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

The resorts of the Black Sea were once reserved for Russian Czars and the Politburo elite, writes one Cruise Specialist. Now this beautiful Eastern Riviera is accessible to all Westerners. Black Sea Cruises are usually 12 nights or longer and depart from Turkey, Greece, or Italy. They call on ports like Yalta, with its gold beaches and old wooden dachas; Odessa, the pearl of the Black Sea and home to great artists like Tchaikovsky and Pushkin; the Bulgarian Port of Varna, one of Eastern Europe's most coveted vacation spots for over 2500 years; Kusadasi with it's brimming brass bazaars and the ancient city of Ephesus; and the Greek Islands, the birthplace of Western Civilization as we know it. The Black Sea is an inland sea bounded by Europe, Anatolia and the Caucasus and is ultimately connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas and various straits. more