Summit 2013/venue

Liberty of the Seas

Liberty of the Seas is a Royal Caribbean International Freedom class cruise ship which entered regular service in May 2007. The 15-deck ship accommodates 3,634 passengers served by 1,360 crew. She was built in 18 months at the Aker Finnyards drydock in Turku, Finland, where her sister ship, Freedom of the Seas, was also built. At gross tonnage (GT) of 154,407 tons, she joined her sister ship, Freedom of the Seas, as the largest cruise ships and passenger vessels then ever built. She is 1,111.9 ft (338.91 m) long, 184 ft (56.08 m) wide, and cruises at 21.6-knot (40 km/h; 25 mph).

• Class and type: Freedom-class, cruise ship
• Tonnage: gross tonnage (GT) of 154,407 tons
• Length: 1,111.9 ft (338.91 m)
• Beam: 126.64 ft (38.60 m) waterline 184 ft (56.08 m) extreme (bridge wings)
• Draught: 28 ft (8.53 m)
• Decks: 18 total decks, 15 passenger decks
• Speed: 21.6-knot (40 km/h; 25 mph)
• Capacity: 3,634 passengers (double occupancy)
• Crew: 1,300 crew (average)

Accommodations

All attendees will be housed in one of the ship's many staterooms. Most staterooms are dual occupancy and all rooms can be configured with either a queen bed or two twin beds. The pricing below is tentative as we do not yet have a venue contract signed, however these are very close to what the final costs will be.

• Suites ($1,400/attendee)
• Balcony ($1,200/attendee)
• Oceanview ($1,000/attendee)
• Interior ($800/attendee)

Venue Concerns

We realize you might have some concerns about the venue. Believe it or not modern cruise ships have full conference centers on board (state of the art AV, facilities and even air walls), robust internet connections, and amazing food. Also, because of the fixed cost, there is no worrying about ordering a steak at dinner (in fact, you can have 2 if you want), it's all included in the price of attendance. A growing number of organizations and conferences are choosing ship venues for their next event. The conference ship option is actually less expensive per person the 2011 summit in Lisbon and we will actually have MORE bandwidth at sea than we had at the CampoReal venue! Additionally, they offer a level of seclusion not available on any land based venue allowing attendees to focus and be productive while still providing ample opportunities to network and meet new people from the community

Internet Connectivity

The ship is equipped with satellite internet connections. At a minimum we will have a 2.5/2.5 mbps line to support video streaming and remote participation as well as a separate line for attendee internet. There will be some latency (600ms - 650ms) on this connection but should be manageable.

To fight connectivity issues, we will be bringing collaboration servers, code repositories, and forward proxies onboard. If you have an idea that needs additional technology just let us know! The ship is highly flexible to our IT needs.

Benefits of a Cruise Venue

• Do more for less: The average per person cost for a cruise is $135 per day based on double occupancy and $300 per day for single occupancy, while the average cost for a sales meeting held at a resort is $450 per person, per day, once you add in the cost of meals, resort taxes, snacks, audio visual, etc. On a ship- it’s all inclusive! That means all meals (including room service), evening entertainment, daily activities, use of the gym, etc. are all included in the cruise fare. Not to mention visits to different ports of call!

• Better Budget Control: Because almost everything is included in the cruise fare, budgeting is a breeze, which enables better control overall and less out-of-pocket expense for attendees.

• More “WOW” for your buck: Theaters and lounges feature state-of-the-art sound, light and projection systems and built-in décor, saving you considerable time and money and giving your presentations a greater “wow” factor.

• A ship is a self-contained environment, fostering relationship-building and encouraging greater meeting attendance and participation. With less outside distractions, your attendees can focus more on the program agenda.

• Superior Service. Ship staff-to-guest ratio is generally three times that of most resorts, so everyone in your group will receive attentive and personalized service.

• Built in spouse programs and a variety of options for your group when they are not in meetings. Kids and teens have their own activities and lounges on ships, making program planning a breeze.

• An abundance of dining options and an end to pre-selected banquet menus Ever-changing dining room menus make meals memorable. From elegant dining rooms to intimate specialty restaurants and casual poolside grills, ship dining will please even the most discerning tastes. Guests order "off the menu" and enjoy unlimited servings.

• A secure ship environment protects attendee privacy and reduces risk.