Independence of the Seas Review
Rating by category
Additional details
We're rather newbs when it comes to cruising, and with only a few bumps on the carpet, everything went very well. Independence of the Seas itself is in great shape and I see the crew working on her all the time during this cruise. The food was pretty good, but we were wowed by it. The food, however, is subjective so take it with a grain of salt. The wait staff is exceptional. I Wayne did a great job taking care of us for 8 days. He would tell us what to expect the next day and what to look for at the next port. Something I've never seen any Carnival wait staff do.
Geoff Eaton and his crew did a great job with entertainment and there is always something to do on the ship. My wife mentioned that she was bored by day 7 on Voyager of the Seas, but not Indy. We missed both parades, but did attend the 70's party which was great. The Royal Promenade was literally packed but everyone had a great time.
We used the stairs a lot because we did not feel like waiting for the elevator (which can be a long wait), but with over 4000 passengers, it's understandable.
Cabin Review
Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom with Balcony
We originally booked an interior but caught a massive price break for balcony guarantee Cat X for only $20 extra. Turned out to be the best $20 I've ever spent. Room 6340 was located on the starboard side hump, and it is category E2. The stateroom was surprisingly roomy, and the balcony was wonderful. This room does have its ups and downs.Location: It is located right by the elevator on Deck 6. In fact, if we leave our cabin door open, you can walk right into our room walking into our hallway. With that, we hear chatters from other cruisers walking by, but that did not really bother us. We also did not hear the parties and parades out in the promenade, so RCI did a pretty good job isolating sounds in our cabin. Because we are right above the out side promenade on deck 4, we did hear the crews working on the lifeboat hoist (which are right below us) with power tools. We heard grinding and banging at 8:00AM during sea day. Not something you want to hear when you want to sleep in. Other than that, the room is at a great location.