Independence of Sea - February Review

Item: Independence of the Seas
Rating: 4.4
Author: BettyBp

Independence of the Seas Cruise Review

BettyBp

Contributor Level: Second Mate

Cruises: 4-6 cruises

Reviews: 3

Helpful Votes: 47

Overall rating:

4.4 out of 5

5 Night Western Caribbean (Ft. Lauderdale Roundtrip)

Sail date: February 22, 2020

Ship: Independence of the Seas

Cabin type: Inside

Cabin number: 7371

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 4 years ago

Review summary

It was a great cruise - we tried some new things and we will definitely try more royal in the future.

Embarkation

5 out of 5

Was very organized and we got on the ship with no problems.

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

3 out of 5

We did not pay extra for any speciality dining. The food was regular-type cruise food. I had no issues with it. The Windjammer had the different stations for the different foods. I like how servers walked around and offer you water, juice, or take drink orders. We also had someone offer us smoothie sample and pastry samples. Check out the cafe! Little sandwiches and pastries available.

Onboard Activities

4 out of 5

We used the adult pool and it was great. As usual it was hard to get seats near pool, but we found some in the shade. We enjoyed the library playing board games in there was peaceful. We enjoyed the people watching and drinking off the promenade. I always have to play bingo so we did play a couple games of that.

Entertainment

5 out of 5

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Our dining room waiters were outstanding. Extremely friendly and eager to tell you about the foods and menu. Each night our server would give us extra appetizers to make sure we weren’t hungry until the food came.

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

The ship layout was great. I never saw areas dirty. I constantly observed crew members cleaning the handrails on the main stairs, clearing dishes in food areas, wiping down glass areas.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

We tried an inside cabin to save money (we have tried balconies and portholes). I was worried I would feel too confined. The room was just fine. We had enough room for our things. We were able to nap and relax in bed just fine. The cabin had a lot of different lights so you can make the room as bright or dim as you would like. I would pick an inside cabin again in a heart beat - and use the savings for other cruise activities.

Ship tip

The regular small water bottles are fine - but I like having large bottle water to carry around and have in the room. With the premium package you can ask for the large Evian waters and that was great. I got them at windjammer and at the cafe.

Thumbs up

Ports of call

Labadee (Cruise Line Private Island)

4 out of 5

I was worried after reading all the negative reviews. We ended up having a wonderful day. We rode the tram (it is very near where you get off the ship) to Nellie’s Beach. I picked this one because I loved the scenery. It was not crowded at all. Be ready to have cash to tip the workers for helping you with chairs and umbrellas. I had to check out the vendor market area after all the comments. When you get there there are guys waiting to “walk you in”. You can say no, but they will follow you. All in all it was ok. They want you buy and look at items. It didn’t bother us. I understand. Unfortunately it was not a place where you can leisurely shop. We did a quick through and left. I bought a Christmas ornament and that was it. The water was freezing. I did not go in. Even though it was high 80’s I felt it was too cold. I forgot to get a paper map and I wished I would have had one just to see what was around.

Thumbs Up 2

Falmouth, Jamaica

4 out of 5

We hung out at Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville for awhile. It was no cost to walk in and use the pool. It is not a super large area. Food and drinks were pricey but to be expected. Water in the pool was too cold for me so we enjoyed the music and atmosphere. When we were there it was fairly empty - it was early I guess.

Thumbs Up 0