We had a wonderful family holiday on this ship and here are the 10 things to know before cruising on "the Independence of the Seas" from a UK perspective! Its a big ship but when you get on it, there's plenty of room for everyone. Our cruise was a huge success and we'd recommend this ship. Its amazing and so is the service (then again, you'd expect it to be for the price!).
1. The plastic card you get given before boarding the ship is more useful than your passport.There is no money onboard, so the card acts as a credit card, an ID card, a reservation card and opens the door to your cabin.
2. The main restaurant is split between 3 floors and has two sittings at Dinner. For breakfast, its usually just the lower floor thats open and first come, first served. For lunch, its not open unless you are in port. For dinner, its three courses - great food, great service. There are 3 extra restaurants where you can pay an additional amount for something different, but why would you when the quality here is great? If you want casual dining, the buffet restaurant acts as an alternative and is called "The Windjammer". Its a bit of a free for all, and also has a small asian (mostly Indian vegetarian) themed area called "Jade". Its open from breakfast through til 9.30pm and is always busy for those who want a t shirt and shorts experience...