Last November my husband and I had cruised on the inaugural voyage on Independence of the Seas out of Ft. Lauderdale. The Mariner is a tad older, and I did appreciate the upgrades in the Freedom class, although it's only a tad bit bigger. The pizza/cafe got really crowded, however, the food was still quality. This ship had the best ice skating show I have ever seen in my life (and we don't normally go to shows). The Love and Marriage show is always fun to go to, lots of laughing.

All of our attendants were super nice and very friendly. We chose to be in the late seating for dinner and really enjoy that time. We were originally seated with older couples and asked if we could change to a younger table. They had no problem rearranging us. Dinner was always a fun time. The food was great and the service was excellent.

We went to the Windjammer maybe twice. We avoid that spot bc it's always very chaotic and full of kids (bc we went in the summer). Breakfast and Lunch in the dining room is definitely the way to go. The food is much better! Read more