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Independence of the Seas Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western

Cruises: 4-6 cruises
Reviews: 2
Helpful Votes: 69

Overall rating:

5 out of 5
Verified Review
Independence of the Seas

7 Night Western Caribbean (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip)

Sail date: September 20, 2015

Ship: Independence of the Seas

Cabin type: Balcony

Cabin number: 6214

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 9 years ago

Review summary

We arrived at about 11:15 am and was in the Winjammer by 11:45. The cabins were released/open at exactly 1:00pm. Luggage arrived hours later. The arrival/check-in process went very smooth.  Very pleased with my cabin. Two things that I did not discover on the first day that might help others is:  room temp thermostat is next to bathroom door, and to hear announcements, have your intercom turned on (you can adjust the sound). It is located between dresser and mirror. I kept mine on the lowest volume. It will play music all the time. Our cruise went to Labadee, Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel.  Labadee Tip: There is a shuttle that will take you to the far end to the water toy area if you choose to go to that area. I think there were 3 areas for the BBQ/eating pavillion. We made the mistake of not really knowing where to go even tho we looked at a map and followed signs. We were escorted to the area we wanted to be which was the farthest area, which was helpful. I did not take any money with me, but I think they would like tips. Our stop in Jamaica didn't start out well when we were told that we needed a picture ID. They really didn't check for it when we got off the ship... I think for your own protection if you "needed it for some reason" while off ship? Dunn's River Falls does have restrooms at both the top and bottom, which I think is helpful info to have in planning.  We snorkeled in Grand Cayman and also swam and petted the stingrays, which I had done before at a Bahamian island on my own with friendly stingrays in shallow waters in the wild (so to speak). I enjoyed this more than I thought I would.  Snorkeling in Cozumel was absolutely awesome with the exception of being with beginners and having to stay with group and moving at a slow pace, but there are currents which I am very familiar with and understand why they have inexperienced snorkelers strictly follow instructions. It would be better to go out on a smaller private boat for people wanting to be a little more 'free'.  I have snorkeled a lot in my lifetime, living in FL, and snorkeling the FL Keys and Bahamas  and Conzumel had the clearest water with visibility of 120+ ft!  Of course weather affects visibility to some degree.  We enjoyed the shows onboard. The main dining room was nice and I enjoyed the food. I have heard others say they have had better, but it was adequate.  Our servers were Allan and Dagim, and they were a delight!

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

Onboard Activities

5 out of 5

Entertainment

5 out of 5

Children's Programs

5 out of 5

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5
Very pleased with my cabin. Two things that I did not discover on the first day that might help others is: room temp thermostat is next to bathroom door, and to hear announcements, have your intercom turned on (you can adjust the sound). It is located between dresser and mirror. I kept mine on the lowest volume. It will play music all the time. Donnus our room steward was pleasant and took good care of us.

Ports of call

Ft. Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Florida

5 out of 5

Labadee (Cruise Line Private Island)

5 out of 5

Falmouth, Jamaica

5 out of 5

George Town, Grand Cayman

5 out of 5

Cozumel, Mexico

5 out of 5
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