our first cruise

Independence of the Seas Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western

karentbarry

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 1 cruise (first)

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 13

Overall rating:

5 out of 5

Verified Review

6 Night Western Caribbean (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip)

Sail date: December 28, 2014

Ship: Independence of the Seas

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 7348

Traveled as: Family (older children)

Reviewed: 9 years ago

Review summary

This was the first cruise for myself and my two daughters ages 15 and 17. Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas provided a terrific platform for creating lasting memories and allowing the 3 of us to relax and bond. We enjoyed a stateroom with a balcony; a feature that I am glad that we had. The crew was so accommodating, the other guests were so friendly. Overall, it was a great time.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5

Entertainment

5 out of 5

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Jamie Fentleman and his female sidekick were extremely entertaining. We enjoyed watching them On Air each morning as well as during the entertainment on board!

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Ports of call

Ft. Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Florida

3 out of 5

George Town, Grand Cayman

3 out of 5

After disembarking in GeorgeTown, we caught a cab to Royal Palm Hotel ($4 each) and went to beach ($2 each to get on beach) and rented beach chairs ($8 each) and rented snorkel equipment ($15 each) We planned on renting a cabanna for the day ($100 per day) but all 9 cabanas had been reserved by cruisors on line when we got there - and we were the first ones there. We arrived at 9 am. As it turned out we really did not need the cabana because since we were there early we scored a good beach spot under a large palm tree. No need to rent an umbrella either! Not a large volume of fish to check out when snorkeling, but OK. The guy who rented us the equipment said the Marriott (a 2 minute walk up the beach) had an artificial reef in front of it that would provide more fish. We never did make it, but maybe next time.

Thumbs Up 0

Falmouth, Jamaica

5 out of 5

We did not book an excursion, instead the 3 of us disembarked at 7 am and went straight to where the cabs were. We rented a cab to take us to Duns River Falls (about a 45 minute ride) with a cabby named David (aka Big Bird) from David Transportation Service. 876-425-1432. $150 round trip. We were first ones at Duns Falls and part of first group to ascend. By the time we were done and back out in parking lot it was full of buses and lots of activity as the tour directors assembled their groups, giving us time for Big Bird to show us some of the areas off the beaten path. Lots of fun, very interesting. $150 cab fare total

Thumbs Up 0

Labadee (Cruise Line Private Island)

5 out of 5

Rent a floating mat and take a nap on the Caribbean!

Thumbs Up 0

our first cruise

Overall rating:

Review summary

Ship experiences

Ports of call

Be the first to comment