Is Independance really that bad

[beardedladies]

Well that has cheered me up (just as well with only a month to go). I wish you were on my cruise!

 

May I just say - love the username. :D:D

 

Enjoy! keep open minded, have fun, no flying is a dream, thanks glad you liked the name :D

Mark

(Join us ! book Jan 10th 2012 if you can also he he)

[deltatango]

Hi. You dont have individuals called butlins. Its the name for whole holiday resort concept. So people are saying it's like being in a butlins holiday camp.

 

These were very popular in the 1950s, 60s and 70s. Now the British aspirational classes (now known as the new squeezed middle) have moved beyond this and it is a concept beneath us.

 

We now go to centre parcs instead

 

Because it is totally different and not a holiday camp at all and from our unique woodland lodge we can look down on those who still go to Butlins.

 

Oh my where is this going

 

“I look up to him because he is upper-class. But I look down on him, because he is lower-class.”

[Missus Makkem]

Been on the Indie 4 times and the experience can vary tremendously,depending on the time of year.

Our last one 2 weeks ago was so different from the Jan 18 days s its a bit like the Curates egg but you have to try it for yourself.

Love catching the train and leaving from Southampton.

The staff are constantly looking at ways to improve the ship (pity about the food at times too much plain chicken and the roast being ham or pork in the Windjammer,)

Improvements....they opened the Dining room an departure day for lunch, yes it was a buffet but better than the crowds in the Windjammer,they have put lots of chairs and tables on the previous empty inside spaces between the lifts on each of the cabin floors.

not so good for our American friends no more ice buckets in your cabin ,got to ring every tme you want ice and its no good asking your stateroom attendant he/she is not allowed to provide them anymore,seems like its a healthissue,well unless you are in a gold card suite.

[Barnaby100]

Oh my where is this going

 

“I look up to him because he is upper-class. But I look down on him, because he is lower-class.”

 

 

I googled that to post when it was asked if a butlin was like a redneck.

[deltatango]

I am not going on the IOTS to find fault, I am going on to enjoy myself, smile, let all the scooters get by me without problems, help any drunks to their cabins, smile at children having a good time, eat in all the restaurants at whatever extra Price, play the Casino each night till my dollars run out, go to the shows, go to the bars/lounges don't drink much so only a beer or a cocktail of the day, visit 9 ports will keep a jumper ready but I don't care about the weather RCI cannot do anything about it, There is really nothing to moan about, unless you are that type of moaner nothing pleases them,

[Marley-Bop]

I am not going on the IOTS to find fault, I am going on to enjoy myself, smile, let all the scooters get by me without problems, help any drunks to their cabins, smile at children having a good time, eat in all the restaurants at whatever extra Price, play the Casino each night till my dollars run out, go to the shows, go to the bars/lounges don't drink much so only a beer or a cocktail of the day, visit 9 ports will keep a jumper ready but I don't care about the weather RCI cannot do anything about it, There is really nothing to moan about, unless you are that type of moaner nothing pleases them,

 

Hi Terry & Brenda

 

Wish you two were coming on the Indy 28/9/11 - you sound like my kind of people :) Have a great cruise XX

[spanner14]

Enjoy! keep open minded, have fun, no flying is a dream, thanks glad you liked the name :D

Mark

(Join us ! book Jan 10th 2012 if you can also he he)

 

I'm always open minded and with regards to service, I truly believe that if you are friendly and polite to people then you almost always get the same back. I can't wait! :):)

 

Heh heh, I wish I could afford to join you in Jan! :D

[spanner14]

I am not going on the IOTS to find fault, I am going on to enjoy myself, smile, let all the scooters get by me without problems, help any drunks to their cabins, smile at children having a good time, eat in all the restaurants at whatever extra Price, play the Casino each night till my dollars run out, go to the shows, go to the bars/lounges don't drink much so only a beer or a cocktail of the day, visit 9 ports will keep a jumper ready but I don't care about the weather RCI cannot do anything about it, There is really nothing to moan about, unless you are that type of moaner nothing pleases them,

 

Couldn't agree more! The only thing that makes me upset is people pushing past me when I'm in my wheelchair or on my crutches, making me wait AGES for a lift (elevator). But that's not RCI's fault! :)

[billybeachboy]

I sailed on Indy in May this year & had no complaints about the ship other than I found that the staff were not as friendly or courteous as on previous RCCL ships I had sailed on. This maybe due to the "type" of holidaymaker that Indy attracts. Without wishing to sound snobby I did find the majority of my fellow British travellers to be a little "naff" to say the least. I have never seen so many tattoos & piercings on show in one place before. I didn't see any evidence of drunkeness at all, nor did I encounter any children running amok (it was term time). I much prefer a more cosmopolitan mix of nationaliies on a ship & as this wasn't my best cruise with RCCL I will not be sailing direct from the UK again.

[Merion_Mom]

OK, then, Brits. What exactly is a "butlin"? Clarify further, please; I am intrigued.

 

teddie

 

Dear fellow American,

 

It's like a Royal Caribbean loyalist calling Carnival "The K-mart of the cruise world". Or Motel 6.

 

;)

[postie63]

We cruised on the indy back in September 2009 and loved every minute of it, it was our first cruise (apart from a 4 day cruise on a Fred Olsen boat!) and found the crew friendly and attentive.

 

Yes, trying to get a seat at the Windjammer for breakfast could be a bit of a pain but we found there was always a few members of crew directing people to tables. This can only be expected with the amount of people on board all wanting to eat at the same time.

 

We were on Ventura last year and although it was a lovely boat it did not compare to the indy, we are back on her in August this year and April next year and we are really looking forward to it.

 

Has anyone been on her during the school holidays? not sure if we will be surrounded with lots of children or if the cost makes it more adult orientated.

[Barnaby100]

They told me that on the 14th august sailing they expected that one third of the guests will be teenagers.

[BMT]

I sailed on Indy in May this year & had no complaints about the ship other than I found that the staff were not as friendly or courteous as on previous RCCL ships I had sailed on. This maybe due to the "type" of holidaymaker that Indy attracts. Without wishing to sound snobby I did find the majority of my fellow British travellers to be a little "naff" to say the least. I have never seen so many tattoos & piercings on show in one place before. I didn't see any evidence of drunkeness at all, nor did I encounter any children running amok (it was term time). I much prefer a more cosmopolitan mix of nationaliies on a ship & as this wasn't my best cruise with RCCL I will not be sailing direct from the UK again.

 

Agreed about the type of holidaymakers she is attracting.

 

However, I believe that the staff are doing an incredibly good job in dealing with the guests.

 

This ship would receive far better reviews if the MDR were open for lunch daily, in order that older cruisers could eat in comfort, instead of fighting for food in a canteen. Also, finishing breakfast at 10.45 in the WJ am does not sit well with those who have had a late night!! This means a VERY crowded Promenade Cafe and prawn sandwiches for breakfast!!

[Mystic Eye]

Ialso have been on the indi twice .once on its inaugural (after the 4 day one) for 10 nights. and once last year.

First cruise Fab ship, plush, food entertainment staff all first class. Lots of top staff on training newbies Few Kids 600 but hardly noticed them.never saw our grandson for most of the 10 days.

second cruise ship packed loads kids (seemed like they hadnt brought their parents) too many people on sea days and evenings in the promenade couldnt move down there.Best staff had gone to next inaugural.Word had got out about the ship to famillies and it is perfect if you have kids but not for us now we have been spoilt with the likes of celebrity and azamara .Just got of the Grandeur and that was "butlins on the Sea " since buying Tui it looks like they are aiming at the first time cruiser and let their standards slip .many first time cruisers on the ship were disappointed . shorts/football shirts worn and allowed in the restaruant on formal nights.having to go up to staff to get drink service.and a shabby ship.

[sandian]

We were also on in May, and although could be crowded at times, (generally parades and bars at night) we always managed to find a seat at one of the bars. We liked the ship, but personally would like to try something smaller next time.

 

We had no problems with children or wheelchairs, or other cruisers, we found everyone friendly and a great atmosphere. The food in the Main Dining Room was far superior to the Explorer last year. And the staff were fantastic.

[ninnau]

Thinking of trying independace of the seas out of Southampton next year.

 

Is it really as bad as all the negative reviews i keep finding, on this site and else where?

We did a trans-atlantic on Independence and loved it. It can not have gotten that bad in two years.

[bajathree]

I LOVE the Brits with their terms:):cool:

[bajathree]

Dear fellow American,

 

It's like a Royal Caribbean loyalist calling Carnival "The K-mart of the cruise world". Or Motel 6.

 

;)

 

Don't forget trailer trash:D

[deltatango]

I LOVE the Brits with their terms:):cool:

 

We did invent the English language ;)

[teddie]

lol at what is "a butlin" :):)

 

Butlins (named after Billly Butlin) is a holiday camp in the UK. They're at seaside resorts and were designed to give "ordinary British families" an affordable holiday. Originally, the accommodation was only in "chalets" and you ate all your meals in a huge communal dining room. They laid on entertainment such as "lovely legs" competitions, and the camps had swimming pools and evening entertainments.

 

We still have Butlins camps but now you can choose to stay at an onsite hotel and everything is obviously on a more modern and pretty large scale.

 

Assuming you don't have anything similar in the US, here's some info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butlins

 

Thanks so much for the enlightenment :) It was probably great fun at the time.....maybe the Brit Silverseas cruisers call the RCI ships "The Butlins of the Seas"?

 

If so, I'm happy to be a Butlin.

 

teddie

[Merion_Mom]

Ialso have been on the indi twice .once on its inaugural (after the 4 day one) for 10 nights. and once last year.

First cruise Fab ship, plush, food entertainment staff all first class. Lots of top staff on training newbies Few Kids 600 but hardly noticed them.never saw our grandson for most of the 10 days.

second cruise ship packed loads kids (seemed like they hadnt brought their parents) too many people on sea days and evenings in the promenade couldnt move down there.Best staff had gone to next inaugural.Word had got out about the ship to famillies and it is perfect if you have kids but not for us now we have been spoilt with the likes of celebrity and azamara .Just got of the Grandeur and that was "butlins on the Sea " since buying Tui it looks like they are aiming at the first time cruiser and let their standards slip .many first time cruisers on the ship were disappointed . shorts/football shirts worn and allowed in the restaruant on formal nights.having to go up to staff to get drink service.and a shabby ship.

 

I have to tell you that I got a real chuckle out of your post.

 

Allow me to pluck out two passages:

 

1. "First cruise Fab ship, plush, food entertainment staff all first class. Lots of top staff on training newbies Few Kids 600 but hardly noticed them.never saw our grandson for most of the 10 days."

 

 

2."second cruise ship packed loads kids (seemed like they hadnt brought their parents)"

 

So, when you set your grandson loose, to the point that you rarely saw him, that signifies a great cruise.

 

When other people do it, it ruins your cruise. :rolleyes:

[nannylivcal]

Hi,

I sailed on Independence in March 2011. We were a party of 5 Adults and two children aged 3 and 4.

We found there were alot of Oldies and by that I mean people over 70 on board. We were definitely the minority.

There was not alot for the children to do apart from a kiddies club which was basically a Playschool afloat and when visiting ports not alot for them to do either. Weather wasnt that good and when we had the odd sunny day it was too windy uptop to use the kiddies pool so All in all not an experience I would reccomend for Toddlers.

From an Adults point of view there are plenty of spaces to relax and unwind. The childrens areas tend to be concerntrated at one end of the ship so can easily be avoided if you so wish.

You need to be in a bar especially along the Promenade by 7ish otherwise you will not get seated.

Breakfast time in the Buffet is every man for himself. If you arrive later than 8ish it is mayhem literally. On the plus side there is a superb range of foods and plenty of it. The same goes for lunchtime and dinner times, although after 6 days the food is very repetitive.

We chose not to buy the prepaid tips. We only wanted to tip those we considered to give good service. Service through the ship varies greatly from really couldnt be bothered to over the top give me a hugh tip!!

Toilets throughout the ship were spotless and I mean spotless as were all public areas.

Getting on and off at the various ports is smooth and effortless. As is getting around this hugh ship apart from mealtimes when you can guarantee getting your feet run over by impatient people in wheelchairs or stampeded by an army of OAP's who you would have though havent eaten in years. They could do with positioning some staff at the lifts at these time to eleviate this problem.

Would I cruise on this ship again. Yes I would. Would I take Toddlers. No I wouldnt.:D:):rolleyes:

[TheWaterDoc]

I am not going on the IOTS to find fault, I am going on to enjoy myself, smile, let all the scooters get by me without problems, help any drunks to their cabins, smile at children having a good time, eat in all the restaurants at whatever extra Price, play the Casino each night till my dollars run out, go to the shows, go to the bars/lounges don't drink much so only a beer or a cocktail of the day, visit 9 ports will keep a jumper ready but I don't care about the weather RCI cannot do anything about it, There is really nothing to moan about, unless you are that type of moaner nothing pleases them,

 

Here, here! And I have to say the snobs and the moaners are the ones that tend to spoil things.

 

I have said rather riskily on other forums, that in my experience it tends to be the older generation that are difficult to please and nothing pleases them, but I was actually fully supported, by the realists, including many, many, more mature cruisers!

 

IOTS is a fantastic ship and the staff are fantastic too, helpful, polite, courteous and cannot do enough for you. I guess on any cruise with 4000 people and 2000 staff, you will always find exceptions.

 

Never spoil your holiday before you go listening to other cruisers viewpoint; keep an open mind and you will all have a fantastic time

[Shelley61]

I have to admit, I went with reservations after reading a few of the reviews, complaining about the "tattoo'd, football shirted" guests, and worried that I was walking into a Tenerife Playa de Las Americas type resort, from where I couldn't escape!

 

I couldn't have been more wrong, thankfully! Yes, OK, there were a few people around who, let's say, wouldn't fit the stereotypical image of a seasoned cruiser, but hey, not everyone's the same are they?!

 

We did a two week cruise, and not once did we see anyone drunk (there's an advantage to high drink prices), though we made a fair bash at trying it ourselves on a couple of nights ;)

 

There was only one night where the ship suddenly seemed to have 3,600 passengers on board, and we later realised it was a night where they had early shows - we figured some people must go to the late show and then go straight to bed after, though on early show nights, it meant more people ended up in the bars... good tip though, if you don't mind a nightclub, head to the Labyrinth if it gets really busy elsewhere - it's empty! It is a smoking venue though, so go downstairs where it's non-smoking... there's still a slight odour of smoke, but it doesn't get stuck in your clothes or hair like it would upstairs... I'd forgotten what pubs and clubs used to be like pre-smoking ban!

 

One night out of 14 though wasn't bad, and we found ourselves in the Pyramid Lounge most evenings.

 

There were a fair few kids on our trip as it was half term, and parents had taken their kids out of school for the second week... as a result it was mainly younger kids, I don't think many parents take high school age children out of class. They were fine - there was an incident of unruly children in a show, but it was only one night, and the next night the "children shouldn't be left unattended in the front row" message was on almost constant repeat so it didn't happen again!

 

You'll have a great time... if you're ever after a bit of peace, go for a walk around outside on deck 4 and play a bit of shuffleboard... hardly anyone goes there! :)

[nearlytheir]

We've done 4 cruises on Indy and have always had a wonderful time (:D Hi Dave & Mark)

 

We're booked on an 18 nighter in November (Hi Terry and Brenda)

 

Windjammer can be a stampede at times, especially for lunch on Day 1, and we usually go to the MDR for breakfast.

 

Never had any fault with Indy's cabin staff - always provided excellent service. Unlike our steward on Brilliance once - she didnt make contact until the 4th day of the cruise!

 

Entertainment is excellent - Kory Simon (the piano man) was in the Schooner Bar in April - but sadly will have jumped ship by November. And I'm a sucker for the teddy bears in the 'Once Upon a Time' production show.

 

As for Butlins - we went once. It will be a cold day in hell before we go again and we will be booking into one of the on-site hotels instead of a run down chalet if we do.

 

You can please some of the people some of the time but not all of the people all of the time. Some people are born moaners!

 

You'll only get out of a cruise what you put into it!

 

Happy Cruising