This review covers the 7 night Northern Europe sailing on May 18th from Southampton. This is our 9th Royal Caribbean cruise and first on the Independence.
Accommodation:
Inside cabin, 9487. This cabin was off the main corridor so noise was never an issue. It’s a nice quiet location and close to Windjammer and Adventure Ocean. The room was setup as a double and a Pullman bed (bed from ceiling). It states that this should not be used by children under 6 but there is no indication of this when we make the booking with a 4 year old. So I guess they expect the child to sleep with one of the parents and one of the parents up high! Needless to say we ignored that and our daughter slept in the Pullman bed. There is a railing to the side so it’s safe enough. The beds were very comfortable and being an inside cabin it’s nice and dark at night so a good sleep was had all week. The cabin is small and storage is a bit tight but we managed. For the savings I’d probably choose inside again.
Inside cabin, 9487. This cabin was off the main corridor so noise was never an issue. It’s a nice quiet location and close to Windjammer and Adventure Ocean. The room was setup as a double and a Pullman bed (bed from ceiling). It states that this should not be used by children under 6 but there is no indication of this when we make the booking with a 4 year old. So I guess they expect the child to sleep with one of the parents and one of the parents up high! Needless to say we ignored that and our daughter slept in the Pullman bed. There is a railing to the side so it’s safe enough. The beds were very comfortable and being an inside cabin it’s nice and dark at night so a good sleep was had all week. The cabin is small and storage is a bit tight but we managed. For the savings I’d probably choose inside again.
Bruges is approx 30mins from the port of Zeebrugge. When we got off the ship there was an independent shuttle available for €20 return per person (child free). All buses park up outside the city approx a 15 minute walk. The city itself is beautiful but be warned of crowds. It's very busy. We did a canal boat tour for €10 pp, €6 per child. Do this early as I understand it can get busy. If you like chocolate bring a bag and plenty of money. The selection is to die for!
The ship docks right in the city so it's easy to stroll around. The palace and opera house are well worth a visit
The ship docks close to the city so it's easy to walk to the center