We have sailed as a group of 12 on Independence of the Seas twice before it was refitted and loved it, ages range from very young (this trip youngest age 8 previously age 1 to old age 77) enjoyed it. The itinerary, dates and with the new refit it was the perfect choice again this summer. The new refit has been exceptional and the additions to name a few: lazer tag, VR headset trampoline, escape room, fish and ships... is outstanding. The windjammer has had a facelift and provided top class choice and flavour. The staff were, as ever, more than brilliant with their attention and fun. The ports were super. We have been to Gibralter, Vigo, Barcelona and Lisbon on previous trips so it was great to see something different again at these locations. The main highlights for us were Rome and Florence. You do have to travel to get to these cities so the day can be long and tiring depending on what you chose to see. We have paid for cruise tours in the past when the kids were smaller, this time we prebooked train tickets and went ourselves and had a wonderful time. You do have to be organised and know the bus/train times etc but it is easy to do. Toulon was a stop that was not so interesting. The 3 men in the group took the $18 paid ferry from the cruise port to Toulon itself and visited the Naval Museum - not overly impressed. The mum's and kids walked into La Seyne (the ship's port)- sadly not much on a Sunday so had a coffee and got back on board. Ville Franche was pretty and the tender to the harbour was complimentary. We took the train to Nice and enjoyed both locations in the same day. The older kids when on the ship were gone to the clubs at every opportunity and enjoyed these thoroughly. Our cabins were as expected we had windows which is good for seeing the daily weather! The attendant cleaned and looked after it 100%. The dining room was busy in the evenings and so My time dining was difficult with 12 of us. We ate 8:30pm initially but it took a long time and so swapped to 6:30pm for a few nights and then did the Windjammer also. The Quiz's and evening shows, the silent disco and the promenade parties were wonderful. Cruise direct Joff Eaton is a real star. Our 3rd time to have him and he never tires or looks like he has done it all before! Brilliant staff all round. We had wifi which was invaluable as we could all keep in touch - less stress. I had a wonderful pamper package - all over body massage, facial etc a real treat and very good. Alcohol is extra unless you buy the drinks package at $45 each per day. We are not big drinkers and so the package is expensive for 1-2 drinks. It would be nice if they considered a package for light drinkers. ( We also felt that people drank more than they needed daily because they were on the package). We certainly love our cruise holidays and hope to see other parts of the world this way in the future.