Independence of the Seas
Independence of the Seas was built by STX Europe, now Meyer Turku for Royal Caribbean International. She is the third vessel of the 'Freedom of the Seas' class which is an enlarged version of the Voyager class. When she entered service, Independence of the Seas was the largest passenger ship in service.
A technical description of her sister ship Freedom of the Seas is found at www.ship-technology.com. Photos of Independence of the Seas's float-out are found at www.cruisepage.com.
A noteworthy special feature of the Voyager Class and Freedom Class ships is the 'Royal Promenande' inspired by concepts from the early 1980ies; e.g. read the following two articles: 'Fantasy Ships Of The Future are Here Now', Cruise Travel, June 1984; '21st Century Cruising', Cruise Travel, Feb. 1989.
A first implementation of such a split superstructure was seen aboard the ferries Sija Serenade and Silja Symphony built in the 1990ies, Voyager of the Seas was the first cruise ship to feature a similar interior space.
