Far from what I expected
Independence of the Seas Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western
6 Night Western Caribbean (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip)
Sail date: April 05, 2015
Ship: Independence of the Seas
Cabin type: Inside
Cabin number: 1561
Traveled as: Large Group
Reviewed: 9 years ago
Review summary
I always heard good comments about Royal Caribbean so I gave it a chance. Unfortunately it was not what I expected.
Food and beverage: mostly tasteless, few options in the menu, restaurant closes when you leave the ship, after 3pm, slow service at the bars.
Fun: very few interactive activities at the pool, the ship is dead if you do not get out at the ports. Poor activities for kids and teens.
Ports: Cayman is beautiful. There is not a lot to do in Falmouth, Jamaica, you will have to travel almost an hour to get to nicer beaches like in Montego Bay or Ocho Rios. Labadee, Haiti is a beach club good for those who look for comfort and that is it. For me it was depressing to see a fence preventing access from locals to the peninsula and just a few opportunities for them to work and grow with the port business as food, beverage and services come from the ship. I am not sure how much of the environment was compromised with the structure RC built there.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Onboard Activities
Entertainment
Children's Programs
Service and Staff
Ship Quality
Cabin / Stateroom
Ship tip
In Grand Cayman take the public bus or book your own transportation and go to Cemetery Beach! It is a quiet and beautiful beach in the West Bay. No restrooms, no facilities but lots of trees for shade and great spots for snorkeling. Grocery store less than a mile away. It was the best of this trip!
Ports of call
Ft. Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Florida
Labadee (Cruise Line Private Island)
Traveler Photos
