Independence of the Seas Review
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Having just come off Allure in February, we decided to book this as a last minute inexpensive cruise. From the perspective of value for money, we got more than our monies worth. We have only sailed on 7 and 8 day cruises in the past so I was curious to see what differences exist on a 5 day cruise. First of all, there is no Crown and Anchor event for Gold members but they did offer a Top Tier Event on the last at sea day at 5:15 in the Pyramid Lounge. There is one formal night on the second night, and there is one night when lobster is offered in the main dining room. Being a much less expensive cruise than Oasis class ships, the demographic is also different. I certainly would not want to be on this ship during Spring Break when the college crowd is aboard.
We first sailed on Indy 3 years ago and one of my favorite things about this ship is the grand dining room. Much as I prefer Allure and Oasis, I have to say that the wait staff and quality of food were actually better on Indy.
I have sailed on Celebrity Solstice class ships and agree that they are more sophisticated than Royal, but Royal does such a good job of making a cruise fun. Indy did not disappoint - the activities were great and the entertainment excellent. We had a comedian, the headliner was an Elton John impersonator, and the production shows were great. I loved jazz night on the final night of the cruise when the Royal Caribbean orchestra and singers take over the Olive or Twist lounge. Olive or Twist is located way up on deck 14 and on the first night you could have shot a cannon through it even though the band was very good. It was nice to see it fill up as people discovered this lovely venue.
Cabin Review
Interior Stateroom
For the first time in decades we opted to have an inside cabin, convincing ourselves that it was a good idea as so little time is spent in the cabin. Let's just say we won't do that again. The inside cabin is so small that you can't walk around the bed. Also, the location was aft on deck 8 and it shook like crazy. I have no trouble handling very rough seas but the vibration when we were underway made me crazy. It was particularly noticeable while sitting on the bed with my back against the wall, Many people will tell you that all ships vibrate but not like this! Back to Allure for me . . .
Port Reviews
Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades)
Port Everglades is so close to the airport that it makes it our first choice embarkation point.
Labadee
Labadee is beautiful and a great place for a beach day with free beach chairs and a free buffet lunch. Just be sure to head to Colombus Cove or Nellie's Beach if you like soft sand and calm water because Adrenaline beach under the zip line has rough water and a rocky bottom. A free water taxi will take you from the dock to Colombus Cove/Nellie's Beach but you have to walk back or take the tram as the boat only runs in one direction.
Falmouth
We didn't even make it outside the gates of the port. We stopped in Margaritaville, saw the lovely pool, loungers, hot tub and waterfall and spent a very happy day right there. I can't comment on the food, but I thought the drinks were reasonably priced ($4.25 for a G&T, $5 for a beer). There were fun but not over the top drinking games which took place in the central area away from the pool area and a DJ playing a wide variety of music that would appeal to all musical tastes. The staff were very friendly and helpful.