Independence of the Seas Review
Rating by category
Additional details
Independence of the Seas may not be the most elegant ship, but it certainly is one of the most fun ships. Royal Caribbean does a good job of catering to guests looking for an active, entertainment packed cruise and our Indy sailing did not disappoint. We stayed two nights pre-cruise at the impressive Westin Diplomat on Hollywood Beach, taking cabs from the airport and to the cruise port rather than renting a car. Check-in around 2:30 was fairly straight forward as most of the crowds were already aboard by that time. Next time we check in later in the day, we will carry all our own luggage directly to our cabin to avoid waiting for it to be delivered. We had hoped to go to the gym before dinner but couldn't because our bags hadn't arrived. We were very pleased with our seventh deck balcony cabin, as being on the starboard side allowed us to enjoy the sun on the balcony during the initial two days at sea. Being a slightly older ship, the balcony was extra large.
The gyms on Freedom class ships have the most spectacular views from the elliptical trainers and treadmills situated along the windows at the front of the ship. There is room for improvement in the gym, however, as some of the equipment had unsanitary rips in the plastic upholstery.
Because I have a very severe gluten intolerance, one of the first things we did upon embarking the ship was to pay a visit to the dining room manager to express my concerns. The dining room staff were unbelievably attentive to my dietary needs. Our head waiter Suraj took me under his care, making sure that I did not make any choices which might compromise my health. The menus have many items marked "gluten free" but not all of them are suitable for someone who cannot tolerate any cross-contamination. On more than one occasion, I had the chef visit my table to warn against a selected item which may be cross-contaminated and to make suggestions as to a better choice. This level of care gave me great peace of mind and I had absolutely no problems while dining on board.
Cabin Review
Our cabin was quiet and spacious, with more storage space than we could use. The starboard balcony allowed us to escape the wind on sea days and enjoy the sun on the two initial days at sea. The partition between the balconies rattled, but we stuffed facecloths in the frame to solve this problem. i do like to bring my own soap, shampoo and conditioner as the products supplied are not to my liking. There is a retractable clothes line in the shower, although I did bring extra suction hooks to hang dry the many wet bathing suits.