(Slightly less so) Cheapo dad's trip report on Independence of the Seas

[harryfat1]

The fashion police here on CC will be happy to hear there were a large percentage of people dressing up for the first formal night. Maybe it's the holiday cruise that makes it different but just feels more people dressing up than say on the Freedom or even the Allure

 

 

 

 

 

 

[harryfat1]

 

Met up with the brother in law and we walked around taking family pictures since we were all dressed up. Not often do you dress up like this at home so it’s time to create some memories. I’m sure most people don’t care about our family pictures so I will just keep these to bare minimum.

 

You know when I see these symmetrical type of patterns, I just have to take a picture of it. I'm sure it says something about my personality (or lack thereof since I need to line up things in order to take a picture)

 

 

After that, it was time for MDR. For those interested, the menu title is Mojo. As in Austin Power’s Mojo. Or not…

 

Speaking of lining things up, you all can see I still suck in menu photo taking. Can’t hold the menu straight with left hand while trying to hold my super sized note 8 phone with right hand. Seeing pictures like this will keep me very humbled when people say they like my pictures. Haha, I suck as a photographer. I can’t even line up the lines. Don’t quit my day time job…

 

 

[micmacmissy]

I guess I rather buy logo that supports the company rather than the ship itself. Overall, I would rate the shopping on the ship to be the most "meh" experience compared to other Royal ships.

 

Although I did find a new fanny pack that I will use for next cruise. There were some heated discussions awhile back about wearing fanny packs. I like them as they are functional. And ask me if I care what others think of me wearing it...

 

When we were on the Indy out of Fort Lauderdale back in 2013 (she had just repositioned a couple months earlier), the shops were AWFUL. Indy used to do cruises out of Southampton, England, so when we boarded, the gift shop was filled with weird stuff like King/Queen coloring books and clotted cream biscuits. Ewww!

 

You literally could not find an RCCL t-shirt, keychain, or Christmas ornament. And nope, sorry Harry, no fanny packs then either.

[Laney219]

Regarding the obc, did you booked w a nonrefundable deposit? I'm guessing the $50 was tied to a promo from rcl while the $175 was strictly from your ta.

Great report.

 

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[bobmacliberty]

Speaking of lining things up, you all can see I still suck in menu photo taking. Can’t hold the menu straight with left hand while trying to hold my super sized note 8 phone with right hand.

 

Harry - I'm not familiar with the Note 8 but for iPhones, you can use the Volume Up button as the shutter in the camera app. I find it much easier to use this when taking one handed pictures (including selfies) as I can wrap my hand around my iPhone 7+ and hold it much steadier. I assume that Android phones have a similar feature with a physical button that you can press rather than touching the screen. Is the Note too big to do this?

[harryfat1]

Harry - I'm not familiar with the Note 8 but for iPhones, you can use the Volume Up button as the shutter in the camera app. I find it much easier to use this when taking one handed pictures (including selfies) as I can wrap my hand around my iPhone 7+ and hold it much steadier. I assume that Android phones have a similar feature with a physical button that you can press rather than touching the screen. Is the Note too big to do this?

 

 

Hi, Bob,

 

Yeah, Samsung lets you take a picture with the volume button as well in the setup. They also have a floating second shutter button that you can place anywhere else on the screen you want in case you can’t reach the default button on the right.

 

They also have grid line built in to help you line things up as well as voice activation to take a pictures (like saying “smile” or “cheese” will automatically take a picture).

 

So there are more than enough aids to assist the photographer in taking pictures but I’m just creature of habit and if I hold the phone with one hand , I hold it toward the bottom for balance instead of gripping it across near the top. Although in my defense, I only upgraded to the new phone in November so I was still trying to adjust to the size. That’s just an excuse to say I suck in not even fully utilize all the tools available.

 

The menu is heavy and it’s not easy to try to balance it with the left hand. Next cruise, I will need to practice a little bit at home to get better at it.

[RoyalFan509]

I read at work when I need a break and at home! Slightly addicted to CC! Can't get enough info and along for the amusement as well!

[griffy116]

I keep checking on the next "chapter" and looking for more food photos. Hurry up!!!

[Canadian1]

Hi Harry, glad to see you are back with another review! I feel like I'm following in your foot steps because I read your Freedom review right before I went on it. Now I just found this after we decided to book the Indy for February earlier this week....very happy to be caught up and gearing up for for trip! Getting me pumped! I actually have been on the Indy before and really enjoyed it. I don't think you mentioned yet (or I'm hard of reading lol) but can I ask who the cruise director was? When we were on it was a great director that was originally from Jamaica (sorry, can't remember his name). He was funny and very engaging. I hope this trip will be someone just as good as they set the feel for the cruise. Looking forward to reading more and glad to hear that your cold seems to be getting better. Cheers

[harryfat1]

When we were on the Indy out of Fort Lauderdale back in 2013 (she had just repositioned a couple months earlier), the shops were AWFUL. Indy used to do cruises out of Southampton, England, so when we boarded, the gift shop was filled with weird stuff like King/Queen coloring books and clotted cream biscuits. Ewww!

 

You literally could not find an RCCL t-shirt, keychain, or Christmas ornament. And nope, sorry Harry, no fanny packs then either.

 

 

Interesting. I wonder if anyone reading this that is from UK area that can chime in on the differences in gift shop items. I know they had the basics like key chains and other things like magnets that Americans like to buy on our cruise.

 

I did notice the Indy has a whole section in the back that is devoted to selling kids books and toys only. Thought that was interesting. Even when we have a whole lot of kids on the family holiday, not too many people were shopping near that area. Totally wasted space that they can sell other stuff.

 

So I guess we can count ourselves lucky that we got a fanny pack. But that’s not what it’s called on the shelve. It’s some other name that must be used by the Brits to name it. I may have taken a picture of it. Need to find it when we get to day 8 as that was when we paid for all this.

 

[harryfat1]

Regarding the obc, did you booked w a nonrefundable deposit? I'm guessing the $50 was tied to a promo from rcl while the $175 was strictly from your ta.

Great report.

 

Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Forums mobile app

 

Hi,

 

Thanks for reading along the trip report.

 

Good guess on the non refundable fares but we booked this cruise prior to Royal invoking the non refundable fare scheme so we are not under that umbrella. It remains a mystery.

[harryfat1]

I read at work when I need a break and at home! Slightly addicted to CC! Can't get enough info and along for the amusement as well!

 

 

Yeah, laughing out loud in a quiet work environment while reading on a Friday afternoon is a dead giveaway that you are not doing work related items.

[harryfat1]

I keep checking on the next "chapter" and looking for more food photos. Hurry up!!!

 

Haha,

 

Just chill out, dude or dudette (depending on your gender). My trip report is like being on island time in Jamaica. NO HURRY, MON….How about listen to this song to make you less anxious? Don’t worry, be happy.

 

 

As a comparison, I looked back at my Freedom trip report from last year, at around the #330 post mark, I was still showing pictures from day 1 sailing at Port Everglades. Now at post #330, I am having dinner at day 2. So I am almost an entire day ahead of last year’s pace.

No need to “keep checking". I work during the day and only upload pictures at night when I get home so you only need to check daily if you only want to see new pictures. I might reply during the day but I will never upload pictures in middle of the weekday so you can save the time and effort to keep looking. Not happening.

Maybe on weekends I have more time to post pictures throughout but from M to F, only at nights will I have time. But even that is assuming I don’t have to deal with real life issues that all parents deal with regularly.

 

Besides, didn’t I upload my lunch pictures for day 2 last night? Day 2’s dinner pictures were pretty disappointing, sad to say. My food pics are not very good compared to others.

 

Of course you are free to contact CC billing department to request a 3 months refund of your annual dues for the pain and suffering of having to wait. ;p

[harryfat1]

Hi Harry, glad to see you are back with another review! I feel like I'm following in your foot steps because I read your Freedom review right before I went on it. Now I just found this after we decided to book the Indy for February earlier this week....very happy to be caught up and gearing up for for trip! Getting me pumped! I actually have been on the Indy before and really enjoyed it. I don't think you mentioned yet (or I'm hard of reading lol) but can I ask who the cruise director was? When we were on it was a great director that was originally from Jamaica (sorry, can't remember his name). He was funny and very engaging. I hope this trip will be someone just as good as they set the feel for the cruise. Looking forward to reading more and glad to hear that your cold seems to be getting better. Cheers

 

Hi,

 

Thanks for the kind words and following along another trip report. Glad I am able to help again.

 

The cold is getting better slowly. Hoping to kick all the symptoms by Monday but you know sometimes these things just lingers. Thanks for caring.

 

The cruise director's name is Mark. Don't know his last name but I am sure someone will chime in soon enough. Think I heard him saying on the morning TV that he will leave for the Symphony?

 

They have that list where they tell you all the important people's name in the daily compass but I tossed mine before coming home. Only brought home the daily compass as typically people ask about those but since our cruise is a super special cruise, it's an unicorn cruise for the Indy and nobody that will sail on Indy cares about it.

 

 

Have a great cruise next month.

[harryfat1]

OK, so where did I leave off last night? Oh, yeah, dinner time. Time for the food picture that one person cares about:

 

 

I believe this was the Asian seafood coconut soup

 

 

Prime Rib (instead of pork chop)

 

[vavasmom]

Marc Walker was your cruise director. He is one of my favorites.

 

He leaves Indy later this month

[harryfat1]

Dessert menu:

 

 

No, I didn't order all these. Just took pictures of few

 

 

 

This was mine. All "classics" to start the cruise with the first few days. You can also tell the difference in photo style. When I give my cell phone to ask them to take a picture, they take it far away. Whereas when you see my pictures, I go in really tight for the "in your face" shot.

 

 

The four of us at dinner. Just imagine my brother in law and his wife and 2 girls on the other side

 

[harryfat1]

Marc Walker was your cruise director. He is one of my favorites.

 

He leaves Indy later this month

 

Thanks for the info. I knew CC folks would have the answer quicko pronto. You can count one alligator, two alligator before someone drops in with the right answer.

 

The morning Mark and Marc (the activity) show was pretty entertaining.

[harryfat1]

Tonight’s show was titled “Invitation to Dance“ but the name is irrelevant. Just wasn’t that interesting. I’m starting to have bad feeling about the entertainment schedule for the rest of the cruise. Maybe the cruise ship entertainment blahs is starting to set in and the need to “upgrade” to better entertainment venue is needed for the next cruise.

 

Where is the dang water show? Oh, yeah, I was too cheap to pay for the Harmony. Never mind…

 

Not great photos but can't expect much from cell phones at night with people moving

 

 

The big red

 

 

Not exactly my era of music. Yawn...

 

[harryfat1]

Last picture of the RP as we walk back to the cabin around 11 PM with the wife and boys walking ahead. Not many people walking around now.

 

 

Went back to cabin and only saw one folded towel animal between our 2 cabins. Really? That was just lazy to have this simple thing for 2 cabins.

 

 

(As that is the last day, this concludes day 2 of the trip report)

[tb4]

Hi Harry. They may be fanny packs in the US but downunder its a (hope I don't get in trouble for using this word) bum bag. Fanny has a totally different meaning here.

Ps loving your review

 

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[harryfat1]

Hi Harry. They may be fanny packs in the US but downunder its a (hope I don't get in trouble for using this word) bum bag. Fanny has a totally different meaning here.

Ps loving your review

 

Sent from my SM-G920I using Forums mobile app

 

Ahhh, I think that is what the ship calls it also "bum bag"?

 

Out here in US, fanny is another word for butt. What does it mean down under?

 

Thanks for the info and continue to read along.

[harryfat1]

Day 3 – December 23, 2017

 

Labadee

 

This time I remember to scan the daily compass that nobody will read or cares about.

 

But there is one thing to note: This captain has changed the ship time (Florida) to be the same as local time so we will lose one hour of sleep tonight. During the winter months with no eastern daylight savings time, there is an one hour gap between the FL and eastern Caribbean islands.

 

Typically not an issue but if you have private tours arranged, you have to track when you get off the ship and get back on ship versus local time but if both are the same, it makes things easier. Unless you have cell phone and smart watches that are on airplane mode and still on FL time when the ship changes everything by one hour. Then you have to adjust.

 

Personally I would just bring a manual watch and always be set to ship time and you are good. Do note note all captains adjust time. Neither Allure or Freedom changed their clocks on our previous cruises. We just had to track the one hour difference in our head. I like change of clock as I don't have to worry about the difference.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[tb4]

Hmmmm. Trying to find a delicate way to say what fanny means down here. Quoting from the episode of Big Bang Theory I'm watching at the moment "lady part". Apologies if anyone is offended.

 

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[harryfat1]

Hmmmm. Trying to find a delicate way to say what fanny means down here. Quoting from the episode of Big Bang Theory I'm watching at the moment "lady part". Apologies if anyone is offended.

 

Sent from my SM-G920I using Forums mobile app

 

Got it. Thanks for the knowledge. Sorry if I put you on the spot.