Independence of the Seas Review

4.5 / 5.0
1,706 reviews

Disappointed in Royal Caribbean

Review for the Western Caribbean Cruise on Independence of the Seas
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RobertoF
10+ Cruises • Age 50s

Rating by category

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Value for Money
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Additional details

Sail Date: Dec 2010
Cabin: Oceanview Stateroom
Traveled with children

This was our 13th cruise and third with Royal Caribbean. We were excited to go on Indy with our extended family. This cruise was probably our worst in terms of service. The crew overall seemed like they did not want to be there. Whereas typically on cruises the staff goes out of their way to provide exceptional service, and to stay a step ahead of what we want, on this cruise we had to ask for everything multiple times. Our waitress was miserable. Our stateroom attendant was pleasant but absentminded (forgot the soap; left the cleaning bottle in the room; "hid" the tissues in a desk drawer, etc.). I got the sense they were all mailing it in. They did not even have an entertainment staff (singers and dancers) until the second to last day, and there was only one main show. The other shows were single act shows that were pretty good but not big productions. The ice show was excellent, though. The food was not up to par. The same dishes were repeated for breakfast and lunch. The food quality was not very good. There was little in the way of healthy food (whole grains; berries; fresh vegetables) and the salad bar was very limited. The activities were well run and organized, as was debarkation. Embarkation was a bit disorganized, and the staff did not seem to know what was going on. Overally it felt more like being on a Carnival ship than a Royal Caribbean ship. Next time we will be back with Princess or NCL or maybe Celebrity. Perhaps it was just this ship, but I am leery about going back on a Royal Caribbean ship after this experience.

Cabin Review

Oceanview Stateroom

The cabin was a bit small but otherwise was fine. It had a nice big window.

Port Reviews

Cozumel

Another great day at the Money Bar.

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