant spot for wine
- Star Lounge, an Art Deco lounge with games and lots of seating
- The Plaza Bar, a coffee-to-cocktails watering hole
- The Viking Crown Lounge, for great views
Additionally, two bars near the pool will serve you frozen cocktails and beer buckets.
Activities and Entertainment
If there’s one amazing thing about Royal Caribbean ships — even those that are slightly older, like Liberty of the Seas — it’s that there’s always something fun to do, and there are always fun activities for every type of traveler, whether you’re traveling with the kids, as a couple or as a group of friends.
Here are a few ways you can expect to fill your days during a Liberty of the Seas cruise.
Pools and Waterslides
On this ship, there are plenty of sunny spots for you to enjoy and many are on Deck 11. That’s where you’ll find the main pool and the hot tubs, a space that’s usually pretty crowded and filled with cruisers.
If you’re fine with that, you can kick back and relax with a frosty beverage from one of two pool-adjacent bars, while people watching, maybe participating in a staff-led game or enjoying some live music.
If you want a quieter spot, there’s always the Solarium area, which is restricted to cruisers ages 16 and up. There’s a pool, lounge and two hot tubs there, as well as some swings.
In total, there are three different pool spaces and that doesn’t even touch the aqua park, featuring the Tidal Wave slide, as well as two additional water slides that both offer their own jaw-dropping, adrenaline-pumping thrills. There’s also the FlowRider surf simulator, so you can try your hand at riding the waves, all from the safety of the top deck.
The Promenade
The Promenade is the heart of a Royal Caribbean ship. Located on Deck 5, the interior — very literal — promenade leads to restaurants, bars, shops and entertainment, and is just about always filled with activity and people.
It’s a great place to check out not just for a photo op, but for people watching or finding something fun to do, when you’re just not sure where to get started exploring the ship.
Shows
Royal Caribbean offers a variety of entertainment across its ships, from Broadway-style shows to live music and more. In the past, the cruise line has put on off-Broadway renditions of favorites like “Grease” and “Hairspray,” but currently on Liberty of the Seas, you can check out “Saturday Night Fever,” a show filled with disco-era tunes, and “In the Air,” a heavily choreographed acrobatics show.
Ice Skating
Yep, you can go ice skating while you’re aboard Liberty of the Seas! The family-friendly ice skating rink is a favorite spot for those who are maybe ready to get out of the sun for a bit.
If you’re not keen to get out on the ice, but would like to watch others at work, plan to attend one of the ice skating shows, for the coolest ice rink entertainment at sea.
Sports
There are plenty of options for getting active while on this thrill-packed ship. There’s a sports court with basketball and volleyball, a rock climbing wall, mini golf course and jogging track.
Kids Venues
Royal Caribbean’s family friendliness extends to include spaces just for the kids in your crew. The youngest travelers can enjoy Adventure Ocean programming that divides children according to their ages, and then offers age-appropriate activities led by the ship’s well-trained counselors.
Preteens can hang out in a space for ages 12 to 14. A space for older teens, ages 15 to 17, is also available. There’s also a dedicated water area called Splashaway Bay on the open deck.
Liberty of the Seas Itineraries
Currently, Liberty of the Seas offers short cruises from Florida. Shorter itineraries give you and your family just enough time to experience the ship without growing bored and without leaving you wishing you could stay aboard longer. It’s just the perfect length of time for a ship of this size.
Liberty of the Seas FAQ:
Liberty of the Seas is the second Freedom-class cruise ship for Royal Caribbean, following Freedom of the Seas. It was built in 18 months in Finland and was delivered in April 2007, before embarking on its maiden voyage in May 2007.
With 15 passenger decks, Liberty of the Seas can accommodate, on average, 3,634 passengers and 1,300 crew members. The ship sports a gross tonnage of 155,889 GT, and a length of 1,111 feet.
There are 18 decks in total and, at maximum occupancy, the ship holds 1,360 crew members and 4,960 passengers. Liberty of the Seas is the largest Freedom-class cruise ship.
Liberty of the Seas offers three pool areas, with a main pool flanked by hot tubs; a child’s pool area; a waterpark with three different water slides; and an adults-only pool area, the enclosed Solarium, also with additional hot tubs.
Liberty of the Seas is the second Freedom-class cruise ship for Royal Caribbean, following Freedom of the Seas. Independence of the Seas followed a year later, rounding out the trio of Royal Caribbean’s Freedom-class cruise ships.
In regards to size, the Freedom class has now been overtaken by the Oasis and Icon class as some of the largest passenger ships in the world.
While not identical, Liberty of the Seas is fairly similar to its two sister Freedom-class cruise ships, the older Freedom of the Seas and the younger Independence of the Seas.
Main Photo Credit: Philip Armitage / Shutterstock.com
