Royal Caribbean to debut first-ever water slides on Galveston-based cruise ship

Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas will receive a Texas-like makeover and bring even more adventure onboard with the addition of the a collection of waterslides called the Perfect Storm including the first-ever boomerang slide, Tidal Wave. The new slide features a steep drop that propels riders up a near vertical wall for a moment of weightlessness and into free fall. less Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas will receive a Texas-like makeover and bring even more adventure onboard with the addition of the a collection of waterslides called the Perfect Storm including the ... more Photo: Royal Caribbean Photo: Royal Caribbean Image 1 of / 47 Caption Close Royal Caribbean to debut first-ever water slides on Galveston-based cruise ship 1 / 47 Back to Gallery

In February, Royal Caribbean will replace its Galveston-based ship Navigator of the Seas with the larger Liberty of the Seas.

But the big news for cruise fanatics, announced on Friday, is that Liberty of the Seas will feature the popular cruise line's first-ever on-board water slides.

After a month-long dry-dock in January, the 3,634-passenger ship will debut a collection of slides including the boomerang-style Tidal Wave and two racer slides called Typhoon and Cyclone. The former, according to a release, features "a steep drop that propels riders up a near vertical wall for a moment of weightlessness and info free fall."

Other upgrades to Liberty of the Seas include Splashaway Bay, an interactive kids' water park with water cannons and geysers, and 26 Panoramic Ocean View staterooms with floor-to-ceiling glass windows. Dining and bar options already popular on the Navigator of the Seas will be added to the ship as well, including Mexican eatery Sabor, Italian Giovanni's Table and mixology-savvy R Bar.

The water slides originally were slated to debut on Royal Caribbean's Harmony of the Seas, a much larger ship that's part of the cruise line's Oasis class. A representative from the company said the timing of Liberty of the Seas' dry-dock made it a nice fit for a premiere run. In 2014, Royal Caribbean unveiled its first-ever "virtual balcony" rooms on the Galveston-based Navigator of the Seas. The interior rooms with floor-to-ceiling screens streaming live footage of the sea and shore had their official coming out party on the buzzed-about, high-tech Quantum of the Seas later that year.

Liberty of the Seas sailings will continue to follow Western Caribbean itineraries as the Navigator of the Seas has for two years. Two new ports of call have been added, Montego Bay, Jamaica, and Puerto Costa Maya, Mexico. Others include Belize City, Belize; Cozumel, Mexico; Falmouth, Jamaica; George Town, Grand Cayman; and Roatan, Honduras.

To view the various six- to eight-day itineraries and schedules, go to royalcaribbean.com.