Independence of the Seas Cruise Reviews - Reviews

Having never taken a cruise before we really enjoyed the experience. Always something going on and to do. Our teenage children enjoyed the teen atmosphere and made some friends that they still keep in touch with via twitter. The ship was clean and well appointed. Everyone enjoyed the shows and productions. We did not know the difference , but we heard a few people complain about the lack of midnight buffet and food on this cruise. Over all my family very much had a great time and will probably because of this experience cruise agian in the future.

What a great time we had on this "runaway from New England Winter" special!

The weather was nearly pefect (only a 20 minute flash storm last sea day), the stops were friendly and interesting and Royal Caribbean did a really fine job at keeping us fed, entertained and pampered. Of special note was the dinning room service staff (a "WOW" rating for certain) and the bamboo rafting trip on the Martha Brae river in Jamaica (intimate and totally relaxing)

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Totally perfect!  Great weather,sun and 80's.  Lovely ship.  The pool arrangement is brilliant.  Three separate venues .  .  . large kiddie pool/area, bigger adult pool/hot tub complex, a third, more laid back "soakers" pool with two great "extended overboard" hot tubs.  All three, beautifully decorated, bright,  colorful appealing. 

Service exceeded expectations.  Brenden Benoit, our cabin steward was marvelous.  In addition to great care each day, you enjoyed his upbeat smiling manner and attitude.  Roy, in the Romeo & Juliet Dining Room was also, outstanding.  The ship was immaculate  No trash to be seen.

The Promenade provided a nice array of eateries, bars, snack places.  R.C.'s two parades added a dsh of fun and color.  Great music as well.  The entertainers were far better than expected.  A half dozen guys and gals with very strong, appealing, varied voices led the "Broadway Show Cast. '  Excellent dancers as well.  An outstanding band was featured throughout the cruise, in  shows, pardaes, and in the Oliver or Twist, 14th floor bar.  Great sounds.  In addition R. C.'s ice show, "Violin" was spectacular.  Interesting story line, gorgeous custumes, skilled skaters, wonderful music.

Vic, the piano man in the Schooner Bar was engaging and fun.  His ability to replicate and array of piano styles and involve the audience invites multiple after dinner visits.  Fun.

The itinerary was interesting.  St. Martin's a bit disappointing, but St. Kitts, San Juan, and particularly Laberdee were super.  There is much more to the private island than we realized.  We wished we had been provided adnvance information as there are many beaches, multiple activities that we didn't discover until near too late.  Stop at the information office and get a map.  We got it much too late in the visit.

The fitness center on  the 11th floor, fore, has a wonderful cruising view.  It is incrdible well equipped.  I found all of the stuff offered by my Sun Prairie Athletic Club which is top shelf.

Returning to the polar extremes of Wisconsin made our two week Fla./8 night cruise even more enjoyable.

We did 16 cruises in the past 4 years, with different companies, and it was the first time a ship was ''squeaking'' like that, it is very annoying when you go to sleep. The royal promenade is absoutely fantastic.

We took this cruise to discover other places, as we saw St-Martin 4 times before (which is more than enough), and found out that St-Kitts has nothing to offer. No beaches, beside on hotel properties, the whole island looks like a scrap yard as we saw hundreds of abandonned cars and trucks on the side of the road and on private properties. The tour described Romney Garden as a tropical garden with a wide variety of flowers and palm trees, sorry but we find more on Boynton Beach streets where I live. Also, at this place, there is the ''Famous Batik Factory'' where only one old lady works because it is about the size of my backyard shed. On the way back we stopped where the lava of the nearby volcano met the sea long time ago, interesting, but we were surrounded by: sheeps, cows, dunky and dogs. We had to be careful not to step on ''poops'' of these animals. We feel that this island is not ready for tourist yet.

Puerto Rico, our first time there, is very nice and clean but too short stay as we had to be back on board at 1.30 pm.

Labadie is great, as usual, because of the beach and the picnic prepared by the ship staff.

Service on board was great, we assist the fruit carving which is fantastic the way this fellow plays with a knife.

This was our 10th cruise we have been on and it was the best experience we have had...The Independence of the Seas had the best dining room food and the best dancer, singers, comedians, band, and staff we have had....I believe that the larger ships will get the better chefs and entertainers than the smaller ships...

The ship was spotless and the staff was always sanitizing the stair railings, elevator buttons, etc, so we did not fear getting a virus.

The large Promenade deck was great and was fun to sit there having a drink or eating a pizza slice, and watching the people go by..

Everyone was very pleasant & helpful. The wait staff that we had were very good and always pleasant.  we met some nice people that were on the cruise too and the food was GREAT! We went on 2 excursions & we always felt safe and the guides always let us know what was going on so we didnt feel lost or left to our own devices. The ship itself was beautiful and very clean.

Please excuse the long review, but everyone listed made our cruise the most excellent vacation. They deserve our recognition.

We booked this cruise a year in advance knowing that we would need a break after the holidays.  Royal Caribbean provided us with the break we needed because of all of the excellent service. At the pool deck (where we spent most of our "cruising"/off time), Raymon and Mihai made tasty beverages and excellent company. By far, Raymon and Mihai (located at the pool bar) made our trip outstanding.  They had great senses of humor and never tired of seeing us walk up to/hang out at the bar countless time. They truly were outstanding and provided us with excellent service that greatly exceeded our expectations. And when we were not at the bar, talking to Raymon and Mihai, Lindon Forbes and Fernando (from the Philippines) made sure that we were well taken care of around the pool deck. Fernando always knew what my mom liked and was always ready and willing to accommodate her beverage of choice. 

  We had the pleasure of seeing Lindon at the pool deck (and pretty much everywhere, the man never stopped working and was always the friendliest... We don't know how he did it) and as our drink server at dinner.  Lindon read our minds and we never went without drink (wine was the choice for dinner) when we wanted. Amazing Lindon Forbes. Period.

  At the dinner table, Macbeth dining room, first seating, with Jesus Nocum and Leo Degrado/Estaloga. Jesus was our main server and Leo was the assistant. I tell you, we could not have asked for a better pair. We never had to wait long (or at all, it seemed like) for our food, and never had to ask about items being cleared away. Jesus and Leo were on top of everything. Well efficient. On top of that, Leo always managed to come back to our table with our favorite choices of bread.. He knew that our table enjoyed bread.... and a lot of it. Bless him.  

Another special moment at dinner was when Jesus discovered that it was our anniversary. We were surprised with a delicious chocolate mousse cake and singing from the banquet captain. Jesus and Leo = top notch. 

Two of our other favorite bar tenders (we purchased the drink package...) we discovered the last two nights of the cruise were Matiqua (sorry if that is spelled incorrectly) and Virgilio. Those two knew how to make some drinks, but really they knew how to provide excellent service. They had great senses of humor and kept us laughing, especially Matiqua.

Last, but CERTAINLY not lease. Our room attendant, JJ, or Joanna on the ninth floor (our room was 9595 if that helps), was absolutely fantastic. One, our room was immaculate every time we stepped back into after leaving it not the tidiest. On top of that, JJ was always nice to us. She remembered little details that we wouldn't expect anyone to remember in conversation.  JJ was awesome. Thank you, JJ for everything you did for us!

Over all, we really enjoyed our cruise on Independence of the Seas. At all elevators, we found an interactive map, which was extremely helpful. The staff was very courteous and helpful. We especially enjoyed the my time dining feature. Even though we did not always dine at the same time, we were seated in the same general area with our great wait staff, Gerald and Eschmael. Our cabin steward Noel made sure we had ice every day without being asked, since we had medication that needed to be kept cold. The only complaint we had, and it was minor, was that one bar ran out of mint, while the bar about 100 feet away had some. We had a similar experience with Dos Equis beer. The shore tenders were handled very well, and the entire crew was very accomadting and friendly.

It was our first time on a Royal cruise, having done several other cruise lines. We really enjoyed everything about it. They had tons of activities all day long. The staff was very friendly and the ship was extremely clean. There is a new drinks option where you pay one flat rate, it was more than worth it just not having to sign every slip with your drink purchase. We did the dine any time option and had no problem with seating. They try to keep you in the same area as your server from the first night, so he becomes familiar with you and it creates a nice friendly enviroment. We're looking forward to going back again!

The ship was beautiful and all the staff people we encountered were wonderful.  It was a pleasure to be "thanked for coming" each time we left the Windjammer restaurant. The main dining room staff went out of their way to accommodate us. The balcony was larger than what we have had on other lines.  As we were unfamiliar with the Royal Caribbean line, it took us a bit to get away from the "lido deck" for anytime tea and coffee and find the "promenade" deck for refreshments.  But once we figured it out, it was a really nice experience.  However we would have liked to have iced tea or lemonade available.  We only found hot tea, coffee and water.  The parades and other activities that they had on the promenade were well done and enjoyable.

Another difference we found was that when going ashore for any type of water activity you must remember to go to the pool deck to get a towel because they are not available on the gangway except when you are stopping at Labadee.

We couldn't get any of the tours we wanted for Grand Cayman because they were sold out.  We were advised that it would be safe to go on our own by bus to the beach.  As we were looking for a bus, a driver was holding a sign for a tour that was exactly what we tried to get. We went, there were 3 other couples in the van and it was one of the best tours we have been on. For Grand Cayman, don't be afraid to go out on your own, very safe and the beach was wonderful!

This cruise was wonderful!  Staff and food was outstanding and the pools and hottubs were great!  We stopped at St. Maarten, St. Kitts, San Juan & Labadee, all wonderful ports. 

We have cruised Carnival and Norwegian many times before, but thought we would see what all the hype was about with royal caribbean. First it was more expensive. So i figured more luxurious.  NOPE. infact we got less for the money than we would have on the other cruise lines. For example, Robes are a staple for a balcony cabin. Not on Royal.  We had purchased the premium drink package on the ship. Everything was included except for premium coffee. So i wanted a bottle of water when exiting the ship to go ashore...sorry sir, you have to pay for that....WHAT?  I wanted freshly squeezed juice with my breakfast...sorry sir, you have to pay for that..WHAT?  Johnny Rockets burgers are an UPcharge???  Guys burger joint on carnival is FREE!!!!  Bingo on the other cruise lines is 10 bucks...on royal...35!!!!  

its just the little things.......but it makes or breaks the cruise...sorry

Overall experience was very good. Very much enjoyed the on-board experience. Loved the ports selected especially private island experience in Labadee, Haiti. Suggest a cruise that would have the ship moored for three or four days at Labadee to allow travelers to enjoy the island and the ship each day. Had mixed experience with front desk on excursions. One gent. (name ?) not helpful. One very helful. Problem was I booked through third party and not RC. The first day the gent told me to get my paperwork and was standoffish. The second day, another gent initiaslly was the same way and then when I voiced my displeasure and then was told to go to the excursion line, he then followed me over to the live and was very accomodating and helpful. You folks need to get your act together to make it a seemless experience for travelors vis-a-vis excursiosn through third parties. I felt like a bit of a yo-yo. The food was very good except the first evenings dinner. The meat was toughg and my travelmate chose not to make an issue of it.

Loved this cruise vacation....you felt like royalty...as you walked out of your room and were greeted by several of the staff.  Just about everytime you came back to your room you could tell that it had been cleaned and tieded....Waitress remembered us when she would see us throughout the day.  Waited on everywhere we turned.....Simply amazing.

Took this cruise with 17 members of my immediate family. We all agree it was so much fun. The boarding process was fast & easy & we got on the ship to eat & gather before going to our rooms. The rooms were always clean & straightned up every morning & evening. The room steward was very friendly & eager to help.

The dining experience was exceptional. Our waiters went out of their way to please each & every one of us. With our large group they were kept busy & always smiling did whatever was asked. Glasses were kept full immediately. Waiter even helped me get lobster out of shell as I didn't know how. I'm 74 years old & was treated with much respect by all the staff.

The evening shows were very professional & great fun to watch. We all especially enjoyed the ice skating show. The lounge shows were intertaining too. Food choices were excellent, intertainment first rate. Ports of call were fun. Especially liked Laberdee. We spent all day on the beach. Food service was so good there too.

I can't think of any changes I would like to see except maybe keeping a food area open later in the evening on board. We have been on 4 previous Carnival cruises & we all decided from now on we will go on Royal Caribbean. Thank you for the happy memories.

i twas a wonderful cruise, everyone was helpful on the ship. I would take it again. The only problem was the dining room. We had a beautiful table, beautiful dining room, excellant food. ( The waiter). he was sooo slow it drove me crazy .Went in at six didn't come out almost eight. We stopped going to the dining room last two nights. He was polite but much to slow.

First the not so good.  Fox news has been droped from the channel line up and we were completely in the dark on stateside news.  CNN is not the "headline news" I remembered.  This is 2014 and you would think some sort of basic internet service would be available at no charge.  The chair situation is a little crowded when you have this many people on a ship.  Even Windjammer seating was tight most of the time.  Now for the good.  The service was personable and friendly.  There is more to do on this ship than you can get done.  I thought there would be long lines for the Flowrider or the rock wall.  Generally this was not the case and the well orginized staff kept moving along.  Stateroom and Dining room service was excellent.  I thought the food was very good.  It was never as hot as you would like, but they were serving 3500 guests.  All in all an awesome time in 80 to 90 degrees when it was 9 degrees where we were from.

Enjoyed the cruise very much.  Ship was very clean and seemed to be very organized.  My only negative comments would be for the entertainment.  The ships singers and dancers were good but after a few nights of them preforming we were bored.  Seemed a lot of the same...got bored.  Liked the singing group that was a guest "Home Free".  Really the highlight of the entertainment.  I think the ship should of had more variety.  The parades on the promenade I thought were a little cheesy.  I really saw no purpose of the crew walking back and forth holding pompoms and strange costumes.

Our balcony stateroom on the 8th deck was spacious and well laid out.  Our room steward did a great job.

We enjoyed eating in the MRD but we did do My Time Dining and that was the best decision as we did not like being on a schedule.  Enjoyed meeting new people at the table each night.  Service was good and food was good.  In the Windjammer for buffet was good in general.  We always found something that we liked.  Stay away from the pasta.....very tough and impossible to eat. 

Would I go on the IOS again.....in a heart beat.  Would I eat less next time.....sure would try but hard to do with all the temptations.

The ship is huge, but we didn't feel like we were on a marathon to get from one place to another...the design is good.

The entertainment was fantastic....each night 2 shows for early & late seating...singers & dancers every night (not just for the production shows).  Atrium parades also great.

The food was good.  The Windjammer area wasn't cleaned up quickly enough & some tables were left that way for a long time.  That was a turn-off, since people needed tables.  It wasn't as clean as I like.

In general, the ship needs refurbishing.  Some carpeting was stained, upholstered items had stains & some furniture had chips & discoloration.  Time for a facelift!

Having been on 35+ cruises, Princess Cruises is cleaner...there's always a crew doing work, polishing, vacuuming, dusting, etc.  Didn't see much of that on the Independence.

However, this ship had shows that made Princess look like a beginner.  Actually, while in San Juan, the Emerald Princess was alongside us & their passengers were on the balconies & decks, dancing & singing to our pool deck event.  I've never seen anything like this & I think our cruise director is one of the absolute BEST!

The pool deck tables & area wasn't kept clean & with so many people, this was unacceptable, especially on a holiday cruise.

Princess has a good system with pool towels.  Each cabin has these towels, so there's no need to wait in line & to sign in/out.  The cabin steward knows immediately when they've been used or are missing.

The cruise and ports were all very nice.  We had a problem with pool deck chairs on the days at sea.   a person from a family would get up at 6 a.m. and reserve an entire row of deck chairs with towels for their whole family some of which would not show up all day.  We asked the pool attendant every day at sea to help since in the compass there was a rule stating no saving of deck chairs and 30 minute max away from the chair before it could be used by another guest.   but RCL refused to enforce this rule and my family went without a deck every day at sea while tons of them sat empty with nothing but towels on them.  it was so obnoxious i doubt i will book another RCL cruise unless it is just so inexpensive i will tolerate all my days at sea being ruined.  additionally i went to guest services to help me out with deck chair situation they were also unable to help.   other cruise lines like Disney have a handle on this situation but evidently RCL does not.   RCL does not realize for the people that don't save chairs and that follow the rule in the compass their days at sea are ruined.