We sail three times each winter and hands-down love the Freedom Class of ships. The Independence has all the amenities of the bigger ships yet retains the feeling of being at sea. Without a doubt the staff on the Independence are a big factor in making each cruise a success. Throughout the whole cruise we felt the desire of staff to ensure we were enjoying ourselves. The music throughout the cruise was terrific - not loud and garish rather it was pleasant yet upbeat (think soft rock, island and salsa type music). We had a D1 Cabin on Deck 10. One of the great features of the Freedom class is the fabulous bar on Deck 14 with sweeping views of the water (something which is greatly missed on the Oasis class of ships). The Cruise Director and his wife Katrina, Activities Manager, are a terrific combo and we enjoyed their daily broadcasts on the TV. Dining in Giovanni's was a treat as always. We were also happy with our dining room experience on the other evenings. Although we didn't get to any shows, we heard they were good. The Casino Host, Sergio, was terrific as were the all the other members of the Casino team.

In Cozumel, we enjoyed a little stroll and then beer and nachos at Pepe's, had it been a little less windy we would have gone to the beach for the day. Unfortunately the weather turned wet and windy in Costa Maya. We were happy to be there but the weather ruled out our planned massages on the beach.

The ship is well maintained,. The Captain provides good updates in a clear voice (not always the case). Read more