Independence of the Seas Cruise Reviews - Reviews

Ship is great embarcation great iceshows excellent evening dining a huge disappointmnt after 2 big complaints service becanme acceptable, food quality only accepatable windjammer cafeteria good food and service out of 5 shore ecursions booked 3 were canecelled at just 24 hours notice - stall surly at having to help with rebooking new excursions expect long waits for elevators

We sailed on the "Independence of the Seas." The ship was magnificent. It was clean, and our room attendant kept our room spotless. The Capt's humerous remarks added lightness to the trip. The entertainment was so professional. We also appreciated the friendliness of the staff. There was always a"hello" or "how are you enjoying your trip?" We enjoyed the Ports of call namely, Azores, Madeira. There was large visibility of Gaffitti painted on walls, sidewalks, and windows in Vigo, Spain. It was so different from the Portugese Islands, which were so clean and the people were friendly.

the ship was large and wonderful. never experience such a large ship. had everything i wanted and needed.

The ship was very interesting in its layout, and fun to explore. The sailing across the Atlantic was very smooth, and the cabin layout was great.

Brand new, clean huge ship. Lots to do on board. Rules for children were not obeyed. The parents let their children run wild all day and until 2 a.m. in the morning. Ship's crew seemed to turn their heads to the problem. We witnessed several children getting injured because of all the running around on board. The food was OK but not extraordinary. But th soups were fantastic as well as the desserts. The menu in the dining room for the evening meal was strange, we thought. Duck offered too many times. Fish was over cooked. Service in the state room and room service was excellent. Service for breakfast and lunch was fantastic. Dinner was a little less effecient. It took our waiter 3 nights before they would ask if we wanted anything to drink with our meal. We always had to almost beg for a glass of wine. We felt rushed during dinner. We had the last seating and it seemed they were eager to wrap it up for the evening. No midnight buffet or anything else special was ever offered on board. People seemed to dress too casual for the formal night. I wish the rules were followed better.

The ship was clean and beautiful

Royal Caribbean was a great line. Excellent food, friendly staff, a myriad of services. One complaint - you have to pay tips (if using a credit card) before 12 AM on the day before your last day - I wanted to leave a credit card tip since I had no cash on the last day but was out of luck.

The Independence of the Seas is huge! It was very clean, easy to find your way around and I loved the flow rider and the gym.

We loved the Independence of the Seas. Our waiter Jan Michel has left us spoiled. We will never be able to eat in another restuarant again.The best service we have ever had dining.. The Cruise director Graham was also very impressive and funny.

My wife and I have taken six previous cruises over the years and had never experienced one that came close to this one in total satisfaction! Everything was well planned from the booking experience to the leaving of the ship on the final day.

First, the bad news. There is an oddly thin veneer of glamour about Royal Carribean, like someone showed them a short movie about elegant living and they cobbled together a vacation experience from that. Telling your guests to put on black tie does not a formal affair make, particularly not when your wait-staff are trying to sell your guests an extra glass of soda or wine throughout the entire meal. A well worn rule of thumb in polite society says that whenever you ask someone for their wallet at a formal gathering, you had better be affiliated with a charity, a cause, or a candidate. If you ignore this rule, any air of formality that you hoped to establish at your occasion will sink like the Titanic. Royal Carribean either doesn't know this rule, or doesn't care. It seems to us that there is a system in place from the moment you board the ship to constantly sell you things. I'm talking about drinks, both soft and alcoholic, excursions, trinkets, momentos, gambling, massages, facials, accupuncture, haircuts, shaves, manicures, etc, etc, etc. Anything and everything that they can make an extra dime on, they will sell you. Calls home are $8.00/minute, internet access is $0.55/minute, small bottles of water for shore excursions, $3.50, pay per view movies in your room, $12.99 each. It wouldn't be so bad if they came through with the goods when you paid, but the tropical drinks they serve for $8.50 have never even met a peice of fresh fruit, their burgers from "Johnny Rockets" are extrordinarily bad, and their roulette wheels all have double zeros, thus improving the odds for the house. With that said, there is, to be fair, some good news. The ship itself is spectacular. You have to see it for yourself to understand what I mean. The "low level," least senior staff were fantastic. I'm speaking about the people who bus your table, clean your cabin, refresh your water or coffee, and just generally look after you. About these people, I just can't say enough. They are smart, attentive, polite, pleasant, and go about the business of making you as comfortable as possible almost invisibly. Unfortunately, these marvelous people are hindered by Royal Carribean's previously mentioned zest for revenue enhancements.

overall a great trip. Everything was organized and executed flawlessly.

This is our third cruise. We have sailed on the Mariner of the Seas, a Carnival ship, and now the Independence of the Seas. The ship is massive which makes for great sailing and the open feeling is very nice.

WHEN YOU TRAVEL WITH RC THERE IS NOTHING NOT TO LIKE. WE HAVE BEEN ON OVER 35 CRUISES< NONE AS WONDERFUL AS RC, WE LOVE THE SHIP WE LOVE THE STAFF WE LOVE THE ROOMS WE LOVE THE FOOD. IN LIFE YOU LEARN IF YOU ARE SMART TO ENJOY EVERY MOMENT. WE ENJOY EVERY MOMENT ON RC.

Its worth taking this cruise. Lots of fun and lots to do.

I Highly recommend taking this cruise.

It is a tewrrific ship with lots to do. Beware the ship holds over 4,000 tourists and a crew of 1,500.

The best travel agent in the world is Janet Castro with Cruises Only.

no comment

Wow this ship is big and they are going to get a bigger one in a year called the oasis. I loved the ship and had lots of fun.