Independence of the Seas Cruise Reviews - Reviews

Buffet in Deck 11 is nice and with abundant choices. We also had an wonderful dinning time at Deck 4, delicious lobsters and champagne.

Oceanview room is neat and room service is quick. Sunbathing on the outdoor poolside over live activities is another thing you might want to try in the cruise.

I booked this cruise to celebrate my honeymoon with the wifey. The whole experience was filled with ups and downs. At the very beginning it was NOT very positive because despite our excitement and preparation, we got to the port 3.5 hours prior to departure and stood in line for the entire time (3 1/2 hours; 2 1/2 of which was under the scorching sun). Thank goodness it wasn't raining. Royal Caribbean eventually came out and started handing out bottles of water; however  they did NOT reach everyone. We stood for 2.5 hours and in the last 1 hour they rushed us through so we could all get in by 4:30 pm which was the scheduled departure. We did not sail out of the port till 6 pm. By the time we made it in the ship they had stopped serving food. During the trip the food and entertainment was really good. They get a 5 star rating because there was a wide variety of fun things to do and dinners were delicious every night. The other complains we have were  that we were not able to dock in the port of Costa Maya, MX (supposedly due to rough weather) and the room service was not attentive. Our stateroom was only cleaned once a day (my cousin's room in the same category was cleaned twice daily) on/after 8:30 pm when we had our 2nd seating dinner. We were in an interior stateroom, Deck 7 at the very back of the ship. The facts that we basically had the bed messy during the entire time and that we had made plans to visit the Chacchoben Mayan Ruins and could not reach destination really put a damper on our trip experience.

It was a great vacation. Our agent handled booking everything which made it so easy.. Will definitely book another! It was a great cruise with great excursions.

My husband and I and my parents, sibrings and their spouses have cruised several times before. This time wasn't as much fun. We sat at a dinner table all together and because of that we were the last ones served in the whole dining area. 

Also, we are a family that loves to play games. But because the game area was under construction there wasn't a good place to play. 

We do love cruising though and made the most of it. The food was great. Our staff did the best they could in the dining area and our room staff was excellent and knew our names.

We had a good cabin, deck 10, very convenient to deck 11 without using elevators, a quiet location. (1530) . You can see the bridge (and they can see you) from this location, so just FYI. Our room steward Isabella, was superb.   Excellent, kind, and knowledgeable. Not having to make the bed and clean up towels is a vacation in itself, but she went beyond and made sure it was always spotless, and she learned our patterns very quickly.

After hearing everyone rave about the food on RCL ships in general, we were totally disappointed in both the Windjammer and the main dining room. Expect that it's going to be like cafeteria/wedding food.  Mass-produced, lukewarm and mostly bland. I kept seeing signs for 'Jade' at the Windjammer, I had read that 'Jade' was where we'd find exotic food choices. Maybe we were never there at the correct time, I never found it.

But the people! People, who were perfectly civil on other parts of the ship, suddenly act like they've never eaten in their lives. Nudging people out of the way, bumping into you, sighing if you pause in front of something, jumping ahead in the line, and just generally creating chaos. It was always as crazy as a mcDonald's on saturday at noon. And we were never at the Windjammer when it was easy to find a seat. Not my idea of a relaxing meal. 

We chose to eat at Chops and Giovannis and Johnny Rockets, all three of which were excellent, with Chops being my husband's favorite, and Giovanni's being mine. The service was impeccable at all three. Make sure to research how to tip properly there, I wasn't sure what to tip.

We went on an excursion in Belize to Lamanai mayan ruins, which was absolutely amazing (120$ for two people) . Our tour guide Ungatu (sp?), and our guide for the ruins and our speed boat driver were excellent.  The boat ride to the ruins was super fast and so much fun! The ruins are spectacular. Our (included) lunch of rice and beans and fresh tortillas and chicken was better than most items I had eaten on the ship. Plus the restaurant was picturesque and relaxing. We loved Belize and learning the history. I would recommend the Lamanai river safari to anyone with an adventurous spirit. Just make sure to book it through the cruise line, because it has a tendency to run long, and you don't want to get left behind. Also, the ruins are very rocky, with un-marked stones sticking up everywhere on the path, just waiting to trip you. I was glad I wore my sneakers and work-out clothes.  I saw several people trip and fall, all ages.

At Cozumel, we got of the ship and took a taxi (20$) to Playa Azul which was so awesome, beautiful everything, perfect service and food, super strong drinks, and in general, a great time. (50$) Very easy to get a cab (20$) back to the boat too. We didn't want to leave, and we're totally going back there ASAP. so we spent about 100$.

So, it turns out we liked being off the ship more than being on it.

There's no way to know if you're going to have a rough day at sea, so it seems like a costly gamble to me if you are prone to motion sickness, which apparently... I am. We had one night which was super rough, so we really lost that full day and into the night. Seems like a waste to pay a ton of money to feel like you're in a hospital bed from which you cannot escape and it will not stop moving. My husband was not sea-sick, but was bored because so many activities were shut down, and I was knocked out. 

Formal night isn't exactly formal on the ship. If you dress up too much, you are destined to feel out-of-place. Guys should only take a suit. A tux will feel weird. Although the guys in tuxedos seemed to give each other a  bit of a nod like they were in some kind of well-dressed club. Women can just wear what you'd wear to go out to dinner. Even my cocktail dress seemed too much. I think i'd recommend a little black dress, and be done with it. There were people in shorts in the dining room that night, not even kidding.

A couple of things we took that were rockstars: a night light, and a power strip. Mint gum.  bug repellent wipes. When packing, we rolled our clothes to avoid wrinkles, and that even worked for our formal wear.

Perhaps the most frustrating thing to me is the constant up-charging that goes on. Even if you have an all-inclusive drinks package (PP we had), there are still charges for glasses of wine that are 'over the limit' if they're listed as more than 12$. Which is pretty much all but 1 type of red. So each glass is going to cost you $2  - $8 anyway. Charges for tapas (appetizers) at vintages 5$, charges for cupcakes 4$, charges for 'specialty coffee' 5$ including espresso and cappuccinos at dinner 6$, and so on.  I didn't expect to come home with such a large bill --just for the food-- after having paid thousands of dollars in the first place BEFORE the trip to book it, drinks packages, and excursions plus airfare.

So I'd say, if you drink mostly mixed drinks or cheaper beers (bud, coors), or white zinfandel, shiraz and moscato, then get the drinks package. However, if you drink red wine and 'fancy' coffee, don't bother, because it won't be covered anyway.

Also, the drinks are best in the viking lounge on 14. So is the band.

I totally enjoyed my 5 day cruise on Royal Caribbean.  Had a very fun and relaxing time.  Having sailed many time on this line, I had a fun time just relaxing onboard.  There were a number of activities to keep me engaged and time to just stroll the Promenade.  Loved it!

Our cruise was very good (except the 1 day we had rough seas).  ALL of the staff was very friendly and accommodating to every need we had.  The Dining Room staff, especially Nathan, were the best.

We really had a blast at the 70's Dance Party, Battle of the Sexes Games, Ice Skating Show and the Elton John Show.

As usual, RCCL has out done themselves.  Can't wait to book another!!!

The cruise was all we dreamed of, gorgeous islands, attentive staff, delicious meals!  We took the submarine down 109 feet in Cozumel and enjoyed the sea life.  Stayed the night before the cruise on Ft. Lauderdale which made the trip much more enjoyable!  

The ports of calls were awesome! We had great service in the main dining room every night we went. Actually, we had great service almost every where on the ship except the photo gallery and the Windjammer/Jade cafe.  I guess those staff members were having a bad day, LOL!  It did not stop us from having a good time!  However, we may no longer be Royal Caribbean loyalists!  I think some sensitivity training is in order!

Otherwise, we recommend this itinerary and the ship was roomy and very clean.

The ship is wonderful. I do not give five stars for three events. One due the mistreatment of one of the dependents of the bar located on the main pool. The guy was obviously rough. The room was nearly perfect, except for the fact the curtain at the balcony door had a loose hook, and I had to try to fix every day, to prevent light from it.The worst thing is that my wife decided to get botox in the spa. one of her eyebrows was evidently higher than the other. when he went to see Dr. again this will put another shot and now she has eyebrows and eyelids fallen and folds in the eyelids and constantly feels a weight on them as if he could not open them. So keep away for the spa's Dr.

the cruise was awesome. Just relaxing at sea is what I love. Royal Caribbean was a great line, crew and staff were great. Food was excellent. We did my time dining in the evening and the food was great, portions were just right, not huge making you stuffed and gain weight but you could have more if you wanted or needed it. activities and shows on board were excellent too.

Surprised my husband with this cruise for his birthday.  Was perfect number of days.  Sailed on this ship before and we love it!  The best thing is the staff!  They are fabulous.  Especially Victoria in the casino bar.  Absolutely loved her !!!  Also, the gentleman who wears the funny blinking glasses when greeting you at the dining room.  He was always so cheerful and enthusiastic.  It's nice to see and meet these employees who love their job!  It sets the "happy mode" for everyone on board.  Life is too short, so be happy !!!!!!

Customer service was amazing.  The staff on the Independence of the Seas was the best I've ever seen.  Across the board they were accommodating, kind, friendly, and pleasant.  

There were MANY hidden charges that I didn't plan for.  That was a bummer.  I was stressed most of my vacation because I was over budget.  User error?  Maybe.  But I was up front that this was my first cruise and could have been provided particulars at many different occasions. Perhaps during one of the seven pre-cruise phone calls I made asking questions... specifically about hidden charges.  GRR. 

Very nice ship.  Staff were very friendly and attentive. Would recommend this ship and cruise destination to Mexico.  **********************************************************************************************

The ship is fantastic with an ice rink and skating shows as well as a great promenade and lots of activities. Service quality at the dining room and food quality at the buffet can (need to) be improved. 

This was our first cruise. My husband and I are a young Indian couple residing in US currently. We had done a lot of research before embarking on this cruise. Personally, I had come across mixed reviews and was not sure about what to expect. However, I am glad to say that we were pleasantly surprised by the level of service and attention provided by the crew members. Our dining experiences were made extremely memorable by Robert, Martin and Faheem. On the very first day, my husband mentioned to the front desk manager (Faheem) about the possibility of getting some Indian vegetarian food for some of the nights. Faheem took extra care to find us a table quickly that would accommodate our needs. From there-on, each dinner was a wonderful experience where we were treated to delicious Indian food in addition to dishes offered in the regular menu. Terence (from housekeeping) maintained our stateroom splendidly. The only disappointment was the cancellation of our snorkeling excursion at Chakanaab resort in Cozumel, Mexico (made through Royal Caribbean) due to questionable weather. However, we paid extra $20 to another dive shop at the resort and went ahead with snorkeling on our own. The loading and unloading process through tender boats at Belize was extremely smooth, as opposed to the terrible stories we had heard. New River and Lamanai Mayan Ruins excursion at Belize was loads of fun. We highly recommend it. The shows and performances organized by the creative director Leigh and his team were excellent. One of the best show was the Ice Skating show called Freeze Frame, we were amazed with the skating performances! We went to each of the late night shows and would come out smiling every time. My husband enjoyed the different Jacuzzis and pools while I took advantage of the on-board spa center (awesome job by Wendy). All in all, we had a wonderful time and are planning to go back for another cruise with royal Caribbean sometime soon!

This was our third cruise with Royal Caribbean.  We always have a wonderful time being pampered with great food, fun experiences, and relaxing letting someone else handle the details!

There were over 1500 kids on board and their parents were literally on vacation.  The movies (two of them) were repeated twice - and we were at sea 2 1/2 days.  The screen for viewing was outside over the pools while the theater with three floors of seating was empty???  Even though you could see it, you couldn't hear it and who wants to watch the same movie twice?  Food was wonderful, staff entertaining, the evening performances were grand, comedians mediocre, Ice show was terrific - but again - same show 4 times???  At their level of expertise, I would think they could have two different shows?

The arts and crafts you had to pay for, line dance classes, no instructor showed up, and the dance floors (attached to the bars) were big enough for maybe 3 couples.  Disappointing since we are ballroom dancers.

I forgot we had $130 credit on board - my error - but they could have reminded us at check-in when they were scanning all our documents.  Didn't realize it until we were leaving the ship with slip in hand.  

Overall we learned that we shouldn't book a cruise during a school break and probably with a better quality shipping line - like Princess or Celebrity.

weather was great (but so is FL), rooms were clean, and again, the staff was wonderful.  Celebrating the New Years with over 4,500 folks on board on one floor of a ship was like putting sardines back into the can...not happening for us ole folks!!!  

We had fun but it was way overpriced and the extras jacked the cost up even more. The drink packages were absurd. The wedding package included next to nothing. The staff in general were ok. 

Really Great Cruise and accommodating staff.  Our Table number in the formal dining hall was 472, the wait staff there was great. accommodated our requests for vegetarian food very nicely. Did not try any of the other paid restaurants. Price seemed to be a factor.