Wow !! My 8th time on Indie and possibly the busiest & worst cruise I have ever been on , no seats in the bars, no seats on the sun deck, bodies lying in every corner possible !! an absolute shambles !!, food in the MDR poor and tasteless, and Windjammer not much better with bun fights every day just to sit down - No fun and certainly NOT relaxing as it should be. Queing for everything even a seat on deck 4 !!!! Since the refit the extra 500 people onboard this ship have absolutely ruined it , very dissapointed and every cent or nickle has been pushed to the limit by RCL. Sorry to say I am Diamond Plus and I will not be going back on this ship anymore, and have already booked a different line for only the second time in 25yrs as we do not like the Quantum Class as it is too claustrophobic in the lower decks and has no deck 4. Suite Class is the only way of guaranteeing a seat anywhere !! On a positive note, the bar/room & serving staff were fantastic and worked really hard, but were let down by poor chefs, poor meat quality and cheap cuts, lukewarm food. I could not understand the huge drop in food quality ?? The only places to eat with good quality WAS the speciality dining which we increased dramatically after getting served some terrible food in the MDR & Windjammer. Chops was excellent, Giovanis was the best by far followed by Izumi Hibachi which was fun and Chefs table which reminded me how Royal Caribbean use to be years ago. Sorry RCL you have got this refit totally wrong with the increased cabins and cut backs on quality. In fact I have had much better food on a cross channel ferry other than speciality. Goodbye Indie loved the way you were originally built ... but not now... Read Less

We sailed on the Independence six years ago and had a great time which prompted us to re-book for the 14 night Italian Mediterranean cruise in July. The coach journey to the port was perfect and embarkation was quick and friendly. When we boarded the ship we sat on the top deck with a drink in the sun as we left Southampton looking forward to our fortnights break. Around four o'clock we decided to check out our rooms, as a party of five we booked two superior balcony staterooms on deck 7. First impressions were how tired the rooms were. Picture frames had chunks out of them, bedding had dirty marks on it, pillows were stained, the list went on. The worst issue in one room was the tea tray which was filthy and had somebody's false eyelash stuck to tray. We complained twice asking for a replacement tray (for obvious hygiene reasons) the gentlemen at customer services was very apologetic both times but this never happened and we ended up washing it in the bathroom sink ourselves. As the cruise went on we noticed how packed the ship was. It was a constant struggle to find a table for five most evenings in any of the bars and I likened getting a meal in Windjammers to shopping at a supermarket at Christmas, not a pleasurable experience. We opted for anytime dining but on three occasions were told that there were no tables available (hence Windjammers) on the times we did dine in the main dining room the food and service were excellent. The ship was roamed by gangs of teenagers who on two occasions we saw getting amorous with each other (much to the horror of some of the passengers) and young children running around chasing each other around the lifts and promenade. Our one fine dining experience was at the 'Murder Mystery' night at Giovanni's Table. The whole experience for $60 a head was terrible. We had to wipe food off two chairs before sitting down, some of the cutlery wasn't clean and the food and acting was very bad. As soon as we were told that the ordeal was over the restaurant emptied in about five seconds. On a positive note service from all of the staff on board was excellent especially from the waiters in Schooners bar and Made our room attendant who was always really friendly and helpful. All of the excursions we went on were great especially Rome with our guide Judy and Seville with Iesus who was fantastic. In conclusion, we found the ship run down and very disappointing. It was over crowded and there were too many children running around un-supervised which could be quite dangerous for the older passengers. Without the excellent shore excursions we would have had a very poor holiday. Sorry Royal Caribbean but I think we'll be choosing a different cruise line next time which is a real shame. Read Less

My comments are my own personal view on how I found the Cruise,This will be my 5th Cruise in all and possibly my last. Having sailed on this ship 2 years previous I found it a lot more crowded and not as pleasant, probably due to the extra rooms added but hey it’s around an extra £150,000 per 14 night cruise for Royal Caribbean. Firstly my bad points: 1 Most Sun beds were reserved by 8:30am on sea days. Guests were putting towels out then going for breakfast, Royal Caribbean didn’t seem to be policing their own policy. 2 Dress code not upheld in main dining, many sleeves about both arms and legs but not the material kind I noted. I asked about this and was told they didn’t want to upset guests. (probably not start a fight I think) 3 Buffet windjammer dining like a cramped motor way service station. 4 Guest Rooms were not Part of the refurbishment and are showing there age. 5 Many people taking advantage of their drinks package noticed lots of foul language, in front of children as well. 6 Trips were over crowded and rushed very hustle bustle. 7 Loads of extras to pay for fish & chips and specialty dining restaurants which I think should be included in the price. 8 Bars busy and difficult to get a seat unless you got in early and stayed put. Good Points 1 Great friendly staff always helpful 2 Bar staff on the ball when serving as there are the ones who try and push in. 3 Also met some very nice people on board, as usual it’s the few that spoil it for the many. With the recent P & O incident I can see the potential of it been a regular occurrence on cruise ships, they seem to be taking over from the all inclusive Benidorm type package holiday. It can be quite a social mix when you have such a vast range of pricing for cabins. I paid a 5 star resort price for my cabin and I think that’s where my next holiday will be, where everyone pays similar and are in the same frame of mind. Read Less

See belowThis truly was a disaster. My wife's 50th birthday treat, a weeks cruise. My wife was either angry or in tears for the week. Everything was going well until the first day proper when going to use the bathroom it was flooded. Not convenient when needing the toilet. Let that one slide after staff came round rodded the pipes and staff cleaned and sterilized. 2 days later went for breakfast. Asked a member of staff for some toasted white bread. Curtly informed that "its over there" I then explained that there was non only brown and got the same reply and he walked off. So I wandered around the Windjammer restaurant until I found some was brought out The very next day I went to the cafe on the Royal Promenade. Many things were on offer Pizza Rolls that had been made up by the staff behind the counter. I asked if they could make me a cheese and tomato roll as I didn't like the ones they had made. You can guess the answer...No. They did offer to make a turkey roll. I don't like turkey. At dinner ate nothing while wife ate due to not liking fatty foods lamb etc. Should mention the day before had an excellent mushroom soup. Woke up the next morning at 0645hrs by noise of machinery outside my cabin door. On getting dresssed to find out what the hell was going on, I found a maintenance worker rodding the pipes again. My neighbour in the next cabin was outside his cabin door and informed me that he had gone to use the toilet and found it flooded. I went inside my cabin and found the same. Due to previous incidents my sense of humour was really being tested. Wife at this point broke down in tears and wanted to go home. I would have left the ship if my car hadn't been at Southampton. I enquired as to moving to another cabin but was assured that all other cabins were taken. Went to the windjammer restaurant for breakfast and spoke to asst manager and informed him of incidents. He said he would arrange to have a nice fillet stake available in the main restaurant for me the next evening as an apology. I thanked him. The next evening in the main restaurant was not offered the steak so again ate nothing. I have saved the best until last. The last day of the cruise (yesterday) My wife went to the toilet only to find that she could not flush. The reason being that there was no water in the toilet. I then had to fill the toilet with water from the tap in the bathroom using the kettle. Finally I was able to flush the faeces away. I reported the matter and the problem was fixed. Staff at the front desk rang up and as we had suffered we would be be given a 20% credit off our next cruise. I refused this, I was then offered a steak dinner, I refused this and was then as a last resort offered a bottle of wine. I nearly exploded. Last night i was woken by what I thought was water sloshing about. I got up out of bed to find not only had the bathroom flooded yet again but that it had spilled over the protective lip of the bathroom and was now soaking the carpet. I got dressed, the good lady was fuming and I was a touch more than angry, I stormed down to the front desk only to find my neighbour forcefully explaining that for the third time this week and by far the worst flooding had happend. This was at 0200hrs local. I had an early call booked for 0600hrs. Staff offered both of us other rooms and explained they were ones with a balcony. As that was going to make a difference to the cruise experience. My wife and I then packed and moved everything up one floor and to the other end of the ship. Best thing about this cruise was getting off the ship. The who thing was a complete disaster. I was assured by my booking agent that Royal Carribean were a first rate cruise line. I was badly misinformed. This was our first and will probably be the last cruise I will ever go on. Is there a decent cruise line out there I wonder. I doubt any compensation will be forthcoming as an apology. I certainly wouldn't accept any discount or pay for any cruise that Royal Carribean would offer unless it was gratis for ruining my wifes 50th birthday present. (I will inform if they offer this but don't hold your breath). As soon as I can I will post pictures and video on You tube. They may say I am lying but no matter I would tell them to have a look at the maintenance mans log and it will confirm. Read Less

This is our 12 cruise and we have sailed with different cruise lines but this is our second time with RC. We choose this cruise as a taster cruise for our friends, the itinerary was perfect for a first cruise. Embarkation was very quick, we arrived at the port at 11am, our cases were taken from us straight way, we then checked in and we were onboard within 15 minutes, RC are one of the best cruise lines that organise the embarkation perfectly, just make sure you complete the check in details online. Once on board we had plenty of time to explore and get our bearings on where everything is, a very easy ship to get around. Our rooms were ready at 1pm and our luggage had arrived at the cabin door. Dinner in the MD was excellent, we had great waiters and nothing was too much trouble, some of us had more than one starter, which was never an issue, we also ordered extra veg with our meals and again there were no issue with this. The food always arrived in good time, good quality and hot. We never had to wait for drinks. We ate at chops grill one night, steak is to die for but to be honest we all loved the MD so didn’t book any other speciality restaurants. We didn’t attend any of the shows so can’t comment on these, but there is one show that is in the schooner bar, Perry Grant, he is a much see, so funny and great sing along. Disembarkation was very easy, we did the walk off with our cases. Overall the ship is a little tired but the staff are awesome and hard working. The ship is the right size if you don’t like queues. Read Less

Have cruised with RCCI previously. Expected the ship to feel big, like Independence, but in reality seemed a little smaller..didn't matter though. Quality of musicians in the bars around Navigator were exceptional. Bar tenders very friendly and attentive. Remembered our name, cabin number and drinks preference, really quickly, was very impressed. Jacuzzis lovely and warm and quite easy to find sunbeds most days. Food delicious, one other reviewer here has complained at the length of time that it took to have dinner. For me, going out for dinner is an occasion, that doesn't want to be rushed. A little empathy and a pleasant personality ensures that your requirements are met. We had no trouble getting a table in the area we preferred, with the fabulous waiting staff we preferred (Edwin, Karan, Fabiano) and catered for by Estefania at the door...very very attentive and ensured we thoroughly enjoyed our experience. Perhaps if other passengers are wanting to be 'fed quickly', they should eat in the Wind Jammer...quality food and service takes time. I do agree there was a lack of accompanying vegetables with the starter and main meals, however, if you add up all the calories, from start to finish of the 3 course dinner, plus drinks, there is certainly no shortage of calories there. Read Less

Chose this cruise because of itenary and we enjoyed visiting each one. Embarkation went smoothly and cabin was ready for 1 pm which was great. Cabin was at front of ship and although nice it was very noisy . Our attendant was fantastic and always welcoming. Din8ng was great in windjammer but not in main restaurant took to long and sat with too many other people. Entertainment great especially Perry Grant who made the cruise!! Also other good headliners but I thought we was on comedy week as we had 4 comedians who were all very similar but still enjoyable . Really enjoyed Cody mindfulness talks they were great. Bar staff couldn’t do enough for you especially those in schooner bar . Main fault was the shuttle bus in Lanzarote what a rip off £12 dollars for 0.5 miles everyone complaining but to no avail very arrogant gentleman at shore excursions in fact worst attitude of all staff on ship . Great holiday would like to return to Navigator after refurb Read Less

Recommended by a friend. Day one presented a sewage smell in the hallway to our cabin an persisted for 2 more days. We went to the windjammer for lunch and immediately noticed the use of antibacterial gel was not being enforced at the entrance of the dining room. This would later result in a norovirus breakout on the ship which the crew kept under wraps from passengers. Rumours from honest crew members estimated approximately 200 effected. Only warning made by cruise activity director was “ we have had a few incidents of GI, please wash your hands. So we continually saw passengers bypass anti bacterial gel, which could only mean they weren’t taking the issue seriously. If we were told that 200 individuals were affected. I think passengers would of taken the warnings more seriously. I am comparing the ship to our only cruise which was on Norwegian so I found the boarding very boring. They could of at least played music to get passengers excited.Lucky staff were helpful and pleasant. Excursions were very good. Food was very good but every time we ate we were afraid of the outcome. We attended the specialty restaurants more often to avoid the high traffic dining areas. As we left this morning we were left wondering if staff were going to place warnings or notes to notify new passengers of what occurred on previous cruise. My guess is the high ranking staff will keep it hush hush. I wonder now if the cruise before us had the same issue. Read Less

This was our first cruise with Royal Caribbean and never again if this sailing was anything to go by! A lot of passengers were very rude, foul mouthed, invariably drunk and looking for trouble. I believe there was quite a bit of trouble on the ship during this sailing and a number of passengers were thrown off at various ports throughout the two week cruise. There were a lot of large groups who were quite intimidating, especially when I was wondering around the ship on my own. The number of security guards on the ship was also quite off putting. I do not know if Royal Caribbean have any restrictions with their drinks package but I believe they should have and I think our cruise would have been so much more enjoyable and relaxing (like we have been used to on previous cruises). Apart from the passengers we also had some issues with the My Time Dining, the Maitre D's, the air conditioning in the cabin and a cabin steward that wasn't the best. However, on the plus side the ports we visited were excellent, the trips very well handled and some lovely staff in the bar areas one the ship. I cannot believe this is the norm for Royal Caribbean and I think we were incredibly unlucky but we would never book with them again and spend all that money just in case. Such a shame. Read Less

6th cruise with RCI, 2nd time on Independance and it will be the last. Standards have certainly slipped since the last time I sailed on her. Formal nights where guests are permitted into the Royal Dining room in track suit bottoms and polo top ( I kid you not) plus an array of shorts, T-shirts etc. A few of us nic-named her Benidorm of the Seas and it seemed to fit the bill as many other people on board voiced the same concerns. The adition of extra cabins also had the effect of adding to an aleady crowded ship. This is the first cruise where I have had to queue for the Wind Jammer restaurant, on one ocassion for 20 minutes. Food standards have also slipped. After cruisng with Norweigan last year, RCI, are a long way behind in selection and quality of food served. A number of times, we had to send food back and wittnessed others do the same. Independance of the Seas has turned into somewhat of an 18-30s party ship full of fat beer swilling football fans complete with football shirts and in one case, a full Liverpool kit. Indy is in danger of being overtaken by Fred Olsen cruises in terms of class. We also crusied on Athem of the Seas 18 months ago and the difference in class is like chalk and cheese. Anthem is how a luxury cruise ship should be. We always buy the delux drink package which should cover most drinks to a value of $14 per drink, same as our previous cruises, however RCI have rasied the price of the drinks but not the limit on the drinks package which meant we were charged a few $ per glass in order to get a decent wine. On the plus side, Indy still has some of the best intertainment on the seas. Several well know comedians and great West End musical performances. Staff as ever are fansastic and can never do enough for you. I will still cruise with Royal Caribbean in the future, just not on Benidorm of the Seas Read Less

This was our tenth cruise with Royal Caribbean and second time on Independence. It's a lovely ship with wonderful staff. We enjoyed our cruise but did feel it's going down the Butlins at sea route! The food in the windjammer (we always found a seat with no problem!)was very good but the main dining room food was definitely poorer than previous years. We ate in all the speciality dining options,the food & service in all of them was excellent. We always found a sunbed mainly on deck 12 where it was nice & quiet! Our favourite bar on the ship was the Viking Crown with lovely staff especially Kirk & Dina. We also watched lots of dolphins from here. We didn't bother with any of the shows as we have seem them all before. We had an outside cabin on deck 2. It was very quiet & the only noise we heard was when docking. Our room attendant Mass was excellent. Nothing was to much trouble. All the staff on the ship were so friendly, polite & helpful but we do feel that they are now over worked with the amount of extra passengers since the re-fit. Although we love Independence of the Seas we feel it's not for us any more. We will probably go back to the smaller ships Brilliance or Jewel of the Seas or even look at other cruise lines for next year. Read Less

We have travelled on 'Independence' before and always found it to be a lovely experience all round. Third time this year. Staff excellent, food superb, and lovely rooms. Our attentive waiters were as always 100% ! Cabin steward delightful and diligent. My husband has certain health issues including bad sight but everyone was helpful and polite. Especially in the dining room and in the lifts.The food just gets better and better and we made new friends at our evening table who we are still keeping in touch with.Our last formal night's photo shoot was taken with all of us and many thanks to the head waiter who arranged for us to 'kidnap' our two favorite waiters Alan and Mark for 10 minutes! I do hope to be travelling with RC in the future. we have sailed the Mediterranean twice before but would maybe like to try different places next time. Thank you again RC ! Read Less

I fully agree with the Abi McG review. Although the ship was busy we always found somewhere to sit, and sunbeds when the weather allowed. We were able to use the Jacuzzi when we wanted to. The food and service in the main dining room were excellent and we always found a table when we had lunch in the Windjammer. The buffet had a good and varied selection of dishes. And we have to give a special mention to 'Washy washy' a staff member who sang at the entrance to the Windjammer to encourage handwashing, he was a great laugh and never stopped smiling. Throughout the ship the staff were polite and cheerful. The ship was spotlessly clean and our cabin attendant was first class. The entertainment in the theatre was very good as were the ice shows. I can't comment on the bars etc as we didn't see any of the live shows. The ports we visited were enjoyable and getting on and off the ship was no problem, even if there was a queue. All in all we had a great time. Read Less

We chose this cruise as it was going to places we wanted to go to, at the time we wanted to go and was the right price I had been looking forward to this cruise to have a couple of weeks away from cooking, and meal planning. I only found out some worrying things about the vegetarian food served in the dining rooms whilst I was on board after a couple of nights. Firstly even though food was on the menu with a v next to it, and at the bottom of the menu it showed the V next to vegetarian, after asking for food to be sent back as it had non vegetarian cheese on it that these foods were available as vegetarian, but weren't necessarily vegetarian. I had to explain to the head waiter why some cheeses weren't vegetarian and in this day & age that shouldn't be necessary, and when i spoke about vegetarian wine, i may as well have sprouted a second head as they (the waiter, head waiter and wine expert) didn't believe there was such a thing. I had to prove this was the case when i had to buy wine when off the ship to be able to drink on the ship as they couldn't sell me anything they had.(all you have to do is ask google if a wine is vegetarian or not) and the desserts were a joke, at lunchtime when there were about 20 desserts available, not one was vegetarian. When calling their after cruise line I was told i should have told the relevant people onboard, I did, from the Maitre d to the head chef and waiting staff. I explained the food wasn't satisfactory and was told that I had too high expectations and they couldn't help that I wasn't satisfied, and they weren't my nanny!! I was thanked for taking the time to call them but was told they never compensate unless someone has died, she didn't seem to care that my holiday was ruined or that i was severely disappointed with the cruise. Other than that, the normal food wasn't that great, the luggage at embarkation was a mess, the disembarkation was even worse, the cabin was small with a tiny bathroom, with the toiletries being 2 bars of soap and a nasty yellowed plastic thing in the shower that was 2 in 1 shampoo. The evening entertainment was poor to say the least and there were too many silly things on during the day so you could easily miss something, they could have done less but better ones. The staff towards the end of the cruise were very invasive as they all wanted to get a good rating on the survey, to the point of me having to ask one of the waiters to leave us alone after 20 minutes of being interrogated as to the rating we would give him. The prices for everything on the ship were not even vaguely reasonable with a standard tube of Pringles being $9.99, and a glass of wine and a gin and tonic at $19. I would love to say some great things about this cruise but the best bits were the frozen yoghurt on the sunbathing deck and the weather. Read Less

OK - here goes. The ship is old and smaller than we've travelled on before, but having said that it is still very enjoyable. Would have liked more opportunity for late night tea/coffee after 11pm other than the messy station in the Park Cafe. Service in dining room was excellent every night and the food was good, would have liked the menu to reflect the port we were in, but you can't have everything. We didn't bother with the speciality restaurants. Good cocktails everywhere! Buffet for breakfast and lunch was varied and extremely plentiful as usual, the quality was always good. Service everywhere was excellent, apart from one bartender in the solarium who could not understand me asking for a virgin strawberry daiquiri, he kept saying, but you don't have to pay, you have all inclusive, I got quite annoyed with him in the end, I just didn't want alcohol at 2pm! He was the only one to annoy me on the whole ship! Entertainment slightly hit and miss, it takes a lot of careful planning to arrange an evening, around dinner, theatre etc, and good luck getting a seat if the fun is around the centrum - why they don't make more use of the bar behind the Schooner Bar is a mystery to us. Liked the pool area movies at night too. Theatre acts were not all to our taste, but there were a few that were. Always found it so cold in there, and I'm not usually a cold person. I tried to plan our trips and take advice I'd read on here. The actual logistics of getting people off the boat and on to tenders/coaches worked very well I thought. Slightly irritated that two trips I'd booked ahead of sailing were cancelled but you can't have everything. So here's what we did: Cannes - took the tender across, looked around the town, saw some amazing sights at the top of the hill, then went back for swimsuits and hit the beach for a glorious afternoon of sunbathing and swimming in the warm sea. Took the organised tour to Florence but on reflection wished we'd done the Pisa tour, beautiful place tho. (I think there was a leather factory in here somewhere but cannot recall where.) Rome - amazing - took tour again as some distance, went on the vintage train, saw the Vatican, Spanish Steps and Trivedi Fountain. Very busy, very hot but worthwhile. Two days sailing - went by very quickly as we were tired! Didn't make breakfast but opted for early brunch and on day 2 as we were sitting having a coffee waiting for lunch to start, gazing at the sea - I saw my first ever dolphin! Athens, took the HOHO, went round the Plaka district and also up to the Acropolis, not for the fainthearted as it's a bit of climb and extremely busy once there but amazing, well worth the effort. Walked around the outside of the Colesseum but you really need a whole day to actually go in. So much to see! Love Athens. Rhodes - fabulous day. Walked around the old town had lunch then hit the beach. Brilliant day, loved Rhodes. This was one of my favourite days, we loved the old town, and again to be able to go on the beach and swim in the sea was perfect. Santorini - what can I say. We took the tour as I'd been scared off by reports of long queues for cable car etc. You take your chances, but I would swerve the donkeys! Time was just about enough, so much walking and climbing in the heat but the views are stunning. We also stopped at a winery, which I don't usually like but this one was exceptional, again with stunning views. Quite surprised that the RC tour actually drop you off to catch the cable car down - so if there is a problem you are still late! Thankfully on our day we weren't. Sailing day - much needed rest but sadly no more dolphins. Malta - again we took the historical city trip, Mdina and Valletta. If they still do this trip when you sail I would be cautious. It is far too rushed and again you need to be fit for all the fast walking required to cover both sites with entrances to palaces etc. missed o/a waiting for people to catch up. We are both quite fit and I for one was getting frustrated with people grumbling that the guide was going too fast! We missed an entry to one event because of this. We went back to the ship for lunch then rushed back up in the lift to the Baraka Gardens for a couple of hours. Humidity got to me tho! Loads of water needed. Back sailing then into Barcelona. We opted for an extra day and night in a hotel as our flight was so late in the day. We picked the weekend of the massive festival with music, dancing, parades and far too many people! Massive energy and amazing buildings to see. Brilliant place. All in all a very good itinery but the queues for places like the Colosseum and the Vatican are massive, far too long for the average port call so if you want to do any I would strongly advise you book a ticket online which offers the chance to skip the queue. I think that's it - if you need any more info please ask. Enjoy! Read Less

This was our first cruise holiday so unable to give comparisons with other companies but will give what I regard as a fair review. The cabin overall was very good with Ricardo our attendant keeping it clean twice daily. The cabin with balcony was a good size for 2 people and comfortable. There were a couple of niggly points that prevented an excellent score but not really worth mentioning. The jewel in the crown for Royal Caribbean are their staff. From the managers down to the general cleaners, everyone was friendly and went out of their way to be helpful and cheerful. So an excellent score for service. We had my time dining on deck 3 for dinner and always asked for sharing tables so we could meet other guests. I don’t recognise the queues other people mention never having to wait more than a couple of minutes to be seated but then again we went when all the kids were back to school, so the amount of guests was probably far fewer. All the waiters and assistants were attentive and gave great service. Apart from one evening the food was also excellent. We used windjammer for breakfast and lunch (when onboard) and although not up to the dinning room standard, the food was of a good standard. Boarding and disembarkation was also first rate and far far easier than an airport. Some of the excursions were poor value for money. With up to 2 hours ‘free time’ on a 4.5 hour trip we felt the guides not doing a good job. On one trip the main reason for going was a visit to a volcano, after setting off we were told we could not go there with no explanation, only to find on returning to the ship that another tour with disabled guests had visited it as planned. On another trip we arrived back to the meeting point after some more ‘free time’ 5 minutes early to find the coach doors closed and about to drive off without us. Had we been on time we would have been left stranded. The shows were either good or excellent although difficult to get a seat unless you were at least half an hour early. The entertainment and activities on ‘at sea days’ was very limited for older (not elderly) guests. Now the reason for a 3 star rating rather than a 5. Practically everything on board was geared to squeezing more money out of you, even some of the shopping promotions were listed as entertainment. Far and away our biggest disappointment was the overcrowded feel of the ship. It was difficult at best and impossible most times to get a seat at any of the bars of an evening when you want to just sit and have a drink. I don’t think it is a coincidence that the only places you could get a seat at times was in the restaurants where you have to pay or in the casino. The sun loungers are packed tightly together and it is practically impossible to get near the pool for a dip so we gave that a miss. In peak season with over a thousand additional kids on board it must be a nightmare. Overall the cruise left us feeling that we couldn’t understand why people rave about cruise holidays, it was good but could have been a lot better had the passenger / facility ratio been a lot better. Read Less

First time for us on a Royal Caribbean ship with over 20 cruises under our belts mostly with Thomson TUI and P&O we thought why not give them a try. The Navigator is a big ship and requires alot of walking both stairs and passage ways and definitely more rides in lifts etc and getting on and off the ship for tender boats and to go a shore can take some time. The ship its self is showing its 15yrs in service a lot of the soft furnishings and carpets need some TLC. The cost of every thing is expensive on board and prices of things has the wow factor. OK now to the important part the food amazing it is and we enjoyed meals in the MDR and the Windjammer buffet and we ate well. They have a good pastry chef on this galley thats for sure and all the chefs know what there doing. Entertainment was good a really good collection of musicians in the nine piece orchestra brilliant to back up the dances and singers. Headline acts were Darren Day, Roy Walker. East coast boys singing Frankie Valli songs brilliant and they were introduced by a lively cruise director. Ok service was good waiters in the MDR very well trained and keen to help. House keeping was good all seemed cheerful and happy. On the bar work waiters seemed a bit stressed and short handed under pressure. Will we go on another RCI cruise yes we have already booked it on the Independence of the Sea for next year. Thats about it really happy cruising BYE. Read Less

Set off from Barcelona for med cruise on the Symohony of the Seas August 2018 We took this cruise as a family of four to try a new experience, we initially started by having a great three days firstly in Barcelona which was fantastic. So, we later join the cruise and the impact of the cruise liner is a sight to behold, really fantastic. We were excited to explore the boat and enjoy our holiday. So why do I rate it as a poor holiday? By the middle of the week’s cruise we are bored, bored of the food, the facilities and the repetitive nature of doing what we are doing. Dinner is nice sometimes, service is good, but overpowering at times. Lukewarm food and insects jumping around in my starter always made me cautious of what to order so I tend to stick with the steak and ditch the poor starters. Breakfasts are fairly disgusting, fresh fruit is good but all other is substandard food that you wouldn’t choose to eat unless you enjoy that poor quality, cheapest money can buy type of food which after four days I cant stand anymore of. Head to the Vitality Cafe to enjoy a nice fresh smoothie instead as that is good. So food aside, the trips are hugely overpriced so we planned our own things and Segway tours (booked direct) are a favourite of ours now after doing a few tours on them. If your into lounging around in bars, the drinks package is good and you will be a great alcoholic for the week. We watched a few shows, some good parts to them but again an area to improve on. Quite boring on the whole. The accommodation is cramped despite having sea view balcony etc, the bed is very comfortable though. Kids sleep on a sofa bed. Shopping on board is a few designer type of stores and one evening we had some stalls set up selling cheap tat. Formal evening was enjoyable, though not all guests dress up and some wear trainers etc We are pleased to have done the cruise to experience it but this isn’t something we would choose to do again as we enjoy a quality hotel/beach holiday much more. Don’t let our opinion put you off trying this particular cruise, but I just say how it really is and there is better to do for our holiday time as a family. Read Less

This was our 4th trip on the Indy and couldn't wait to take the older children and their partners with us aswe usually only take the younger children (11 and 13) When we read about the refurb we were super excited especially as there was even more to do for the younger children, however, until the week before we didn't realise public areas were sacrificed due to the addition of an extra 100 plus cabins were going to be built !!!! The Positives first Excellent pre boarding experience in Southampton. The staff on the ship are all so friendly and positive and we feel they were so helpful at all times. Guest services were great with a couple of issues too. The main restaurant, we were on level 3, my time dining was superb, in fact, we felt that the level of service and cuisine was far greater than in the past. Lucian, the Head Waiter and our waiters, Keith and Sujeet was superb, couldn't have been more helpful and knowledgeable and truly wanted us to have a great experience, which we did. The Windjammer was also great cuisine wise, though was very busy each time we went in. Again, restaurant staff were superb and couldn't do more for you. The children loved the Laser Quest and the slides, which were new this year, though couldn't use the FlowRider as it was always too busy. The cabins hadn't been refurbished but we were quite happy with ours, we booked 5 balcony rooms on level 8 midship. The Negatives we are so so disappointed that Royal Caribbean have decided to add in 107 new cabins and this has completely changed the feel of the ship. Wherever you go, at whatever time there are hoards of people hustling and bustling getting from a to b, pushing, shoving and basically out for themselves. The Windjammer was packed for breakfast to the extent that i carried our breakfast back to our room and we ate on the balcony as it wasn't a nice experience in the dining room. The bars are so busy that you have to wait an age to get served and due to only one drink at a time on the packages, you almost wanted to order 2 knowing that you had a long wait. This was due to the amount of passengers and not enough staff behind the bars and most definately not due to the bar staff incompetance as they were all great. The main area of complaint was SUNBEDS!!!!!!! if you like to sunbathe in the sun, on the deck you need to find a sunbed before 9am otherwise the two decks are just a sea of blue towels. There are also so many sunbeds packed onto the decks you have to stumble over others to get off your bed. I like to sunbathe, hence choosing a Med cruise but twice i had to sunbathe on my balcony as there wasn't a bed in sight. one day of which was in the shade all day !!!!! The blue towel on the bed left for more than 30 minutes rule was not adhered to and on the days that we did manage to reserve a bed you felt paranoid about leaving it just in case somebody took it. Sea days you may as well forget sunbed wise after 8.30am !!! We also had a bad experience with other children on this trip. There were gangs of light fingered children hanging around both in the day and evening and though we have two children ourselves,ttowards the end of the trip we would not allow our children to goo out after 9pm, neither did they wish to as they felt that they were being intimidated and bullied by certain individuals. There is a curfew of 1am for children which is a farce as you still here children running around in the early hours. Security i am guessing did their best, but were verbally abused at times, we witnessed this on a couple of occasions. It is such a great shame RC have changed the Indy. We adored this ship and prior to sailing two weeks ago were looking at booking it for next year too. RC have been greedy and completely overcrowded this ship, short term gain, long term loss !!!! It goes without saying we will not be booking to travel on this ship again unless of course things change dramatically. Read Less

First cruise for a family of 4 with a couple of tweens 10 and 13. Picked this cruise for the itinerary in the first instance as we wanted to visit Italy and whilst many cruises do the west coast, this one did the Adriatic up the east coast and into Venice. Which swung it over the alternative despite the alternative being on the incredible Symphony of the seas. Glad we chose this ship as it now gives us more incentive to do another cruise on the bigger ships. Starting with the biggest of all for our first time would have left us with no where but down in terms of ship size. Can’t fault the itinerary, the first 4 days are quite intensive if you taking in an excursion every day. But with a sensible head to throw in half day excursions instead of full makes this doable without tiring yourself out. The 3.5 days at sea also give you plenty of relaxation time. Dining experience was extremely pleasant and instantly felt at home and relaxed. Booking a time slot for evening meals was a breeze. Our waiters were extremely attentive without being over powering, and the kids were very sad to say goodbye at the end of the cruise. Embarking was a pleasant calm experience, we left it until a couple of hours before sailing time, which meant we had no queuing time as we boarded and our cases arrived at our room within a couple of minutes of us opening the door of our cabin. Perfect. Disembarking was to be a little earlier than we had expected. But a visit to customer services and a quick change meant we were the last to leave the ship which suited us due to a a flight at lunchtime. Food is available pretty much all day in some form or other. The windjammer provides self service with a good selection of food from around the world. But focused primarily on English and American markets with burgers, English bacon, American bacon etc. Joints of freshly cooked meats, pizza, pasta with the odd Indian and Chinese dish thrown in for good measure. The main dining room offers the usual steaks, fish and vegetarian options and deserts are very nice indeed. My advice would be to look for deals on drinks packages when you book the cruise as this made a difference for us being relaxed in ordering drinks from anywhere on the ships many bars. Without a package I fear this could be expensive and make you less inclined to enjoy the beverages on offer. Which included branded beers/wines and cocktails. With only very high end drinks needing a surcharge. Tho you do find yourselves getting alcoholic drinks early in the day because you can and it’s already paid for. The entertainment team are very good on the vision, and whilst there is always something happening somewhere on the ship it never feels over the top or in your face. Look out for the thriller dance directed by the cruise director himself. Spend a around 5 hours being taught the classic thriller dance before a performance on the final night in front of a packed audience in the centrum area of the ship. As first time cruises we weren’t sure what to expect of the captain himself, but It was a very pleasant experience to find him mingling and engaging with visitors at any time of the day, including breakfast in the self service restaurant, pool volleyball on two occasions and even performing live on stage with the rest of his team on a number of occasions during the cruise. I am also led to believe he personally shakes the hands of guests as they leave. But as we were late getting off we missed that. Overall a great holiday and one that has given us the appetite for more cruising. Read Less

1st cruise booked as a special occasion for our 25th anniversary. Travelled with 2 children 11 and13 years. Cruise was overcrowded with queues for everything. Activities over subscribed. Staff looked exhausted and harassed and couldn’t cope with numbers on board. Communal areas dirty. Food in main restaurant was hit and miss and sent food back on several occasions, but because service was so slow gave up and ate sandwiches and pizza in cafe. Buffet area was completely overwhelmed every morning, and struggled to find a table. Tried signature restaurants chops grille was excellent. Jonny rockets served stale buns after a 45 minute wait. Complained and left- still waiting for an apology from RC. The shore excursions we enquired about were sold out, so just made own arrangements and saved over 50% for better quality trips. Overall this was a very disappointing experience and I will not be booking another cruise. Read Less

We have just done a two week med cruise costing £10600 for two balcony cabins. The ship and staff were much as expected which was on the whole very good. First the bad points: Many of our fellow passengers seemed to be hugely overweight, mostly covered in tattoos, smoking and drinking incessantly. I'm not sure if Royal Caribbean is going for the right market here. Wifi was a rip off at almost $500 for 14 days. The windjammer served its food on plastic plates and drinks in plastic beakers. The music on the pool deck is too loud and their is general mayhem from uncontrolled children. The excursions and spa were both excessively expensive Now the good points: The ship is in good order and the crew very polite offering good service. The evening entertainment is good and varied. The food in Sapphire restaurants is excellent although breakfast repetative The excursions we did were well done if pricey. Read Less

The Ship... Navigator of the Seas/ Balcony Stateroom. A cruise of two halves. One bit good, the other not so good. Not the first time I have sailed on Royal Caribbean but my first time on Navigator. Overall our cruise was good and we did have a great time in all the ports we visited but I was very disappointed in the condition of the ship. Navigator is looking very old and tired and is in need of updating. Windjammer in particular was in a bad way. Carpets were dirty, stained and everything is sticky and the aft windows were filthy. Carpet on stateroom corridors was also dirty and stained. Sofas and chairs in the R Bar were saggy and uncomfortable to sit on. Too many things to mention but this is the general state of things throughout the ship. State room - this is not a criticism of the cleanliness and our room attendant kept it spotless but the room décor, fixtures and fittings in the bathroom were all in need of some tlc. The toilet basin was cracked and the bathroom vanity top was chipped in several places. Chrome on the taps had lost it's sparkle and was discoloured and the mirrors were looking old and tatty round the edges. The balcony was in need of painting - rust everywhere and big flecks of paint were dropping off onto the balcony floor on a daily basis. On deck the deckchairs were the very old, the plastic strip with gaps type - newer much nicer chairs were stacked at the back - unused. The state the ship was in was not good and I am very disappointed and not something I would expect from Royal Caribbean. This cruise was much anticipated, it was not cheap, we had saved up for a long time for this and were really looking forward to a bit of luxury and pampering. The pampering part was there in abundance as it always is on a Royal Caribbean Cruise but the luxury was very much lacking. I have never sailed on any other cruise line and have always been loyal to Royal but after this I am seriously looking towards other lines. I read somewhere that Navigator was once the biggest cruise ship in the world and there is a sadness I feel about that when I think about the state it is in today. It must have been a wow in it's day but there is nothing wow about it now. I have sailed on Royal Caribbean ships that are older than this and none of them were anyway near in such a bad state of repair. I am returned home now feeling very disappointed and let down. This Royal Caribbean cruise most definitely did not match the hype. Time for Royal Caribbean to stop treating it's UK customers like second class citizens with these old ships - they need to send a new ship to Southampton - and soon. People will walk - there are plenty of new alternatives out there and going by comments of our fellow cruisers on this particular cruise it will happen soon if they continue to send us these tired old ships. The staff clearly love this ship and are loyal to it. Many of them have been onboard for years and their professionalism and 'happy to work here' shine through as they go about their jobs. Without them - this cruise would have been a total washout for me. Wine and Dining... Food was good and hot in both Windjammer and Main Dining Room. Service was excellent and the staff in both were friendly, attentive and very professional. Wine List … wine is my drink of choice. Booked and paid for the all inclusive drinks package so I was a bit worried I wouldn't like the choice they had to offer. It took a few tries but I finally tracked down a nice French one in the Windjammer of all places. Also found it in the Schooner Bar. Worth hunting for and I was happy in the end! The Sauvignon Blanc on offer in the promenade bars are mainly Californian/New Zealand. Kim Crawford is the one they tend to push if you ask for a Sauvignon Blanc which I don't like at all. Just a personal choice though - I think the wine list does cater for the majority of folk. And will somebody please buy the R Bar a blender? Whoever heard of a cocktail bar without one? Pina Colada on the rocks just doesn't work! Entertainment and Activities... Fabulous. Every single show we went to in the theatre was amazing. The acts were top class - from opera to pop, West End to TV, comedians, magician, hypnotist - the list goes on. Bobby Davro one night. Ice show was amazing. Loved the themed parades on Royal Promenade especially the 80's one. Guy playing the piano in the Schooner Bar was fab. Cruise Director Marc Walker was lovely and always had time to say hello. Service... Also fabulous. I haven't a bad word to say about anything. Service is what Royal Caribbean does best and why it has been my cruise line of choice over the years. Ports and Shore Excursions … Southampton Drove to Southampton the day before our sailing. Stayed at the Grand Harbour Hotel and parked our car at ABP for the duration of our cruise. We self-disembarked at the end of the cruise and walked straight off the ship and were on our way home by 7am. Very easy. Ports and Shore Excursions... Not listing all the ports because for mainland Spain we did our own thing, visiting family and friends. Palma, Majorca We booked the Royal Caribbean Catamaran Experience. A coach took us the short 5 mins ride to the harbour. Food (sandwiches) and water were provided but beer etc was extra cost. We sailed to and stopped in two locations where we were able to swim, snorkel (equipment provided) and sunbathe. It was well organised and something different to the usual cruise excursion. Well worth doing this excursion and good value. I think it lasted for around 3-4 hours. If you want do something a little different than the usual coach trip, then I would recommend it. Hint... get to the nets as soon as you get on if you want a good quiet spot to sunbathe - the seats may be shaded but the nearby speakers play music way too loud. Gibraltar We walked to the main square (about 15-20 mins walk) and queued for a tour taxi to take us up the rock. We had a very long wait because there was another cruise ship in port that day and because they docked earlier than us - they took all the taxis. By the time we'd got to the taxi rank all the tour taxis were gone so we had to wait for their return. The first batch of taxis started returning around lunch time. My advice is to check if there are any other ships in port the day you are there - if there are you may be in for a long wait in a very long queue! Some people gave up queuing and took a regular cab to the cable car to take them up the rock but we later found out that the queues for the cable car were even longer so I think we made the best decision to stay put and wait. Our tour took us to St Michael's Cave, the Great Siege Tunnels and to see the monkeys. The majority of taxis carry 8 -10 passengers so be prepared to share with others waiting. We paid him £30 each for adult and half price for children. This fare included entrance fees. Tours last about 2 - 3 hours. Well worth the money (and wait!). Hint … there are 2 taxi queues in the main square. Regular taxis which aren't licenced to go up and tour taxis which are. Guess which one had the longest queue?! Lisbon - amazing city. Ship docks just a few minutes' walk from the main square. Lots to see and do. Unfortunately, we arrived during the hottest heatwave ever. It was impossible to spend much time walking round in the heat so sadly we had to give up and go back to the ship to cool down. We have vowed to return one day - when it's colder! Hint... don't go in the middle of a heatwave. Read Less

Have sailed on Independance twice and its great. This ship is similare size, but older, and it is starting to show. Definite lack of maintenance all round and things like broken tiles in toilets, scuffed and dirty seats and torn carpets etc. Makes you wonder what the rest of the ship is like. Biggest thing was lack of staff (assume lots of staff have been robbed to staff new ships). So difficult to get served by a waiter, so go yourself but then can't get served at the bar for ages due to lack of bar staff. The Star lounge on a couple of occasions had one bar staff and one waiter. Other bars were the same. Food in the Windjammer buffet was very good. Tried the main dinning room once and service was slow. Entertainment was good in the main theatre, but as this was in the school holidays with over 1000 kids there was no real entertainment aimed at them (classical violinist and four opera singers did not go down well with my grand children). Other lounges were ok, but lacking unless you like a three piece band. Quizzes were ok, but staff lacked experience and most could not use a mic, hence sound very fuzzy and distorted. Over all entertainment staff were armatures with no training. Disembarkation was a nightmare with no communication and delays all round. Overall, we are looking at other cruise lines as RCL have lost the plot, and seem to have forgotten what they are in business for and for whome. A very dangerous thing for a business to do. Read Less

This was our first cruise so nothing to compare with but our overall feeling was that the ship was run down. The staterooms were quite tatty looking and in need of a revamp - we expected more for what we paid. The cruise itself was great and we had a fab time with some great entertainment. The entertainment team were great. Flowrider I think should be a bit better organised - kids were having to stand and queue in full sun for long lengths of time - this put my lad off so he only went on twice. Perhaps some form of ticket system would be better. Some great films were shown on big screen - would be good if this filtered through to TV’s in rooms as we started watching films but had to miss end to go and get ready. We did feel that Royal Caribbean want to charge you for everything. We had the drinks package but they wouldn’t let me get a soft drink for my kids and wanted to charge us $10 per day per child for soft drinks package. We were given soft drinks cups to refill which we did for the kids but they couldn’t go and get a drink with them. Food and drinks were good quality and plenty of it. The cafe promenade was great for a late night snack. Favourite bar was Star Lounge and Two Poets pub - Ian Miller was brilliant and staff were great. Overall a great cruise but ship needs some work. Read Less