ultimatecruisemaster

And Day 3 Cruise Compasses ...

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Page 4

Some random images around the ship...

Hallway outside our room

Random stairwell

Elevator area

Art sale space

Outside Dog and Badger

Ok! Continuing with the recap & review...

Day 3 (Part 2) - After Labadee

After a day of sunshine on Labadee we took a nap before dinner. Got ready and headed to the main dining room to discover that we had a full table! A couple guests from the late seating had moved up to join us earlier, so they could make Strings, the ice show tonight. The more the merrier! For starters, I had the arancini and caprese salad, and lasagna for my main.

We got to Studio B about 5 minutes before the Strings was to start. Venue was packed, but we did find a pair of seats together on the side. There was a slight obstructed view with a pole in the way though. The show kind of starts off slow... but picks up after about 10 minutes with more upbeat music and more exciting choreography and tricks. Overall though... the show was lots of fun, and I do recommend checking it out.

After the show, we stopped by Windjammer (as usual) for another fill up. Had some pasta, curry, mashed potatoes, eggplant parm and tiramisu for dessert. We browsed the art sale, then went up to the pool deck for the Party under the Stars. Not as much of a crowd there as we hoped. But people were dancing on the middle deck, and even busting a move in the hot tub. By this time... we were getting pretty sick of line dances... but they always attracted a crowd to the dance floor. We were all tired out, and stopped by the promenade again for some snacks before bed. Goodnight to day 3!

Day 3 - Menu starters

Day 3 - Menu mains

Lasagna

Another towel buddy

Accurate for the Independence recently, too. Walked by often and never noticed a crowd in there...

So what kind of "selfie stick" do you use with it??

 

The video is awesome. Love the final picture. Did someone help, or did you have it mounted somewhere.

 

Great review. Just 40 some days for me!!

Thank you!

Here's the camera in its waterproof case. For some of the shots, I just used a regular generic selfie stick that I bought off Amazon or ebay. And whenever I was in the water, it was usually attached to this floating handle, with a wrist strap (also from Amazon or eBay).

And that last shot... was held by just a random passenger! He was nearby and I just asked him to hold the camera up in the air for us, for about ten seconds ... haha.

Great video dude! Beautiful photos as well.

Love those silky smooth pans and movement.

I was contemplating getting the Osmo mobile, for my recent cruise. But just opted to go handheld with my Sony action cam. Always such a tough decision packing up the gear bag, eh? Hahah

And some more Labadee photos!

Day 3 (Part 1) - Labadee

To start off the day at Labadee, we ordered some coffee via room service the night before. They gave us a ring before delivery and we received our much needed caffeine. After getting ready, we headed up to the Windjammer for some breakfast. As usual... I got my daily fill of smoked salmon, corned beef hash, sausage, scrambled eggs, bacon and some fruit. We ate, then headed down to the gangway. Down on deck 1, they were signing out towels, and we grabbed two.

We didn't book anything for Labadee, and were just going to play it by ear. I had done the wave riders many years ago, while on the Explorer. Nothing really screamed out at us this time though. If I end up in Labadee again... might try the coaster or zipline next time.

We wanted to wander first... without the towel and our bags... so we rented a locker by the entrance of the island. I believe it cost about $8, and they open and close using a (RFID?) wrist band. We left our belongings and did a walking tour of the island. We eventually settled down around Adrenaline beach... on the far North East part of Labadee. A guy brought us some sun chairs and we relaxed for a bit.

Lunch was open at 11:30pm. It was a bbq buffet... with salads, ribs, hot dogs, burgers and desserts. Something about bbq felt right on Labadee... and I just pigged out. We got a fancy pina colada in a pineapple, as well. We opted to stay away from the market area entirely ... but did go watch the dance and acrobat show in the little amphitheater.

We hopped back on the ship to reapply some sun screen, and switch up some of our baggage. Then went for some more lounging and went in the water. The beaches that we explored were fairly rocky in areas... and had a bunch of seaweed as well. Beaches on the south shore might have been better (?). After a few hours in the sun & sea ... we headed back to the ship.

Apparently... at about 2:40pm, they start clearing out the lockers. An employee stopped me on the way to the locker area and sent me to security, which had already picked up our bag and passports. Weird. Oh well... glad we got our stuff!

Labadee handout 1

Labadee handout 2

Labadee handout 3

Very Nice!:)

 

Go Pistons!

Thanks! Had to represent! Hahaha.

I like wearing jerseys on trips... because it always helps you find other fans and Michiganders!

Thanks for all the comments and compliments!

And if anyone is curious... This was shot with the Sony HDR-AS20 waterproof action cam. That specific model is a couple years old now ... And you can get it for as cheap as $100!

Here's a little cruise highlight video that I compiled, from our recent trip on Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas. Sailed January 21st to January 28th. Fort Lauderdale - Labadee - Falmouth Jamaica.

[YOUTUBE]u1VDnWSf6_U[/YOUTUBE]

Feel free to ask any questions! Enjoy!

Hrm... not sure if embedding worked... so here's the link...

Video is ready for viewing! Enjoy!

[YOUTUBE]u1VDnWSf6_U[/YOUTUBE]

Day two Cruise Compasses!

Day 2 - Page 1

Day 2 - Page 2

Day 2 - Page 3

Day 2 - Page 4

P.S. - Forgot to mention that during the Welcome Aboard Show, the ship started to rock quite a bit. My girlfriend does get motion sickness, so she had taken some Gravol as a precaution. As the comedian did his set though... you could really see the curtains behind him swaying back and forth. We left the show, and you could see people having trouble walking around the ship. She started to get pretty sick... so we grabbed some Dramamine from the Promenade shops. After some fresh air and the Dramamine... her stomach and head started to thankfully settle down!

Day 2 - Sea Day

On day 2, we decided to try the main dining room for breakfast. We arrived at the MDR and there was quite a crowd... maybe about 50 or 60 people standing around. As tables became available they would pick matching sized groups from the crowd. The wait was a little annoying, and the system seemed rather disorganized. Eventually, a table for 6 opened up... and we joined a group of four people in front of us in line. For breakfast, I ordered the The Classic with sunny side up eggs and both bacon and sausage, while my girlfriend was super excited that they had eggs benedict on the menu. We're big breakfast food fans though... and the quality of the MDR breakfast was a bit of a let down. The Canadian bacon on the benny was sliced super thin... and the english muffin was dry. The potatoes with my meal were dry and pretty bland. Quite a bummer. We had a great time chatting with our table mates though... but decided that we'd probably just do Windjammer breakfasts from now on. Especially considering the wait time. On the bright side... buffet breakfasts were a lot more satisfying the whole trip.

After breakfast, we got ready and went up to the sports deck to try the rock climbing. We waited in a short line to sign the waivers and get our harnesses and helmets on. They were letting three climbers go up at a time, and there was a short lineup at the wall. Other guests there were supportive and friendly. I made it up the wall, and my girlfriend made it up about half way. We had fun ... and she vowed to try again later in the trip.

Windjammer for lunch was next. I filled up a plate with Thai chili chicken, eggplant parmigiana and more. Then we went up to the pool area for the Sexiest Man competition. A little more PG13 of an event... but it was all in good fun. We did some sun bathing, then tried out the Flowrider. At any time... there were maybe 5 - 8 people in line, but the wait never seemed long. Flowrider was definitely a new experience, but we both got up on our knees on the first time out. Crowd is really supportive, cheering people on. Attendants at the Flowrider are lots of fun too... doing tricks... splashing and goofing around with people etc.

Day 2 was formal night! So, after a nap we got dolled up and ready for dinner. I started to get hooked on the pumpkin seed rolls, and ordered the lobster bisque and the shrimp ravioli. Was surprised when the ravioli came out... and it was only two pieces. From then on, I asked the waiter the serving sizes. Indulged in two desserts tonight, creme brulee and the souffle.

After dinner, we made our way to the Alhambra Theatre for the Once Upon a Time show. Being a fairy tale themed show... we weren't sure if it was going to be geared towards kids. We're glad we saw it though, because the show was super fun. My girlfriend is a dance teacher with a theatre company, and she really enjoyed it too. Nice lighting, some interesting things they did with the sets, nice costumes and some great dancers. Much better shows than we've seen on resorts. We definitely recommend!

We grabbed some sandwiches and cookies from the Cafe promenade then made it back for the Love and Marriage show. Some hilarious guests really made it a good time. Another event not to miss. The Labyrinth was a lot busier tonight, and we spent some time on the dance floor. Learned some line dances... then made our way up for a stroll around the jogging track. Another round of cookies, and off to bed!

The Classic breakfast

Gold member discounts

Two ravioli

Towel friend!

All my previous cruises were over 10 years ago... so I don't recall what the other cruise directors were like. But at no time did I ever think... "this John Blair guy is bad".

One weird incident I noticed was at the adult comedy show... he was sitting up in the crowd by himself, and during the whole routine ... everyone was laughing etc... but he was just sitting there alone, with a serious look on his face the whole time. No idea what he was so focused on... but it seemed a little strange.

He does have sort of a hokey, salesman/over-the-top game show host vibe to him. But throughout the shows, the Quest and the belly flop competition ... I thought he did a good job of leading the events, cracking jokes and keeping up the energy.

Oh wow... some of you are cruising Indy pretty soon! I better finish this quickly, haha.

Will write more tonight... but for now, here's the full first day Cruise Compass...

Day 1 - Page 1

Day 1 - Page 2

Day 1 - Page 3

Day 1 - Page 4

Some more photos...

Fish rillettes

Mojo porkchop

Strip steak

Boarding edition Cruise Compass 1

Boarding edition Cruise Compass 2

Embarkation / Day 1

We woke up on embarkation day and turned on the TV, to find out that last night's storm caused quite some damage throughout town! Checked online though, and the status of the Independence seemed fine. We packed our bags and took an Uber to the Port Everglades. The Uber cost about $16, even with the driver getting a little lost and taking a loop toward the airport.

Once we arrived at the port, security directed us where to go. Porters took our luggage and we left them with a couple bucks tip. We arrived about 11am and went through security and check-in. We then stopped and had our photos taken in front of some backdrops. There was a lanyard sales kiosk after the photo area, where we stopped and got our Seapass cards punched. We went up the stairs into the waiting area, and were directed into the gold section. At about noon, they started to board starting with higher level CAS members. At about 12:45pm, they called our section and we made it onto the boat!

When we boarded... we first went to see where our room (8211 inside) was. As well, I noticed that our seapass cards indicated that we were late seating for dinner, when I thought I had requested first seating. We stopped by the main dining room, and within a few minutes they switched us back to early seating. We then took a stroll through the promenade. We then headed up for lunch at the Windjammer, which was starting to get pretty busy. It took a couple minutes of looking, but we finally found a table. After finishing lunch and heading out... we saw that quite a lineup had developed for the buffet. Get there early to avoid the rush!

Despite just having lunch... we dropped by the Promenade Cafe for more food. We grabbed some oatmeal raisin cookies, a chicken roti wrap and some shrimp sandwiches (which unfortunately, never reappeared on the cruise). They made the call for the muster drill, and we headed down to the Pyramid Lounge. We got there just in time for some seats, and the drill was over in about 20 minutes.

We opted not to go for any drink packages on our trip. I'm not much a of a drinker, and my girlfriend didn't really think she would clear the $60 per day in booze to make it worthwhile. We did bring two bottles of wine on board with us, and ordered an extra bottle to our cabin.

We then went up to the pool deck for the sail away party. Got some cones from the sprinkles machine and hung out poolside. We spent some time watching people on the flowrider and jumped in the hot tub. Dinner time rolled around and we headed to the dining room. We were at a table for 6, but none of our other guests showed up. Things seemed a little hectic and unorganized, which worried us. I started with smoked fish rillettes, and had a medium-rare Manhattan strip steak, while my girlfriend had the mojo-marinated grilled pork chop.

We made it to the Welcome Aboard Show ... which featured some singing by cruise director John Blair, some music from the orchestra, a latin dance performance and a short set by comedian Angelo Tsarouchas. When the show let out, we stopped by the Windjammer for a snack. We dropped by the Labyrinth, which wasn't too busy, and did a little people watching. We had one last stop at Sorrento's for some pizza, before heading to bed.

Sail away party!

Poolside at sailaway

Inside room 8211

Day 1 starters

Day 1 mains

Love the review so far! We are going on Indy in March .

 

Was coffee included In drink package? Starbucks at cafe promenade?

Free regular coffee is available at many locations around the ship. You could get coffee at Cafe Promenade, at the Windjammer cafe, with meals in the main dining room and through room service. The free coffee is ... I would say... below average, haha. It just always tastes kind of bitter & burnt.

There is no standalone Starbucks or Starbucks kiosk on Independence. You can get upgraded espresso drinks for an additional price though. And I believe the prices were fairly reasonable. Around $4-$5 for a latte, cappuccino etc.

Love seeing your beautiful pictures! Which restaurants are open for lunch on embarkation day? Thanks in advance.

Glad you like the photos!

We went straight up to Windjammer for lunch. We also grabbed some sandwiches and cookies at the Cafe Promenade. Don't quote me... but I believe Sorrento's was also open. Other than that... sorry, not quite sure.

Thank you for the comments! Let's continue ...

Pre-Cruise

To give us some extra time before the cruise... we flew from DTW to FLL on January 21st. We flew Spirit at a cost of about $225 U.S. round trip per person, with a checked bag, seats picked, and all fees in. After a 2.5 hour flight, we arrived in Florida, picked up our luggage and took a cab to our hotel.

We wanted to stay in the Fort Lauderdale beach area. After reading reviews on Tripadvisor, I decided on the Tropirock resort. It's an older, refurbished motel-style resort, about two blocks from the beach. Accommodations were so-so ... but a decent value for about $160 US per night. Taxi cost from FLL to the hotel was about $22.

First night, we settled down in the hotel room. Then headed down to the beach area main strip, which was about a 15 minute walk. We got some snacks and supplies from CVS, explored the area and went for a walk on the beach. We changed and freshened up back at the hotel then made our way down to the Rock Bar. The place was quite packed. We paid about $30 for some giant 2 for 1 margaritas and hit the dance floor. After the bar, we checked out Lulu's Bait Shack for some late night eats. For under $30 ... I had my first ever shrimp po' boy, and my girlfriend had some pulled pork sliders.

The second day in Fort Lauderdale, we started off by walking down to the Ritz Carlton and had brunch at Burlock Coast. I had huevos rancheros and my girlfriend had pork belly eggs benedict. We browsed the shops along the A1A, and hung out on the beach for a bit. In the afternoon, we hopped on the "Free Ride" electric trolley... and went down to the Las Olas downtown area. We browsed the art galleries and shops, and stopped for gelato and iced coffee. We went for a stroll by the Tarpon River, before taking a taxi back to the hotel. In the evening, we decided to rent some bikes and go for a ride. As we were about to check out our bikes, an employee came up and gave us a code for free 30 minute rentals! We grabbed our bikes and rode around... making our way toward Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. for dinner. I had southern fried chicken and my girlfriend had coconut shrimp. With a drink, the bill came to about $60.

We settled in back at the hotel and packed up our luggage for the cruise the next day! Had some trouble falling asleep though... as a hefty storm rolled in. Lots of lightning and some heavy rain, but I eventually found some rest.

Next chapter... embarkation!

Poolside at the Tropirock Resort

Drinks at Rock bar

Nice looking garage in Fort Lauderdale!

Night view from the Tropirock

Hey folks!

Just got off the Independence of the Seas, 5-day Western Caribbean cruise from Jan 23rd through Jan 28th. As I write, edit and compile everything, I'll be sharing a fairly thorough daily recap and review... with photos, videos and scans of various documents. Hope you enjoy!

Background

We are a couple from Ontario, Canada... near Detroit, MI. I have cruised three times previously with RCCL ... once as a child and a couple times in my 20's. This was my girlfriend's first cruise. We're in our 30's and I'd say we're a fairly an active, adventurous and outgoing couple. We do like to travel a couple times a year, we both like planning and organization, and we are somewhat budget conscious.

I did most of the planning, research and booking on this trip. There was no special occasion... I had just found the great price on this itinerary and we went ahead and booked the vacation. Overall, we had a fantastic time, with just a couple minor hiccups. In the future, we do have a number of other land vacation destinations on our list ... but would not hesitate to cruise again if the right deal came along.

Here's a couple of teaser photos! All images are from a Canon EOS M mirrorless camera, and Samsung Galaxy S6. The coming video was shot on a Sony HDR-AS20 Action Camera.

Independence of the Seas at Labadee

Sunset at sail away

The main dining room

US!

Much more to come soon! Stay tuned....