Very disappointed for our first cruise experience. Many things that we know now that we would do different if we were to cruise again. Maybe it was not the right ship for our family. Maybe we picked the wrong time to travel because it was so packed? We saved and worked so hard to take this cruise with our kids and just wanted it to be more memorable and less stressful .
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We were very surprised , it was smooth process
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
3 out of 5
The drink packages are way overpriced. There needs to be mote freestyle coke machines . They are hard to find and I spent 20 minutes sometimes just waiting to fill up my cup. There was a variety of food to choose from but be prepared to wait and its like herding Cattle.
Onboard Activities
2 out of 5
We could not find any spots to sit at the pool. The lines for the rock wall and slides were insane. My youngest tried 2 times to wait in line and he could not because of the heat. My husband and I never had a chance to have a drink poolside or even try the hot tub. There was no room
Entertainment
3 out of 5
If it was just the Grease show I had to rate I would give it 5 stars. However the guy that was suppose to be a comedy show did nothing but Juggle . Then we were excited to try the bingo out, It was overpriced, most of the time was spent trying to fix peoples tablets that they were playing bingo with and the host of the show talked so much it was painful .
Children's Programs
2 out of 5
We had a 19 year old with us and 16 year old. The 19 year old found some things to do . However the 16 year old had trouble finding things . He was not old enough or to old to want to hang around 12 year olds in the area he was allowed in. The escape room never opened
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The room stewards that cleaned our rooms did a fantastic job. Especially on my kids room , went the extra mile and folded their clothes. Waiters were also very friendly and Ship personnel .
Ship Quality
3 out of 5
The layout was easy to navigate once you got the hang of it. I saw lots of staff always cleaning windows, handrails ect. I loved the washi washi lady that made everyone wash hands before entering the dining area.
Cabin / Stateroom
2 out of 5
8403 & 8407
My boys beds were together and I requested them be separate. The staff was to busy they had said to separate them that night so my husband and I did. When I pulled off the sheets the bed was stained in many spots yellow. Our bathroom smelled like urine.
Ship tip
Be ready for crowds and waiting in line FOR EVERYTHING
I also want to add, that summer time is the WORST time to cruise as far as crowds go, and 3-5 day cruise are even more crowded. Jan-April are the best I've seen. I would give it another chance during a different time if the year and book a 7 day and see what you think.
I went on the independence of the seas in March and had none of the issues you had. Hot tubs were always available and lines were only long on days at sea.. you have to understand when and where to do certain activies and plan accordingly. Everybody is going to be on deck for a day at sea, so get to a spot early or choose different places to adventure to
Go on an Oasis class that is built to handle the crowds better. Also plan bettet to stay AHEAD of the crowd wave vs IN IT. Its easy to do with even the slightest planning. Oasis class ships have more pools, more deck space, more and bigger hot tubs, and MUCH more to do... two rock walls, zipline, two Flo Riders, etc. Yes they have more passengers but by far more space per passwnger ratio of ANY class ship. Also few choke points, and 24 elevators... means easy traffic flow. Ive been on 4 of the Oasis class ships, down to small ships, and Oasis class ALWAYS feel less crowded, and has the "wow" factor every where you go!!
Try not to sail around summertime. Very busy season. Most ships are sailing full right now. Also, don’t cruise on a bigger ship. Twice as many people. Finding a seat in the Windjammer is almost impossible.
If you thought Indy was crowded I would not recommend an oasis class ship. We love the freedom class ships. But with all cruises back to full I think you’d find most too crowded. Sorry it wasn’t what you expected. Pool side is always an issue for seating for sure.
So sorry you didn’t enjoy your first cruise. We’ve been on 10, including the Independence and loved them all. Maybe one of the other replies was right saying maybe cruising isn’t for you. Or maybe give it another chance if there is one after Covid. Covid has changed everything with how cruising used to be. We love it so much though, I’d be happy just to be able to go on another cruise.
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