It was the Caribbean, but not the Royal Caribbean
Independence of the Seas Cruise Review to Caribbean - Western
5 Night Western Caribbean (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip)
Sail date: January 09, 2017
Ship: Independence of the Seas
Cabin type: Inside
Cabin number: 7219
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 7 years ago
Review summary
We've been on a number of cruises before but this was our first non-Carnival cruise in the Caribbean. With the promise of going to Haiti, we changed plans this year to go on this RC Cruise. While there were some nice additions -- the food selection was a bit better -- the Independence of the Seas really felt like a step down from the other ships we had been on.
It was extremely difficult to move around on the ship, there were not many activities if you weren't into drinking all day (in contrast to Carnival), staff were just as inclined to give orders on trivial matters as they were to assist and facilities like the gym were time-restricted.
Unfortunately, to cap it off, disembarking was a challenge itself -- there were conflicting instructions that had many passengers move up and down the floors with their luggage trying to find the exit. As a suggestion, the cruise staff could do far more to make the experience feel like an actual vacation. As for us, this will be our last Royal Caribbean cruise for a long time.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Onboard Activities
Entertainment
Children's Programs
Service and Staff
Ship Quality
Cabin / Stateroom
Ship tip
The gym has restricted hours -- make sure you plan your day around the hours!
Ports of call
Ft. Lauderdale (Port Everglades), Florida
Labadee (Cruise Line Private Island)