I don't think we'll ever take a cruise during school summer holidays again. It wasn't the amount of children on board that bothered us but the behaviour of a lot of the teens on board their attitude towards other guests and staff was atrocious. Well done to royal Caribbean security, staff and crew for their handling of these unruly people. Some of the behaviour was so bad that some of the families were taken off the ship.
Embarkation
4 out of 5
Due to bad weather conditions Embarkation wasn't as good as it has been in the past. Credit to all port and ship staff in making it as smooth and efficient as possible.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
There was always a wide selection of food including sugar free, gluten free and vegetarian options.
Main Dining Room
5 out of 5
Our fine dining experience was second to none. We were a party of 15 and 2 of our group required gluten free food And every evening before leaving the dining room they were presented with the following evenings menu so they could choose their preferred meal and it would made to suit their needs. Our waiters Francis and heman were very professional, friendly and attentive. If anyone In our party didn't like anything they ordered a replacement was immediately brought to the table.
Cafe Promenade
5 out of 5
Cafe promenade was a very popular and busy place but the staff were very efficient and friendly. Loved my hot chocolate and specialty coffees from here.
Windjammer Marketplace
5 out of 5
There was always a wide selection of foods available including sugar free, gluten free and vegetarian. The staff in winfjammer were always happy , friendly and very helpful. The wishy washy guys brightened up everyone's day.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
There are plenty of activities running throughout the day and evenings on board for all age ranges. There is no need for anyone to be board while cruising with royal Caribbean.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
Amazing entertainment throughout the ship for all. From shows to comedians, singers, musicians, quizzes, karaoke and much more.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The service we received was second to none and all staff were always happy , friendly, helpful and nothing was ever too much for any of them
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
Although the ship has recently had a refurb some parts are still a bit dated but for a ship of its age it is kept in very good clean condition.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Our cabin was an accessible cabin as my son has disabilities. The cabin was very spacious, fitted with emergency alarm buttons, wet room & grab rails. We were very impressed with our cabin and our storeroom attendant Lyndsey was amazing.
Ship tip
Take advantage of all the onboard activities and amenities. Always check the cruise compass because the app constantly changed and we missed a lot of things because we followed the app thinking it was more up to date.
Our second time visiting Malaga, it was very crowded due to there being a festival on. We only spent a short time in the town as it was very crowded and we felt uncomfortable after our experience in Barcelona.
First time visiting Ibiza. It was an all day stop paid 5 euro for the shuttle bus into town, spent a lovely morning and afternoon wondering around the town and picking up some gifts from the array of bizzar's and stalls.
Valencia is another of my favourite places to visit, it's just a shame the town is so far away from the port. You need to pay for a shuttle bus or do an excursion as it's an industrial port.
This was our third cruise with royal Caribbean. Disembarkation on our first cruise was horrendous but this time it was very well organised and went very quick, smoothly, stress and hassle free.
How exciting to have a wedding onboard! We also booked our next cruise whilst onboard- unfortunately we have to book during school holidays as I work in a school -
looking forward to going on Anthem next year as we have never been on it.
Don't get me wrong our overall experience was amazing. We were on this cruise because our daughter and her fiancee got married onboard. We had a fabulous time and booked next year's cruise while on board. It is just unfortunate those few unruly ones spoilt some people's experiences.
We were on the same cruise and love the Independence and the staff. So sorry to hear that your daughter was pickpocketed in Barcelona- the pickpockets are so quick at what they do. Sorry, too, that it also impacted on your visit to Malaga - having heard that there was a festival on, we opted just to walk to the beach. We loved Lisbon and it was our first visit to Ibiza and we enjoyed that. Didn’t know that families were offloaded, but pleased that RC are attempting to do something about the small minority who spoil the cruise for others
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