Although I've taken at least 4 cruises in my younger days (with NCL, RCCL and Princess), this was my husband's and 9 year old daughter's first cruise trip. Consequently, I was very selective with the ship I chose, wanting to "wow" the family on their first cruise experience. I had very high expectations going on the Independence, after reading the reviews and hearing from friends who have been on the ship previously.

Because there was concerns about a Norwalk Virus outbreak, the Independence went through a thorough sanitization process before letting us on. We waited in line for over 2-1/2 hours, but appreciated that the Independence was being proactive in looking after the safety and well-being of their passengers. Crew members were very vigilant with cleaning public areas, educating passengers and ensuring that everyone used the Purrell hand sanitizing stations, as they entered all dining facilities. We stayed healthy and happy throughout the duration of our cruise.

This was, indeed, a beautiful ship. We loved seeing all the special features of the ship, including the skating rink, climbing wall, FlowRider, miniature golf course, etc. but to be honest, aside from the pool area, gym and ping-pong table, we never used these other facilities! Read more