Freedom of the Seas is the flagship of the Freedom class of ships and is owned by the Royal Caribbean International. Freedom's maiden voyage was in June 2006, and Freedom was built in the STX Europe - Aker shipyard in Turku, Finland. At 158,000 gross tons, this ship hosts 3634 guests and 1360 crew. The ship's Royal Promenade has shops and eateries on each side, and many interior staterooms have windows offering a view of the Royal Promenade. The Royal Promenade has, a coffee shop, Sorrento's Pizzeria, a Ben and Jerry's ice-cream shop, Vintage's winery, the Bull and Bear Irish pub, and several Duty-free stores. The ship has an interactive water park, a dedicated adult pool and a main pool. The 13th deck has a sports area with a rock climbing wall, a FlowRider surfing pool as well as a miniature golf course and a full size basketball court. Other items include an ice skating rink, a casino, a Johnny Rockets restaurant and there is Wi-Fi connectivity throughout the ship. more

In 1903, the United States began construction of the Panama Canal, one of the world's most amazing feats of modern engineering. It took 10 years, $387 million dollars, and tens of thousands of lives to build the 50 mile "ditch" connecting two continents! Because they sail from the East Coast to the West Coast (or visa versa) a Panama Canal Cruise gives you the opportunity to see many of the same ports you may see on cruise to the Mexican Riviera, the Western Caribbean, or Southern Caribbean. It is almost like 4 cruises in one. Almost all First Class and Luxury Cruise Lines have some sort of Panama Canal itinerary. They are especially popular in April when the cruise lines move their ships from the Caribbean to Alaska and again in October when they return to the Caribbean. Most Canal cruises are 10 or 11 nights long, but true "Cruise Fanatics" may be lucky enough to catch a nice 21 day cruise from Vancouver to Ft. Lauderdale. more