ultimatecruisemaster

As GoPro models tend to be quite pricey... I would personally recommend Sony's line of action cameras. I have a Sony HDR AS20, which you can get for around $100 right now.

It's what I used for my most recent cruise video!

Sausage, bacon, waffle, scrambled egg, corned beef hash, biscuits & gravy... and I see two cubes of fruit!

Tapas plate

Lamb shank

Day 5 - Starters

Day 5 - Mains

Day 5 - Page 1

Day 5 - Page 2

Day 5 - Page 3

Day 5 - Page 4

Oh boy... well, getting back to regular life has been really hectic... so this review has taken a lot longer than expected, haha. But here we go... finally... day 5!!

Day 5 - At sea

Started day five at the Windjammer for breakfast. A lot of the usual, including bacon, sausage, smoked salmon, biscuits and gravy, and a waffle with strawberries and whipped cream. After breakfast, we went to the sports deck to play mini golf. The course and the equipment was in pretty good shape. There was a group of unsupervised children that we had to play around... but no big deal. Next, we went to the pool area for the belly flop contest. We cheered on some of the competitors from Michigan and Canada. Director John Blair did a good job of running the event. Lots of laughs. We had fun. If you haven't seen it before, put it on your list of things to do! The crowd cleared and we spent some time in the sun, by the pool.

While walking through the ship... we heard some singing! It was the acapella group that I head read about in the meet and mingle group. Quite a crowd was gathered in the Royal Promenade putting on a performance. We stuck around to enjoy their show. Afterward, we went for a couple more rounds on the Flowrider and the rock climbing wall. Girlfriend aaaaalmost made it to the top this time.

Lunch was at the Windjammer. Had some chicken cacciatore, salad, moussaka and made my own fries supreme with the taco toppings. We lounged around the pool and hot tubs again, and I took an excursion around the ship taking photos.

For dinner tonight, I had the spanish tapas plate and the lamb shank. We then went to the photo gallery to decide what pictures we were going to purchase. After scoping out all our prints and checking our photos on the machines... we decided on a package with 4 digital photos for about $90(-ish?) dollars. The package also came with a leather(like), folding picture frame for 8x10's.

On our way back to the room, we walked through the promenade as the 70's disco party was going on. We opted not to attend... but took a slow stroll through the crowd, to our room. We went to Studio B to try to skate... but found out the session we wanted was full. So, we signed up for the next session. We killed some time at the arcade playing ski-ball and air hockey. At skating time, we made our way to the rink and got our skates and helmets. Most of the skaters were beginners. Saw a couple falls here and there. We're seasoned skaters, and made our way around with a couple of other experienced folks. No cameras allowed on the ice, but the staff would take your photo. After, we stayed and chatted with the staff who were also the performers from the ice show.

Promenade was still very busy, and we stopped at the cafe for some snacks. Final business for the night was the adult comedy show. We thought the comedian was great. He worked with the crowd a lot, and had a hilarious sound effects bit. Again, pleasantly surprised with the caliber of entertainment on the cruise. And our final day was sadly coming to a close......!

Thank you SO much for this awesome review! Great pics and video!

No problemo! Glad you've enjoyed it!

Thank you so much for a such detailed information and all the wonderful pictures! We are going on Indy on March 25, 2017 and we are Canadian too;))))This will be my first experience on smaller ship and first ever cruise for my daughter, so I really wanted her to enjoy it and have very positive feedback...

 

On Oasis and Anthem class we always had pre-booked entertainment so we know our schedule and what day is what show. How does it work on Indy? Do we need to be way in advance to get good seats? Did you find it was a bit crowded? What shows did you go to and would recommend? Thanks!

There was no pre-booking of shows that I know of. We just planned our day in advance, then went to the theatre/venue at show time.

Most shows in the main theatre were easy to get seats for. It's a very large theatre. We'd typically show up 5 or 10 minutes early... and could still get two seats together in the middle, floor section.

We showed up to the Ice Show 5 minutes late... and still found a couple seats, too. We did have to do a little scouting though. Generally, I'd say... show up 10 minutes early and you'll be fine.

We went to a lot of shows... and really did enjoy them all! We did ... the Welcome Aboard show, Strings (Ice show), Once Upon a Time (Dance show), The Quest (game show), Love and Marriage (game show) and a late night comedian.

Great review! We are cruising on Indy next month and I was curious about how "dressed up" were your fellow passengers on formal night? Did you notice any tuxedos or suits? We have cruise many times with Royal but our last three cruises were on Norwegian which is very casual.

On formal night, there was a lot of people dressed up. A couple guys in tuxes ... and lots of men in suits. I wore a suit, and my girlfriend wore a formal dress. Guys could probably get away with just shirt and tie too, though.

When walking around the ship on formal night... it was definitely the casual people that stood out.

Oops! Sorry folks... was busy getting back to regular life .. and didn't notice these new questions here. Will also try to finish up the last day of the recap & review shortly.

Great review.

 

Any pictures or comments on Grease?? Can't wait to see it.

 

Also, does anyone know how long the different groups stay onboard?? Would love to see the Beatles band, but we have 5 more weeks till we sail.

Thanks! We actually opted to skip Grease. Even though it did play a couple times... there were other things going on that we wanted to check out instead. Also... my girlfriend is a big musical theater fan... so she has already seen about 10 different productions of Grease already.

Really enjoyed your video. Good selection of music, and a nice mix of the two of you, the ship and your adventures. Well done!

Great Video :)

Nice video. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks so much folks! Glad you enjoyed!

Another photo dump of miscellaneous ship images!

Pool area at movie time. Film was Jack Reacher.

Early morning, empty promenade

Casino

Boleros, during the day

Internet cafe area

We are on the March 20th sailing too with the same itinerary. Very excited as this is our first cruise. Thanks for the review and pictures!

You're welcome! I hope the compasses and menus have helped you. You'll have a blast!

I'm finally at day 5... I'll finish up the review shortly, haha....

Do you remember what drinks they have in the Cafe Promenade? We have the Refreshment package and it includes coffee and teas. I'm a big Starbucks Chai drinker, just wondering if they have something like that???

I don't know about chai ... but Cafe promenade did have various premium espresso drinks. Mocha, lattes, cappuccino etc... hot or cold.

Cruise Compass - Day 4 - Page 1

Cruise Compass - Day 4 - Page 2

Cruise Compass - Day 4 - Page 3

Cruise Compass - Day 4 - Page 4

Day 4 Starters

Day 4 Mains

Ok... so I took the weekend off, but I'm back and determined to finish this review!

Day 4 - Falmouth, Jamaica

We woke up early and had breakfast in the Windjammer. My usual start to the day consisting of corned beef hash, sausage, smoked salmon, and biscuits and gravy. Then we headed down to the gangway by 8:45am, to make sure we were off first for our excursion. I popped into a shop at Falmouth and grabbed a pair of water shoes, for about $8. We followed the crowd over to the tour area, and found our group leader. Area was crowded as everyone found their tours. In about 20 minutes, everyone was rounded up and we boarded the bus for the Dunn's River Falls and Dolphin swim.

Dolphin Cove and the Falls are right next to each other... and they're about a 1 hour drive from the port. As we drove along, our guide told us about the history of the area, talked about points of interest and answered questions. Definitely made the time fly by. The drive may be a little nerve wracking for some... as you're passing into oncoming traffic... and avoiding obstacles and even goats in the road. Some of the areas you drive through seem a bit sketchy, too. But.. we made it safe and sound.

First was the Dunn's River Falls climb. Groups are assigned to a climbing guide who lead your team up the falls. As well, a videographer follows you around filming the climb and leads you in singing and cheering. The DVD's are available for sale right after your tour (I believe they were about $40). The climb takes about an hour... but the time flies right by. There are a lot of groups there... but everyone moves up the falls in turn and you're pretty focused on your own journey. Along the way, there are pools where you'll stop and the guides will take photos on your cameras (bring a waterproof camera... or buy a waterproof sleeve for your phone!). There's places where you can slide down a rock into the water, and where you can fall backwards into the pool. The water is flowing, but the rocks aren't slippery. It can be a little scary at times... but with the support of the team, it's not too challenging. I believe there are spots where you can exit the climb, if you need to give up ... and there are easier routes too, if you ask. We decided against the DVD... but bought a "professional" photo taken on the falls for $10. After a little drying off in the sun, it was back on the bus for Dolphin Cove.

For Dolphin Cove.. we rented a locker to put away our belongings and put on the safety vests. You're led out to a dolphin pool, and you stand on a platform, where the water is about waist high. The tour leader instruct the dolphin on various tricks and rewards it with fish. Each person gets to interact with the dolphin a few times. They go up the row up people... and you'll kiss the dolphin, it'll kiss you, you hold its fins and dance with it... as a photographer takes pictures. They say no cameras ... but I discretely snuck a little bit of footage. Also, you can swim out into the pool... and the dolphin will swim into your arms, and also pull you along through the water. They do some more tricks, and teach you a little about the animals.... and after about an hour, you're done.

By this time, we were starving... and went up to the restaurant for a buffet lunch. For about $15 there's all you can eat chicken, rice, salad, dumplings (and maybe more, I can't remember). It's in a second story building with a nice view of the water... and free wifi! After lunch, you can view your photos in their gift shop. Packages could get pretty pricey... my girlfriend opted to buy a single photo, being kissed by the dolphin for $35 dollars. We finished the tour wandering around dolphin cove, seeing the birds and lizards they have on site in their mini-zoo. Overall, a long, fun-filled day.

The bus took us aback to the port, and we had enough time to browse the shops. We bought some typical souvenirs... and ate some Jamaican patties. My girlfriend bought two bottles of Sangster's cream rum, which we don't have back home.

We boarded the ship... and had to check the alcohol, to be delivered back to us at the end of the trip. They took one off the bottles... however, missed a smaller bottle in the bag as well. We ended up drinking the smaller bottle in the last two days. HOWEVER, there was an incident with our full size bottle. On the last day, the bottle never arrived in our cabin. We talked to guest services... and they checked with staff... and there was no record of the rum, and no idea where it went. They offered us a replacement bottle of whatever they serve on board... but we opted to take a $25 reimbursement.

Back on the ship, we took a break in the hot tub, then took a nap. Dinner was lobster night, and prime rib. I got both, while my girlfriend had two lobster tails. As usual, we went for a second dinner in the windjammer ... and made a giant nacho plate.

At night we went to The Quest. Highly recommend checking it out. Have a couple drinks and enjoy the game! I don't mean to spoil any surprises ... but I was the best male hula-hooper ... and faced off against the best female in the battle of the sexes. She beat me with two hoops... and I got a consolation prize pack... containing a backpack, hat, pen and bag. Luckily, I didn't have to do anything else embarrassing. For the remainder of the trip, people recognized and congratulated me as the hula hoop guy, haha. To finish off the night, we stopped by the Dog and Badger and had a few drinks while listening to the live music.

Duck and port wine terrine

Crab cocktail

Medium prime rib

Lobster tail

Baked Alaska

My prize pack from The Quest!

Thanks for the insight folks!

So... after doing a lot of reading... of the "terrible" rated reviews... it seems as though the ship itself is beautiful, and the entertainment is good. However, there are problems with food quality, dining options, and lots of general guest service issues.

As well, I've seen lots of complaints about long lines and poor logistics for some of the fun features such as iFly, Northstar etc.

Also, North American guests seem to be having trouble with customer service and even fellow guests... while on Asian itineraries.

Interesting to know. Would love to try Quantum class out... but yes, maybe just needs more time for them to work out all the kinks...

Apologies if this has been discussed before ... but I was browsing the ratings of the Royal Caribbean ships here on Cruise Critic, and noticed that all 3 Quantum class ships are the least loved bunch from Royal.

Mariner, Serenade and Freedom are all 80+. And most other Royal offerings are in the 70's. Has there been a consensus here on CC as to why there's no love for the Quantum class?

Anthem of the seas - 51% loved it

Ovation (41%) and Quantum (46%)

Also... don't forget... you can bring on board, two bottles of wine per stateroom!

Even if you aren't a wine drinker... grab something fruity and easy drinking like white zin ... and enjoy your juice, at just $7 per bottle

Just got off Independence... and fancy, frozen drinks were around $11 US each.

Other options for alcohol... starting around $7 would be... wine by the glass, beer and cider. Had a couple apple and pear ciders on the trip... and they're tropical feeling enough, haha.

Thanks for all the info and reviews. Loved your video, it was awesome! My family of 3, booked our trip for March 20 on Indy and hope to have as much fun as you and your girlfriend did. I was wondering if in Labadee you could walk to the different beaches and are all the water activities extra cost? Looking forward to the Jamaica reviews. We're thinking of Mystic Falls for the bob sledding and maybe Dunn's River Falls.

Awesome! You'll have a great time!

Yeah, all the beaches are pretty much within walking distance. There is also a free trolley system that will take you back and forth, if you don't want to do the entire trek. And yeah... I think all the water activities are extra. You can rent floating mats and there's a floating obstacle course water park you can purchase access to. Of course, you can just get sun chairs and hang out in the water for free though.

Dunn's River falls was a fun experience. It was a worthwhile excursion. I'll go into more detail in the next review update!

Thanks for the review!!! My favorite part is your picture of the Schooner Bar, because I can see Lorenzo behind the bar. We are on the Indy in 2 days, so glad he will b e there!

You're welcome! Oh boy... two days! I better finish up this review by then, haha. Have a great time!

Royal Promenade

Sorrento's

Inside the Dog and Badger. Kudos to Royal for the authenticity. The floors and furniture inside looked amazing.

Cafe Promenade

The Library

Open skate at Studio B

Time for a miscellaneous photo dump!

Alhambra Theater

Stage set up for Grease

Empty Labyrinth dance floor, during the day

Schooner bar

Photo Gallery area

Pyramid Lounge

Thanks. Do you know who the bands are?

On my Jan 23rd cruise... There was The Royal Swedes "party band" .... and Positive Vibrations, reggae band.

And now... just some miscellaneous notes that haven't fit into my recap and review so far...

- I ended up gaining about 5 pounds on the trip. We ate a lot, haha. Breakfast, lunch, promenade snack, MDR dinner, Windjammer dinner, promenade snack .... was our usual routine. To counterbalance all the eating... we tried to take the stairs as much as possible. My girlfriend has a Fitbit and we did clear 10,000 to 15,000 steps per day. We intended on hitting the gym... but with the busy schedules, never made it there for a workout.

- Service overall was very good from our stateroom attendant Delores, and all the wait staff. Delores was super sweet, and we ended up tipping her additional. She helped us get a corkscrew and band aids when we needed and was always interested in chatting.

- We did intend to get some Ben and Jerry's and cupcakes... but with all the free options, we just never got around to it. We also considered Johnny Rockets... but it didn't make the cut either.

- My girlfriend is a social butterfly ... so her favourite place was the hot tubs. Whenever we'd get in the hot tub, it was always a nice time chatting with guests.

- Despite events going on ... we never made it into the Pyramid lounge or the Viking Crown lounge.