April 2015 - 8 Night Eastern Caribbean (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip) Cruise on Independence of the Seas
My experience on Indepence of the Seas
maryannlong50
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Joined 04/2015
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Independence of the Seas
Sail date: April 11, 2015
My experience on Indepence of the Seas
This is a very pretty ship, but it had 3900 passengers on it (and it was not full), and 1200 crew members...so obviously it was almost always crowded. It was difficult to get an elevator. I did request a middle inside cabin and therefore I didn't experience very much rocking in my cabin, although we did encounter some rough seas. The room was much smaller than any other ship I've cruised on before, but the room service and cleaning staff were spot on and were there at a moment's notice. Staff was very friendly(everywhere). Loved the entertainment in the big theater and the cruise director was absolutely hilarious! Lots of evening games and clubs. This ship has a Rock Climbing Wall, and Ice Skaking Rink, and a Surf Rider; it also has a Johnny Rockets. The food was delicious...everywhere. I guess my complaints are that my room was just too small and not receiving my boarding time until the day before departure was a real problem. Had I know that I wasn't supposed to board until 2:30-3 p.m., I could have taken a much later flight into FT. Lauderdale, Florida. Even though we did pay for and request transfer from the airport to the ship, we were dropped off at the wrong ship and nobody noticed (even security), until we'd gone thru a 45 minute waiting line. Trying to retrieve our luggage was a nightmare and we had to beg a Taxi Driver to take us to Port 29 (as we were at Port 25) and he wanted $20 for a 7 minute drive. We had asked the Transport ladies in the airport where to wait for the Bus and they lead the whole group to the bus, then I asked the bus driver (and elderly man) if this bus would drop us off at the Independence of the Seas and he had a sign saying "Independence of the Seas", plus he said yes. So, obviously our boarding of the ship was a complete mix-up. The departure of the ship was much more organized and we were given 2 days notice to get ready to depart the ship and there were no crowds upon departure. I would not travel on this ship again, as it was too crowded, hard to get an elevator, not enough deck chairs or seating for outdoor fun, Shopping extra expensive within the ship too. Extra Kudos to Cruises Only and to the Super Friendly staff on this ship.
Cruise tips
Due to time issues we took a 1 hour bus trip of Old San Juan for $10. Bus Driver very friendly, spoke several languages, and we learned a lot of interesting history from here. She dropped some of the passengers off at the markentplace (within walking distance of the ship) or she would take you back to the ship.
Beware of "pick pocket monkeys", and our friend was bitten two times by one of the monkeys, so be careful holding the monkeys. Much more plush Island.
Nice island. Nice water. Not very tropical, rather desert like. One half of Island is Dutch, other half if French. Interesting.
Labadee (Cruise Line Private Island)
Most beautiful of all the Islands. The ship served us a great Bar-B-Que on the Island for Lunch. Had plenty of Deck chairs. There were a couple of "free beaches" but the water sliide and the Aqua Part were over-priced. Why would I have to pay $20 and hours to jump off of some floating slides and stuff at Royal Caribbena's own Island? The marketplace was scary as the vendors were WAAAAY too agressive.
Ft. Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Florida
Nice airport. Trying to board a transfer to bus to ship was terrible. Went on air boat ride when we departed and then the bus took us to the airport. The Alligator trip was fun!
Independence of the Seas
Shore Trips were Super Expensive to book before hand or on the ship itself. Not enough deck chairs to enjoy outdoor activities. Not enough elevators to accomodate 4000 people. A maze to get to the 14th deck where the Surf Rider, Rock Climbing Wall, and other stuff is. Board as late as you can!
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This is a very pretty ship, but it had 3900 passengers on it (and it was not full), and 1200 crew members...so obviously it was almost always crowded. It was difficult to get an elevator. I did request a middle inside cabin and therefore I didn't experience very much rocking in my cabin, although we did encounter some rough seas. The room was much smaller than any other ship I've cruised on before, but the room service and cleaning staff were spot on and were there at a moment's notice. Staff was very friendly(everywhere). Loved the entertainment in the big theater and the cruise director was absolutely hilarious! Lots of evening games and clubs. This ship has a Rock Climbing Wall, and Ice Skaking Rink, and a Surf Rider; it also has a Johnny Rockets. The food was delicious...everywhere. I guess my complaints are that my room was just too small and not receiving my boarding time until the day before departure was a real problem. Had I know that I wasn't supposed to board until 2:30-3 p.m., I could have taken a much later flight into FT. Lauderdale, Florida. Even though we did pay for and request transfer from the airport to the ship, we were dropped off at the wrong ship and nobody noticed (even security), until we'd gone thru a 45 minute waiting line. Trying to retrieve our luggage was a nightmare and we had to beg a Taxi Driver to take us to Port 29 (as we were at Port 25) and he wanted $20 for a 7 minute drive. We had asked the Transport ladies in the airport where to wait for the Bus and they lead the whole group to the bus, then I asked the bus driver (and elderly man) if this bus would drop us off at the Independence of the Seas and he had a sign saying "Independence of the Seas", plus he said yes. So, obviously our boarding of the ship was a complete mix-up. The departure of the ship was much more organized and we were given 2 days notice to get ready to depart the ship and there were no crowds upon departure. I would not travel on this ship again, as it was too crowded, hard to get an elevator, not enough deck chairs or seating for outdoor fun, Shopping extra expensive within the ship too. Extra Kudos to Cruises Only and to the Super Friendly staff on this ship.