RCCL to Homeport Freedom-Class Ships in Port Canaveral (03/20/08)

Royal Caribbean International (RCI) and the Canaveral Port Authority are expected to finalize an agreement in the next few months to homeport the 160,000-ton Freedom of the Seas at Port Canaveral. Royal Caribbean submitted a letter of intent to deploy the vessel to Canaveral in May 2009. "The Freedom of the Seas will be the largest cruise vessel homeported here," said Port Canaveral CEO Stan Payne. "And the agreement represents the longest commitment of Royal Caribbean to Port Canaveral." Adam Goldstein, President and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, said, "Based on the popularity of Mariner of the Seas at Port Canaveral, we look forward to and anticipate similar success for Freedom of the Seas." The 3,634-passenger Freedom of the Seas was launched in 2006 as the world's largest cruise ship.