Independence of the Seas Review

4.5 / 5.0
1,703 reviews

Enjoyable Northern Europe Cities Cruise

Review for the Baltic Sea Cruise on Independence of the Seas
User Avatar
Ktwofish
6-10 Cruises • Age 60s

Rating by category

Cabin
Value for Money
Embarkation
Dining
Public Rooms
Entertainment
Service

Additional details

Sail Date: Jul 2017
Cabin: Junior Suite

My family booked 7 cabins on the July 7, 2017, sailing of Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas. We wanted to visit London, so a sailing out of Southampton was a perfect fit to add a pre or post cruise visit. We had a great time on the Independence. We were in Junior Suites, which were very roomy (including a walk-in closet and bathtub). I can't imagine paying more for a suite because our cabin was large enough. The service was fantastic from our room steward to the dining room staff. The food was very good considering they are feeding over 4,000 people. We dined once in the Chops Grill (very good). The ship in general looked like the typical cruise ship. It was clean, which is most important to me.

The ports were good but not exceptional. This is very subjective, though. There were only 4 ports in 8 days and 4 sea days (not including Southampton, which we did not tour). I enjoy discovering very historical cities/sites, and I felt this was lacking in a couple stops. I did not enjoy all the sea days, but that's my preference. I won't criticize Royal Caribbean for this because I knew what I was booking! I'll just consider this the next time I book a cruise. A positive--we were in each port a long time so you could explore or travel to another locale.

I have been on 7 cruises, so this wasn't my first rodeo :) I have sailed on several cruise lines, too--Princess, Norwegian, Holland America, and Royal Caribbean. This ship, staff, and food matched up or was better than the others I've experienced.

Cabin Review

Junior Suite

Cabin JS

This cabin is VERY roomy. It had a full sofa and chair with ottoman. The Walk-in closet was fantastic and could store all of our bags, clothes, souvenirs. I use packing cubes, so I loved the floor to ceiling closet shelves! The bathroom was large by cruise ship standards. It has a large bathtub (shower combination), BUT it was difficult for me to get in and out. I'm only 5' 3", so I had to be careful. This would be a problem for someone with mobility issues. I liked the location because it was fairly close to the elevators, stairs, and main dining areas. I did not notice noise from surrounding cabins or decks above or below.

2 Helpful Votes
previous reviewnext review

Find an Independence of the Seas Cruise from $255

Any Month

Get special cruise deals, expert advice, insider tips and more.By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

© 1995—2024, The Independent Traveler, Inc.