First Royal Caribbean line cruise
Independence of the Seas Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western
6 Night Western Caribbean (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip)
Sail date: January 26, 2014
Ship: Independence of the Seas
Cabin type: Balcony
Cabin number: 9320
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 10 years ago
Review summary
The ship was beautiful and all the staff people we encountered were wonderful. It was a pleasure to be "thanked for coming" each time we left the Windjammer restaurant. The main dining room staff went out of their way to accommodate us. The balcony was larger than what we have had on other lines. As we were unfamiliar with the Royal Caribbean line, it took us a bit to get away from the "lido deck" for anytime tea and coffee and find the "promenade" deck for refreshments. But once we figured it out, it was a really nice experience. However we would have liked to have iced tea or lemonade available. We only found hot tea, coffee and water. The parades and other activities that they had on the promenade were well done and enjoyable.
Another difference we found was that when going ashore for any type of water activity you must remember to go to the pool deck to get a towel because they are not available on the gangway except when you are stopping at Labadee.
We couldn't get any of the tours we wanted for Grand Cayman because they were sold out. We were advised that it would be safe to go on our own by bus to the beach. As we were looking for a bus, a driver was holding a sign for a tour that was exactly what we tried to get. We went, there were 3 other couples in the van and it was one of the best tours we have been on. For Grand Cayman, don't be afraid to go out on your own, very safe and the beach was wonderful!
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Onboard Activities
Entertainment
Children's Programs
Service and Staff
Ship Quality
Cabin / Stateroom
Ship tip
We were advised to go to the Romeo & Juliet restaurant on the 3rd floor for breakfast on the last day because it wouldn't be so crowded. That was true but the service was extremely slow and we weren't impressed with the menu.
Ports of call
Ft. Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Florida
Labadee (Cruise Line Private Island)