Med cruise

Item: Independence of the Seas
Rating: 4.6
Author: PhillDeb

Independence of the Seas Cruise Review

PhillDeb

Contributor Level: Third Mate

Cruises: 2-3 cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 51

Overall rating:

4.6 out of 5

14 Night Spanish Mediterranean (Southampton Roundtrip)

Sail date: August 10, 2019

Ship: Independence of the Seas

Cabin type: Inside

Cabin number: 9557

Traveled as: Large Group

Reviewed: 5 years ago

Review summary

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.

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.

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.

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.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Malaga, Spain

5 out of 5

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.

Thumbs Up 4

Valencia, Spain

4 out of 5

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.

Thumbs Up 2

Ibiza, Balearic Islands

5 out of 5

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.

Thumbs Up 1

Gibraltar (U.K.)

5 out of 5

Love Gibraltar steeped in history and a fabulous place for all your duty free.

Thumbs Up 5

Palma De Mallorca, Balearic Islands

5 out of 5

Palma is one of my favourite places to stop off at when cruising.

Thumbs Up 1

Vigo, Spain

3 out of 5

This was our 3rd visit to Vigo and I felt there had been quit a decline in town.

Thumbs Up 1

Barcelona, Spain

3 out of 5

I love visiting Barcelona but unfortunately this time we had a bad experience. While visiting gaudi cathedral my daughter was pick pocketed.

Thumbs Up 2

Lisbon, Portugal

3 out of 5

Lisbon is not one of my favourite places to visit.

Thumbs Up 2

Cadiz (Seville), Spain

5 out of 5

Really like Cadiz with it's market's, beaches and gardens.

Thumbs Up 5

Southampton (London), England

3 out of 5

Only ever in Southampton for embarkation and disembarkation.

Thumbs Up 1

Disembarkation

5 out of 5

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.

Traveler Photos

6 Comments

cruisereckoning 4 years ago

Thanks for the review

Thumbs Up 0

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PhillDeb 5 years ago

Our first cruise was on Anthem it is a beautiful ship and can't wait to go on her again next year. We are cruising the Canaries next October.

Thumbs Up 0

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MrsHFQ 5 years ago

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.

Thumbs Up 1

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dragz 5 years ago

We go during school and take kids out for the week. They learn more about the world outside the classroom.

Thumbs Up 1

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PhillDeb 5 years ago

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.

Thumbs Up 0

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MrsHFQ 5 years ago

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

Thumbs Up 1

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