Independence of the Seas Review

Great Family Holiday with Teens

Review for the Western Mediterranean Cruise on Independence of the Seas
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lostnemo
2-5 Cruises • Age 50s

Rating by category

Cabin
Value for Money
Embarkation
Dining
Public Rooms
Entertainment
Fitness & Recreation
Service

Additional details

Sail Date: Jul 2016
Cabin: Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom with Balcony
Traveled with children

This is our 5th RCI cruise with our family. We love cruising and the freedom our teenagers get onboard always makes our holiday great for all the family. Service was good with some staff excellent, however staff used to be consistently excellent. Every year RCI put up their prices for the extras. Transfers at ports doubled in price this year. The itinerary changes and the fact I was not informed at all was very disappointing. Changing Corsica to Toulon was not a good choice (in my opinion). This ship had a mixed clientele and some of the teenagers (and adults) could be quite rude compared to other cruises we have been on. We did meet some wonderful people onboard so we loved the holiday overall. Embarkation and disembarkation was as ever swift and easy. A drinks package is a must as the cost of drinks is much higher than on previous cruises. However the Premium Package is good value as the quality of the drinks on offer is great. My time dining worked better this year and we were always seated within 10 minutes (family of 4). The entertainment was good overall but the show "Grease" was excellent. Joff, the cruise director, was very professional, great fun and not too cheesy. We look forward to our next cruise with RCI.

Cabin Review

Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom with Balcony

Cabin E3

Nice size room, mid ship so quite a long walk to lifts! A couple of chips on the sink etc and one draw was broken so could do with a maintenance check up.

Port Reviews

Toulon

This port is terrible. Its 10 km from Toulon and there is nothing at the dock. RCI charge $18 pp for a boat taxi to Toulon. The public taxi is 2 euros but couldn't cope with the number of passengers on our ship. We gave up and went back onboard.

Villefranche

Lovely port. Easy to walk around or spend time on the beach. You can take the train to Nice or Monaco (only 15 minutes) and the station is only 1/2 mile from the tender dock.

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