The world’s biggest cruise ship, the Freedom of the Seas, has drawn a crowd of thousands in Hamburg ahead of its maiden transatlantic voyage. The Finnish-built vessel and flagship of Royal Caribbean International, Freedom of the Seas, will have a thorough check and final polish at Germany’s Blohm and Voss shipyard. 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 160,000-ton ship is 339 metres (1,112 ft) long, 56m (184 ft) wide and has a cruising speed of 21.6 knots. It boasts the world’s first on-board surfing pool, called “Flow Rider”, a skating rink and a rock-climbing wall, and will take up to 4,375 passengers at a time on Caribbean cruises.
