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Review of RC Independence of the Seas 6-13 September 2015

Cleo1611

By Cleo1611,
in Royal Caribbean International

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Cleo1611

Cleo1611

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The Independence of the Seas is a beautiful ship. This was my 11th cruise, 2nd Royal Caribbean.

 

Check in was long, we arrived about noon and we were directed to go to the 'Gold' express check-in line where there were approximately 15 people ahead of us. the 'General' check-in line looked to have 40+ persons. That line was moving swiftly and seemed to have about 10 party of persons processed to every one of our line. It took us 45 mins to 1 hour to check in. After check-in, we went to the dining room for lunch which was very good. And then our rooms were ready so we unpacked everything and hit the pool.

 

The adult pool area is smaller/quieter than the main pool and has cushioned loungers. We'd go to the adult pool late afternoon when it wasn't as crowded. The main pool area had a lot of people and was a little crowded, so we hung out on the 12th floor which is one floor above, and got seats right above the main pool area so we had a good view to the belly flop contest and the guests/vs officers' pool volleyball and other activities as well as the live band, which was awesome. There is very little shade in this area and what little shade there is, is quickly taken. We managed well with 50 and 60 SPF suntan lotion and managed not to get burnt. The pools are largish, but deep - 6 ft in the adult area and about 5 ft in the main pool but there are lots of areas around the perimeter of the pool that you can sit and soak your feet or sit in 8" deep water - very nice.

 

We ate every nite but one in the dining room - service was slow, sometimes they seemed a little 'scattered'. The food was very good. There was no problem if you wanted 2 entrees or 2 appetizers. Each meal took about 90 minutes so you had to plan well if you wanted to attend the show which was at 7 or 9 pm. One night we had to leave before dessert was served in order to be on time for the evening headliner.

 

My meals were always very good, my girlfriend tried 3 nites for steak medium rare and was not as lucky. But nothing to complain about. As mentioned elsewhere, the tables for 2 are very close together so you are practically dining with the other table for 2, but for us it wasn't a problem.

 

We bought the Select Beverage Package and only drank beer or wine. Everywhere else on the ship you could get Pinot Grigio (white wine) at no additional cost with the package, for some reason I was charged $1 per glass in the dining room. I don't know if it was the same label as available elsewhere (tasted the same to me!) - but no problem. We probably broke even with the package and it was nice to have it prepaid so our bill at the end of the cruise was minimal. I found the bar service to be excellent whether at the pool or in the dining room.

 

Even though the ship was sold out and there were 500 kids on the ship, they stayed mainly in their water park adjacent to the main poo so we didn't notice them at all.

 

Our attendant, Gregory was very attentive - he was Jamaican and was just starting his 6.5 month contract. We had a balcony room which was spacious. There was adequate storage. If there was anything about this room I would comment on - the shower enclosure was a bit on the small size but you could get around this by leaving the enclosure door open a bit.

 

Labadee, Haiti - I had heard a lot of negative remarks about this place so wasn't sure what to expect. When we got off the ship, there was a ferry leaving, going to Columbus Cove which we took - a ten minute ride. When we got there we got two chairs which were free and parked ourselves near the water. The water was crystal clear and just the right temperature - beautiful.

We had a picnic lunch with chicken, burgers, salads, fruit and dessert - all provided by Royal Caribbean and we were able to use our sea pass for some beer. And there are shaded picnic tables where you can eat.

The straw market is an area not controlled by Royal Caribbean and the sales people can be quite insistent. We didn't go to the market near the beach but to the open area further along and bought some things - I bought a little painting that initially he said was $30 - for $6 so you need to haggle a bit. We walked back to the ship - and there were two other beach areas but they were not as pretty so that might be where the negative comments were about.

 

Falmouth, Jamaica - there is nothing in Falmouth except some of the usual shops - Montego Bay and Ochos Rios are the two closest towns but they are about an hour away (in opposite directions) so we took an excursion to Rose Hall which is an all inclusive resort. There is a 'lazy river' area (in the swimming pool) where you ride these big rubber tubes and the current carries you along which is a lot of fun and there is a water slide where you take a tube down the slide which is really fun. We stayed in the pool area, but there was a beach area as well. We ordered lunch and wine by the pool but you could go to the buffet inside as well at no charge.

 

Grand Cayman - we took the Island Tour and Tiki Beach excursion and I wouldn't recommend this trip. The tour stops at a rum factory where you can taste the rum cakes but they are priced the same as they are on the ship. The next stop was a condominium complex that was developed by some Texan millionaire - we took an elevator to the 5th floor where you could see the island from all angles but I don't even think we took any pictures there -Cayman is flat with no rivers or mountains....then off to Tiki Beach where they give you a rum or fruit punch and a chair but if you want an umbrella you need to pay for it. It was very hot - there is a shaded area away from the beach area with lounges. The water was crystal clear but there were large rocks about 10 ft in so not the best beach.

 

Cozumel - There is an info booth as soon as you get off the ship. We took a taxi on our own to Chankanaab. The taxi was $12 and a 5-10 minute drive away. There is a beach area where the water was deep and there was a little lagoon area where you can swim. The swimming pool is well designed with various levels. We saw a sea lion show which was very entertaining. There is a crocodile exhibit area and a large area where Mayan ruins were found. For an additional cost you can swim with the dolphins and dive where there are some underwater statues.

 

The evening shows for the most part were very good. The ice show was amazing. As was the last evening show that was a bit like Cirque du Soleil. And there was a headliner that seemed like Sammy Davis Jr. but sang pop, rock, classical, country - something for every age group. The ventriloquist was good, but it they could have cut his show in half time-wise. The comedian was mediocre.

 

One thing I thought was unusual - on the last day, we had breakfast in the dining room and there were tables around us that were set but empty. As we were leaving, they were taking everything off the (unused) empty tables. We were told, that even though no one used them, they needed to take the utensils, glasses, dishes, etc off and sanitize them before re-setting the table and they did this for breakfast lunch and dinner - guess that's their way of eliminating any illnesses.

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kimala

kimala

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Thanks for the review. I really enjoyed it. I also enjoy the food in the MDR on Royal. This Oct were taking a couple of friends on Indy and I was trying to tell them that , In my humble opinion the food on RCL dining room is a lot better then the food in the Norwegian MDR.

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meyer_22

meyer_22

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Great post and review. Ill be on the IOS with my wife and another couple (cruise virgins) in 2.5 weeks (Oct 11th - 18th). Got a few questions for you...

 

Can you tell me how the music/musician was in the piano bar and also in the pub?

 

What was the Cruise Director like?

 

How were the lines at the main pool bars, were there bar servers visible and walking around?

 

Thanks in advance!

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Cleo1611

Cleo1611

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Great post and review. Ill be on the IOS with my wife and another couple (cruise virgins) in 2.5 weeks (Oct 11th - 18th). Got a few questions for you...

 

Can you tell me how the music/musician was in the piano bar and also in the pub?

 

What was the Cruise Director like?

 

How were the lines at the main pool bars, were there bar servers visible and walking around?

 

Thanks in advance!

 

We never heard the piano bar guy or the pub guy - we always stayed as long as possible by the pool, showered and changed for MTD @ 8 pm and then it was off to the headliner.

There were many servers visible, walking around and also no lineups at the pool bars.

Cruise Director was Leigh - Australian guy, very comical - after the ice show he came on the ice with his skates on, legs wobbling and a bicycle helmet. Staff threw snowballs at him and he announced that evenings' shows whilst dodging snowballs. Also we went to the Quest game and he did a phenomenal job, with all the confusion going on it's a wonder how he was keeping track of all the teams and people on the rink floor which was no longer ice - i think they bring a floor over the ice for other activities in this room.

You'll love the ship and have a great time!

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Ren1216

Ren1216

Posted
Posted (edited)

Cleo -- Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts about your recent sailing. We're boarding her in a few weeks -- very excited, of course. :)

 

meyer -- Regarding the CD.... I cannot seem to locate the current thread for that, but Leigh will be on break Sept 13 - Nov 21. The current list notes the fill-in, I just can't remember off the top of my head. Who ever it is, from what I read here on CC, people seem to be pleased with him as well. The last few reports mentioning the Schooner bar entertainment (piano guy) said he's really good. Don't know about the pub.

 

Ricky Mathews is supposed to be the current CD on Indy....

 

Here's the last page of the current CD thread:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2245980&page=11

Edited by Ren1216
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Ren1216

Ren1216

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I'll be the voice of dissent and say I didn't care for the piano guy at all. But that's just me.

 

Aww, I'll bet that's just 'cuz you're grumpy :)

 

David Curtis is the name of the guy in the Schooner Bar.

Edited by Ren1216
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Cleo1611

Cleo1611

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CLeo1611:

You were able to have lunch in the MDR for lunch on embarkation day?

I have never seen it open---something new?

 

It may have been the Romeo and Juliet Room which is below the MDR but it was definitely open on embarkation day and so much nicer than beating the masses in the Windjammer

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robin13

robin13

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It may have been the Romeo and Juliet Room which is below the MDR but it was definitely open on embarkation day and so much nicer than beating the masses in the Windjammer

 

Well it would have been nice of them to tell people that it was open as I had to fight the masses in the Windjammer. I just looked at my Cruise Compass for day 1 and it doesn't say anything about the MDR being open.

 

I know on NCL if you are in a suite you get your own dining room for breakfast and lunch but have no idea what RCCL does as I am only Platinum.

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Cleo1611

Cleo1611

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Well it would have been nice of them to tell people that it was open as I had to fight the masses in the Windjammer. I just looked at my Cruise Compass for day 1 and it doesn't say anything about the MDR being open.

 

I know on NCL if you are in a suite you get your own dining room for breakfast and lunch but have no idea what RCCL does as I am only Platinum.

 

We are only gold members - much lower than Platinum - but I'm sure I read it somewhere - maybe not in the compass, but maybe with your check in material - as in "what to do and where to have lunch upon embarkation"? We also had lunch on embarkation day on Norwegian Getaway last summer - Maybe they don't want to 'advertise' so most people will go to the buffet - Next cruise - just head for the dining room!!

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Cleo1611

Cleo1611

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The lunch in the MDR on embarkation day is for those passengers doing a B2B cruise.

 

If there are not enough B2B passengers the MDR will be closed.

 

That may be true of the MDR - but now that I think back, I'm sure this was in the Romeo & Juliet Room which is the lower level of the MDR, the 2nd level (MacBeth) is for MTDiners and 3rd level (King Lear) is for people who have set dining times. Romeo and Juliet is also open for breakfast during the cruise.

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rprice11

rprice11

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Thanks for the review. My wife and I and some other couples are booked on the Feb 13th cruise. We had originally booked the Carnival Fantasy but that cruise was cancelled. While I was excited to be going on a cruise, I wasn't happy about going on that ship. The Independence was brought up as a new option and when I checked it out I was so excited. Is it as awesome as it looks? I can't imagine ever sailing on a lesser ship. Can't wait to go.

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jagmanss1

jagmanss1

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That may be true of the MDR - but now that I think back, I'm sure this was in the Romeo & Juliet Room which is the lower level of the MDR, the 2nd level (MacBeth) is for MTDiners and 3rd level (King Lear) is for people who have set dining times. Romeo and Juliet is also open for breakfast during the cruise.

 

 

Would you happen to know what time Romeo & Juliet dining room was open for lunch on boarding day? or even the time you went?

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mattpro

mattpro

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Today, 08:42 PM

Cleo1611 Cleo1611 is offline

Cool Cruiser Join Date: Nov 2005

Posts: 47

 

Default

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattpro View Post

The lunch in the MDR on embarkation day is for those passengers doing a B2B cruise.

 

If there are not enough B2B passengers the MDR will be closed.

 

That may be true of the MDR - but now that I think back, I'm sure this was in the Romeo & Juliet Room which is the lower level of the MDR, the 2nd level (MacBeth) is for MTDiners and 3rd level (King Lear) is for people who have set dining times. Romeo and Juliet is also open for breakfast during the cruise.

 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Let's be perfectly clear.

 

The MDR (levels 3,4 &5) are all CLOSED to new passengers embarking on the day of their cruise.

 

Those passengers that are on a B2B have access to the MDR for a special lunch that starts at 12 noon and ends at 1:00 P.M.

 

There is a selection of 3 appetizers and 3 entrees for lunch with apple pie ala mode for dessert.

 

Level 3 dining room is open for breakfast daily , with a special section for Diamond's, Diamond+ and Pinnacles.

 

If there are too many Diamond's on a particular cruise, this section will only be accessible to Diamond+ and Pinnacles.

 

Also, on sea days the MDR is open to all passengers for lunch, which includes a very special salad bar with every imaginable selection.

 

There is a menu for lunch selections and desserts.

 

Check your Cruise Compass for time and dining room level.

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MLBFan24

MLBFan24

Posted
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Enjoyed the review. I was on this ship the week prior (eastern route).

 

I agree about the slow wait time for the MDR food, but nothing I had to complain about. Not a big deal.

 

The cruise activity staff was great when I was there. Hopefully they brought the same fun on your cruise.

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