Independence of the Seas Review

4.5 / 5.0
1,701 reviews

Big ship-Big fun!

Review for the Eastern Caribbean Cruise on Independence of the Seas
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kcsun
First Time Cruiser • Age 70s

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Sail Date: Mar 2009
Cabin: Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom with Balcony

Embarkation- We (my friend and I) arrived the morning of the cruise, took a cab to the port. Cab driver took a wrong turn but quickly made an illegal u-turn and we arrived at the ship about noon. Very easy process to get on the ship, found a table in the WJ (that was the most crowded it was all week). Ship- sparkling clean, very helpful staff, and lots of options for dining and activities. Our cabin was clean and well appointed, but I am spoiled as on prior cruises had junior suites. But this balcony cabin was just fine. Loved the shower doors- no more water all over the bathroom floor! Stateroom attendant Doris was great. Dining- we had the late dinner seating, on the mid level dining room. Our table was next to the balcony and we had a great view. We were seated at a table for 8, but only 4 of us ever showed up. Must be "any time dining" option leaves some empty places. The food was good, as were the other dining options- enjoyed Sorrentos, the Cafe Promenade and Johnny Rockets. WJ had some nice selections for breakfast and lunch. Activities- really like the Solarium and the hot tubs. Did notice some lounge chair hogs especially in sea days. Did not frequent the casino but used the gym and it was not crowded early in the day. We enjoyed the ice show, one of the comedians and the farewell show. Sorry to have missed Graham's late night show but midnight was late for us. Several times we had a drink in Boleros pre-dinner- loved the mango mojitos! Ports- San Juan was very nice. We took a tour of the fort and Old San Juan. Lots of walking so we were ready for a nice cold pina colada. Our guide was very informative and entertaining. St. Thomas- I did some shopping right by the pier. My friend did the snorkeling at Christmas Cove- she loved it. St. Maartens- the tour (Marigot and Orient Beach) was terrible- the tour guide was unorganized, got us caught up in horrible traffic, and let one person on the tour dictate when and where we'd go! Orient Beach is beautiful but pretty rough surf that day (I believe that is normal there). Instead of taking us back to Phillipsburg where the tour started, the guide left 2 of us off quite a ways for the center of town and took the rest back to the pier. Bad guide. Labadee- I stayed on the ship enjoying the Solarium. My friend explored the resort and found it quite beautiful. Disembarking- I like the way this was done- you are told where to wait to be called and given the approximate time. No urgency to vacate your cabin, no mass confusion in the public areas- we really prefer this method. Only hitch- long wait for a taxi! We stayed in Ft. Lauderdale an extra day at the Embassy Suites. No sense in rushing home! Overall- it was a great cruise. You can do as much or as little as you want on this ship. Will definitely stay with RCI.

Cabin Review

Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom with Balcony

Cabin E2
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