Will I be disappointed with Royal Caribbean....?

[Babylou44]

We went on our first cruise this summer on the Celebrity Eclipse to the Baltic with our 10 year old daughter and had a fantastic time. My wife would prefer a warmer climate for next year and so we are looking at the Independence of the Seas cruise to the Med. My only fear from reviews on Cruise Critic and also speaking to an independant cruise company is that it might be a bit TOO loud and boisterous for us. Dont get me wrong, we want something for our daughter to do and enjoy...but the rumours of kids going mad through corridors and up and down in lifts is starting to put us off. The cruise company said they had had feedback that it was like Brits abroad...and it was fed by the free drinks packages. It would be an expensive mistake to make if we were wrong....but I would welcome some views from Independence travellers to reassure us. Help...!!

[Clarea]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

 

No one can know if you will be disappointed. Best thing is to try and decide for yourself.

[papaflamingo]

Haven't done Independence, but have done the Med on Rhapsody. In my opinion the cruise is so "port heavy" that there really isn't that much "partying" going on. Not sure about the cruise you are looking at, but we used the precious "at sea" days to try and recover from the intense and long days in port. You will find more of a "nightlife" atmosphere on Royal Caribbean, but in my experience the real "party" groups tend to be in the Caribbean, so I wouldn't worry too much about the Med.

[deliver42]

The cruise will be what you make it. If you go with a positive attitude, you will probably enjoy it. If your thinking is negative going in, then that's what it will be. I've sailed on many Royal cruises, and can count on one hand, kids running wild.

[hollon]

Also remember rccl has different classes of ship, so figure out what type of ship you like small, large, extra large :) then go and try, it is hard not to compare, just remember its a vacation. Don't like one rccl, try another.

 

I love big ships b/c there is so much entertainment, etc. I went on Diamond Princess and hated it, I went on a smaller ship Star princess and loved it. So, go w/ a good attitude :)

[kernow]

Just my opinion but as a seasoned RCL cruiser I would not take the chance of sailing out of Southampton on RCL during school summer holidays. Any other time would not be a problem for me but I've heard too many tales (first hand from people I trust) similar to what you are being told.

 

We've cruised Celebrity including Eclipse from Southampton with a teenager and like you had a great time. RCL does attract a lot more families and has more entertainment options, have you considered flying to Barcelona or Rome and cruising from there? It's what we usually do because you get a much bigger mix of nationalities and less of the 'Brits abroad' crowd.

[Merly]

We have just got off Eclipse, last week, and loved it. One of my favourite ships. Incidentally sailed from Southampton. We are also seasoned Royal cruisers and whilst Celebrity Solstice class ships are my fave, we sail more with Royal. Independence is a great ship and we have sailed from Southampton. Never had an issue with any passengers, large or small. Med cruises tend to be port intensive as well. The only thing I would avoid is school holidays. ( Having said that our cruise last week was school holidays but there were few children around as it was a cruise to the Fiords, so not particularly a cruise for children).

Will you like it? Who knows. We are trying MSC next week for the first time. Will we like it? I'll let you know when we get back.

[KiwiGal117]

I agree Med cruises are likely to be more sedate than what you are hearing for the reasons indicated above. We were on Harmony last summer and Splendour in 2013 - both in the Med. we had no issues at all with loud and crazy families/kids, at all. There were passengers from all over the world on both - something like 60+ countries. The benefit of that is you don't get large groups of any one nationality where you notice the habits they are "known" for.

 

 

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[Pstreet12]

We've logged lots of nights with Royal (and quite a few with Celebrity). The "kids gone wild" aspect hasn't been a problem even when we were on ships with a high percentage of kids during school holidays. I can count on one hand the times I've heard children running in the hall (and that's with well over 200 nights on Royal). I suspect what you're hearing is similar to the people who say that no one under 90 years of age cruises on Holland--that simply isn't true, and neither is it true that kids are running and screaming without supervision all over Royal ships; it that were true, we would have quit sailing with Royal many, many cruises ago.

[little britain]

Just my opinion but as a seasoned RCL cruiser I would not take the chance of sailing out of Southampton on RCL during school summer holidays. Any other time would not be a problem for me but I've heard too many tales (first hand from people I trust) similar to what you are being told.

 

 

 

We've cruised Celebrity including Eclipse from Southampton with a teenager and like you had a great time. RCL does attract a lot more families and has more entertainment options, have you considered flying to Barcelona or Rome and cruising from there? It's what we usually do because you get a much bigger mix of nationalities and less of the 'Brits abroad' crowd.

 

 

 

^^ 100% in agreement. A cruise full of Brits out of Southampton, with the drinks packages would be my worst nightmare.

 

 

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[jdc2204]

My Wife and I have made 3 cruises to Europe. 1 out of Stocholm, 1 from Venice and 1 from Barcelona. All were RCI ships. We hardly knew there were kids on board. After all you do have a child on board as well. Some of us don't let children interaction be a deal breaker.

[cb at sea]

It will be fine...Independence is a fine ship...not too big, and not too small. Lots of space to do whatever you want. Enjoy!

[matj2000]

It's funny that the Euro's call elevators "Lifts"...

[lbjen]

I think only posters from the UK or maybe other European countries will understand the 'Brits Abroad' fear. We have been contemplating a summer med cruise out of Southampton too, and now I'm wondering the same. Perhaps Rome or Barcelona would make a better starting point.

[Pstreet12]

If it is similar to the Irish "out for a bit of fun," I can understand the hesitation; we have run into that a few times--but the problem wasn't the children.

[kernow]

I think only posters from the UK or maybe other European countries will understand the 'Brits Abroad' fear. We have been contemplating a summer med cruise out of Southampton too, and now I'm wondering the same. Perhaps Rome or Barcelona would make a better starting point.

You are correct and I think you may want to consider Rome or Barcelona if you are thinking about cruising during the six weeks British school summer holidays which run from late July and throughout August, any other time you will be fine.

Believe me I have nothing against children, we have been cruising with our son since he was 3, he is now 23 so we have been on lots of cruises during holidays but you need to pick carefully.

 

I notice many of the replies on this thread are from Americans most of whom have probably never cruised out of Southampton. If the OP was asking for advice about sailing from Florida during peak Spring Break would the replies be the same because it's the same thing.

 

Julie

[jackieN]

Its not only the kids you have to worry about its the adults with the free drinks packages. We went in October half term and it was the worst cruise We have ever had. Never again would I sail from Southampton, it was awful !!!

[Babylou44]

Thanks for all your help and advice....but please keep it coming...! Its interesting to hear all the different views. I note what Julie mentioned as well about the difference in views from English comments as opposed to those from other parts. Problem we have is that we both have the last two weeks in August off so the RCL cruises seemed ideal as they both fell within that time. Of the two the Independence seemed the better option than the Navigator.....but ironically for the reasons I was potentially looking to avoid...! With the price that I've been quoted for next year you wouldnt think it would attract those that want to just hammer the free drinks....surely 2 weeks in Majorca would serve that purpose....at a fraction of the price...? I've looked at the options of starting in Europe....but I just found the Southampton departure so convenient. Thanks again for all the advice though.....its really helpful to cruise virgins like us...!

[kernow]

Babylou44, I'm almost tempted to say give it a try as you'll never know if you don't. If you want to try RCL (and I do think they are a great cruiseline) and these are the only cruises that are convenient for you at least you'll be going in with your eyes open to what it could be like. RCL fill the ships out of Southampton every summer so there must be plenty of people that are perfectly happy.

 

I don't think there will be much difference in the atmosphere whether you choose Navigator or Indy but like you I would go for Indy as she will have had a recent drydock and some new features.

 

Hopefully you will get a reply from someone who has taken one of these cruises this summer for more up to date information.

 

Let us know what you decide,

 

Julie

[Babylou44]

Thanks Julie....that's the way I'm leaning to at the moment. We definitely want to cruise again next year, mainly because Holly, who will be 11 next time, absoloutely loved it and it sounds like there will be more for her as well. Added to that there really isnt much more to choose from if your preference is to go from Southampton to the Med in August...! As you and many have said, If things were that bad I guess they wouldnt fill it every year...?

[little britain]

Its not only the kids you have to worry about its the adults with the free drinks packages. We went in October half term and it was the worst cruise We have ever had. Never again would I sail from Southampton, it was awful !!!

 

 

 

LOL thanks! We are on for 3 nights this October- thankfully we are in super suite and we can shut the doors and hide ! [emoji85]

 

 

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[lbjen]

You don't start summer holidays until mid-July right? We start at the beginning of June here so I'm thinking we could get over in June and be safe!

[kernow]

You don't start summer holidays until mid-July right? We start at the beginning of June here so I'm thinking we could get over in June and be safe!

Yes, you'll be fine in June, also a bit cooler and not so busy in the Med.

 

Julie

[lbjen]

Yes, you'll be fine in June, also a bit cooler and not so busy in the Med.

 

Julie

 

Thank you! We usually have 12 weeks of summer break here (14 this year thanks to Hurricane Harvey). As a kid I always thought 6 weeks was so short, but 12 weeks as a parent is a different story!