Having cruised with Holland America on a mid size ship last year we were not sure what to expect with this. However our expectations were exceeded and we had an excellent cruise all round. There was a short delay to embark but it was all organised well and the Windjammer had seats available and throughout the cruise we did not experience any of the big queues and waits for tables that other reviewers have mentioned. Our cabin was a good size with plenty of storage for 3 (outside front view) and was nice and clean. The entertainment on the ship was excellent and of a higher standard than on previous cruises and again although the ship was full with over 4000 guests we never struggled for a seat. Yes you have to queue for the ice show tickets but if the majority of families stopped putting people in both queues I am sure it would have moved faster! That said we only queued for around 15 minutes (us British are excellent at queuing!) Food in the main dining room was good - perhaps not as relaxed as on previous cruises, but based on the number of guests and the size of the dining rooms it was good and no complaints from us - the waiters also spent time with our daughter which was appreciated. People really need to manage their expectations! Chops is well worth the cover charge, the fillet mignon was fantastic. The children's programme on board was well organised and diverse, our 5 year old attending at some point every day and really enjoyed it - we had more problems trying to get her to spend any time with us.! Yes - there are people that are selfish and save the sunbeds, but this is no different to what we experienced in our hotel in Fort Lauderdale or on any Spanish summer holiday we have taken! Certainly not pertinent to the Independence. The Itinerary was not the best - unless you do the jungle (which is not suitable for a 5 year old) there is not much else to Belize and the same really for Costa Maya. We did enjoy Cozumel though.

All in all an excellent cruise and it is likely we will cruise on her again, probably from Southampton this time. One word of warning - although the disembarkation process was well organised, once off the ship the terminal was very very busy. (6 ships inc the Oasis). It took 45 mins to reclaim luggage and clear passport control plus then a 1 hour queue in the pouring rain for a taxi - so ensure you allow time for this.