Two new ships get their feet wet

An important milestone in the construction of a new cruise ship is when the vessel transitions from dry dock to wet dock. The area containing the ship is flooded, and the new ship floats for the first time. Recently, two new cruise ships began their careers at sea at their respective shipyards in Europe.



Royal Caribbean

celebrated the completion of the

Liberty of the Seas'

hull at Aker Yards in Finland. The sister ship of the

Freedom of the Seas

, the

Liberty

will debut in May 2007, when she will sail alternating eastern and western Caribbean itineraries. The new ship will feature many of the innovations of the

Freedom

, including the FlowRider surfing simulator, the H2O Zone water park, cantilevered whirlpools, an ice skating rink, a boxing ring, and a family suite that can sleep 14 people.



Costa's

new ship had its technical launch in Genoa, Italy, at Fincantieri's Sestri Ponente shipyards. The

Costa Serena

—sister to the newly debuted

Costa Concordia

—will sail her inaugural cruises next May as well. Her first itineraries will be seven-night voyages to Greece, Turkey, and Croatia. Features include one of the largest spas at sea, a Grand Prix driving simulator, and an enclosable pool deck.

I'm sure we'll hear more about the amenities of these ships as their launch dates approach. In the meantime, bookings for the

Liberty of the Seas

and the

Costa Serena

are already open, so if you want to experience these vessels firsthand, you can start planning.