Long time cruisers on RCI...Seeing cutbacks which is unfortunate...hoping the powers that be will revisit some of their very apparent cost cutting measures...sailed on the Independence for the first time week if July 19th...great overall cruise vacation…weather was great…traveled with my wife, celebrating her birthday! Enjoy the freedom class of ships but felt our experience on the Freedom and Liberty seemed better. That said, dining service provided by Stacey Howell and Yunjiao Huang(Jen) was one of the best we have received on any ship...they were fantastic! Our stateroom attendant James Fernandes was also great...providing great service and attention during the week. We had a balcony cabin which was as expecyed… nice and well located. Cruise director Leigh X and activities mgr Frank were a great team, played off each other well and very entertaining...did great jobs with the L&M show and the Quest. Entertainment during the week was good but would have liked to have seen a more personable and energetic piano entertainer in the schooner lounge...you get spoiled after being on cruises with entertainers like Matt Yee! Also felt the live bands were only okay…would have preferred to see a more high energy band on board playing nightly. Headline entertainment was good...first night's comic Jeff Nease was very funny and liked comedy magician Levent more than we thought we would...he won us over by the end of his performance! Overall service on the ship was good although thought there could have been more personnel visible in the fitness center. Overall food quality along with selection at cafe promenade was very disappointing along with the pizza at Sorrento's. Also missed having a coke freestyle machine on board. Ports were good but would have liked spending more time in Puerto Rico. Disembarkation in Ft Lauderdale was one of the longest we have experienced with the crew seemingly disoriented or just disengaged from the whole process.

Continue to be RCI loyalists…but hoping to see less cutbacks on future cruises and more attention given to loyalty members…perks seem to be less than in the past.