Embarkation was not a problem. Lots of people but it went smoothly. The weather was not great for the first three days. I was really surprised that a ship that big moved so much in the wind. This was our fifth cruise and we could not believe how much that ship bobbed in the sea. It really was noticeable. But, it was very windy!! The crew was wonderful! Our steward was Terrence and he took care of everything. Our waiter was named Bala and he was also great. The food in the main dining room was better than average. We also ate at the Windjammer which was better than expected. Johnny Rocket's was not great, and we tried it twice!! The pizza at Sorrento's was very tasty and the food at the coffee shop (our midnight snack place) was very, very good. The ports of call were very nice and getting to and from was without any snags. The casino was fun but they took all our money. The dealers were friendly and other than losing every night, it was a nice place to hang out. Our room, on level 6, overlooked the promenade so we watched the activities each night from the window or from a table at Sorrentos. The ice skating was fun, but it was tough on us older folks. We tried the flow-rider and it was really fun! I'm still sore, but that will pass. Debarkation was a nightmare. Seems like not all the crew were not on the same page and different messages given to different people. But, once we got off the ship, we waited for an hour to get a cab!! It was hot and not fun. They usher you off the ship and leave you to fight the crowds for a cab. All in all, it was a very fun vacation. Royal Caribbean is a top-notch organization and the Independence was a beautiful ship. We would absolutely do this again!! The ice show was great. The other entertainment was just so-so, though we did not go to every show.