Live Review - Independence of the Seas. Spanish Med July 2014

[PAFC]

Hi Nix111 thanks for the great review, I have dined in Chops Grille many times and have always been able to get wine by the glass on my drinks package, did you tell them you had a package?

[samben01]

Awesome review. Thanks!

[Peewee14]

Great Review, Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a detailed review

[Tosara21]

What a great review, thank you so much for taking the time to write in such detail.

More than ever now I can't wait for 20sept. This will be our first cruise on Indy, and like yourself, first time from Southampton.

More please......great stuff.

[Nix111]

Fantastic review so far and great info regarding the wifi. I was on Indy in May and am doing the TA in November. I wasn't bothered about internet going round Norway but I will be for 2 weeks!

 

If you don't mind and if you get the chance, can you see if there is any idea who the CD will be in November? Tim was our activities manager in May (so perhaps he is on leave now) and Joff was CD. I asked if he knew at that stage and he wasn't sure (he got on same day as us!)

 

Have a great cruise!

 

Hi Jo

 

Bumped into Joff, he won't be onboard in November as he'll be on vacation, he doesn't know who will yet, he joked that he'd have to log on here to find out - he said cruisecritic knew he was on Anthem before he did! He said just keep an eye on the boards it will be announced shortly!

[Nix111]

Live Review - Independence of the Seas, Spanish Med, Day 5, Gibraltar

 

We are now well and truly in holiday mode waking later than usual with Finn still asleep at 9.30am, exhausted from all the fun he's been having. By the time we were all up and dressed our only breakfast option was Windjammer. We arrived around 10.30am, just making it, as breakfast closes at 10.45. The restaurant was quieter than our previous visit and we easily found a table. I sampled the pancakes and waffles which were delicious, Andy enjoyed a full English and Finn snacked on American style sausages, his new favourite dish.

 

After breakfast we took a wander along top deck. The plan was to have a leisurely morning poolside as we weren't docking in Gibraltar till 1pm however it was very windy and the H2O zone sprayers etc. had all been turned off to avoid accidental drenchings! We checked out the flow rider, mini golf and climbing wall but the wind was so strong we went down to the Royal Promenade to escape the wind. We stopped by the Dog & Badger, an English pub which bears no resemblance to any English pub I've been in (more like a medieval tavern!) for a lunchtime glass of red. It has a wide selection of beers and serves traditional pub snacks like pork scratchings and crisps. We then went back to our balcony to watch our arrival in Gibraltar, impressed by the size of the Rock. There was an incredible yacht in port with a helicopter on board, apparently Roman Abramovich owns it's sister ship - the things you can find out on the Internet!

 

We let the initial rush depart the ship and followed ten minutes later to find no queues as we strolled ashore in the sunshine. Once again we hadn't booked any excursions, our only plan was too see the infamous monkeys (search on YouTube if you don't know what I mean) and Finn was very excited about this. I'd read on a few port guides that it was easy to get a shared taxi trip up the Rock so we walked into town. It is about a ten minute walk from the port, easy enough but it was incredibly hot, 30 degrees, so I can see why some choose to pay for the shuttle bus. We did have a little grumbling about the distance and heat from a small child but a €1 ice lolly soon fixed that, much cheaper than a shuttle bus ticket!

 

We arrived in the main square which leads directly to the high street and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. As we were pulling into dock the town looked less than promising however beyond the high rises it has a quaint, Spanish village feel with pavement cafe lined squares, cool, leafy streets and some very recognisable shopping opportunities. The main square has a WH Smith and this was our first stop. We'd bought Finn two books to bring away and borrowed two from the library on board however by Day 5 he'd read the lot so we needed more. We bought 3 books from a small but well stocked children's section and told him to make them last as I don't think we'll be finding any other English book shops on the rest of the itinerary. We explored the town with a sense of déjà vu as we strolled along what is in effect an English high street in the glorious sunshine having just departed a cruise ship. Strange but nice and good to see some familiar names. Next stop was Marks and Sparks as in a slight packing mishap we seemed to be a little short on underwear and I'd decided that it'd be cheaper to buy new than pay Royal Caribbean laundry prices. Incidentally if you do need laundry it's actually not that bad. We were given a bag yesterday and you could fill it for a wash and fold service (ie no ironing so fine for underwear etc) for $30. Not extortionate but as I said probably cheaper to buy new if you can stumble across an M&S!

 

New supplies of knickers secured we were now ready to find those monkeys and headed along the high street to the taxi rank at the far end of town. The taxis are actually small minibuses, seating 8 or 10. It was incredibly hectic and a little fraught trying to get one as there was no queuing system with people just waiting for one to arrive and then approaching the driver. There were around 20-30 people waiting with more arriving by the minute and very few taxis. The drivers seemed to just choose who they wanted to take and at one point I was a little concerned we might miss out on the monkeys and have a very disappointed boy on our hands. Thankfully this wasn't the case, a few more taxis arrived and a helpful, friendly driver welcomed us aboard. The cost was £22 or €30 an adult and Finn was allowed to travel free as he sat on my knee. As the ticket for access to The Rock is £10 anyway this is actually pretty good value as the one and a half hour taxi trip includes entry price to the Rock and the Caves. If you don't fancy the taxi there is another way up, the cable car also at the far end of the high street. The cost is the same however the queues were apparently an hour or so long and as Andy suffers with a little vertigo I'm not sure that option would have worked for us. We shared a taxi with some fellow cruisers and set off up The Rock.

 

The trip is full of curvy, hairpin bends with sheer drops on one side so if you are of a nervous disposition think carefully about where you sit on the bus. Our driver and guide gave us some of the facts and history of Gibraltar as he was driving and our first stop was at a monument called The Pillars of Hercules which was a quick photo stop while the driver purchased our tickets. We boarded the bus again and then went to St Michaels Cave. This really was spectacular, a huge cavern filled with stalactites and stalagmites which had been converted into a concert venue and was beautifully lit with changing colours. It was beautifully cool and a welcome respite from the heat. We did see several people who had chosen to walk The Rock which would be a challenge at any time but navigating the steep, narrow roads in the afternoon sun must have been unbearable. There was a young boy who was ill in the cafe at The Caves and was clearly suffering from heat exhaustion after attempting it. The taxi was most definitely the sensible option. After the caves we exited through the gift shop (of course) and boarded our taxi once again.

 

The next stop was the much anticipated monkeys. We saw one clinging to the wing mirror of the taxi ahead which caused Finn to squeal with excitement and the adults to quickly shut the taxi windows. It was a little like Knowsley Safari Park only our driver told us to get out of the car! We did but had nothing to fear, the monkeys were freely strolling around us but provided you don't touch them or get any food out they don't come too close. We saw around 30 monkeys including some tiny babies clinging to their mums who were incredibly cute. We took some lovely photos and were touched by a plaque from the taxi drivers remembering one of the oldest monkeys who had passed away.

 

All too soon it was time to board the taxi and we headed down the Rock to our final stop, a photo opportunity by the cannons overlooking Gibraltar and the air strip. There were some fantastic views of the Indy on the way down.

 

Our taxi driver dropped us in the centre of town and it was a highly recommended trip although you may want to consider pre-booking to avoid the scrum at the ranks - forgot to say there's another on the main square at the start of the high street too. After all that excitement we were in need of refreshment. All the pavement cafés seemed full however I spotted a bar on the main shopping street called The Royal Calpe with a sign for a beer garden. We went inside and found a gorgeous shady beer garden at the rear where we enjoyed a very reasonable bottle of red at just £7.95.

 

Refreshed and relaxed we made our way back to the ship on foot and were back on board a little before 6pm. We changed for dinner and made our way to the MDR. Our waiters Vicky and Edwin seemed delighted to see us and the feeling was mutual after the frosty service at Chops the night before. The head waiter who is called Mary (not Anne as I mentioned yesterday apologies Mary) is an absolute delight, popping over regularly to check all was okay and she was horrified when I mentioned our Chops Grille experience. I had bresola and rocket salad to start, Andy had breaded mushrooms followed by Mulligatawny soup as he couldn't choose between the two. For main I had a roasted pork with mustard crust and Andy had strip steak. Finn had fruit salad and pizza - again. All was delicious and the service was wonderful as ever.

 

We returned to our room for sailaway and watched the Rock grow smaller amidst an amazing sunset from our balcony. An absolute bonus was the amazing display of dolphins in the wake of the ship as we left, a lovely end to a perfect day.

 

At 9pm Finn decided he wanted to go to kids club so we dropped him there for an hour while we went to the Olive and Twist lounge for a glass of wine. It's a lovely spot at the very top of the ship that's usually called the Crown Viking lounge on other RCI ships. There were plenty of small kids in the bar all holding toy monkeys after our trip to Gibraltar! The Olive and Twist is supposed to be child free after 10pm, we left just before that to collect our six year old from kids club but they didn't seem to be asking anyone to leave.

 

We collected Finn who'd had another amazing time and then We fancied a final nightcap. The plan was to go the Schooner Bar to see the pianist but he wasn't on and there were no spare seats so we went back to the Royal Promenade and sat outside the Dog and Badger, a great place to people watch. We dropped by the CupCake cupboard on the way back to our room then it was time for bed, looking forward to a leisurely sea day tomorrow.

 

We filled in a room service breakfast order and settled in for a good nights sleep, more tomorrow....

[Bandit236]

I'm loving your review. I've cruised many times to the Caribbean but never overseas (I hate flying). I'm definitely getting a taste of what I'm missing with your review. P.S. Your son is adorable!

[CruisinCJ]

Just wanted to comment how much I am enjoying your review. We have been on the Indy and will be on again next April, and your review is so different with the "English" aspect.

 

Thank you for taking the time and eagerly waiting for more.

 

Carol

[rwright261]

Thanks for the great review of Gibraltar. We spent a week there in March this year after stopping off one day on our 2012 Indy cruise. Reading about your day was a lovely reminder of it.

 

Enjoy your leisurely sea day :)

[jo24]

Hi Jo

 

Bumped into Joff, he won't be onboard in November as he'll be on vacation, he doesn't know who will yet, he joked that he'd have to log on here to find out - he said cruisecritic knew he was on Anthem before he did! He said just keep an eye on the boards it will be announced shortly!

You're amazing! Thanks for asking! I've heard the same from a lot of staff about CC! It's a shame he won't be on the ship, he is fantastic! He lives in Chichester which is only 10 miles from me :D Keep enjoying your cruise!

 

Thanks again :)

[Nix111]

Live Review - Independence of the Seas, Spanish Med - Day 6 - Lazy Sea Day

 

We awoke at 8am to the phone ringing to tell us room service breakfast was on its way. In reality it was 7am as there had been a 1 hour time change overnight so I was a little bleary eyed as I got dressed to await its arrival.

 

Surprisingly in ten cruises and over 90 nights at sea we have never ordered room service so I thought it was high time we tried it as we were planning Johnny Rockets for lunch and only needed a small snack in the morning to keep us going. Apparently completing a room service request after a few glasses of wine is not such a great idea as my eyes got the better of me and I ordered slightly more than a small snack. In my defence I thought pastries for three would be a few croissants, not three platefuls of the continental stuff along with sausages, hash browns, cereal and fruit - oops! That said it was an absolute delight to sit on the balcony in the warm morning sunshine and enjoy breakfast which arrived with a smile and piping hot. It was also useful to have orange juice and croissants on hand for when our six year old Finn finally woke a few hours later.

 

Day 6 was a sea day so there was no need to rush anywhere and we enjoyed a fabulously lazy morning lounging on our aft balcony watching endless dolphins circle and hunt fish disturbed by the wake of the ship. One surfaced literally meters from us, squirted water from its blow hole and plunged back below resulting in squeals of delight from me.

 

After some leisurely reading all round Finn had already finished the first of his new books and it was time for lunch. We took the lift to deck 12 and the aluminium clad American diner Johnny Rockets which was surprisingly quiet. I fully expected to queue for a table as everyone was on board however we were greeted immediately and offered inside or outside seating. We chose a shady outside booth to enjoy our food and the fabulous ocean views. Our waiter Lloyd was very friendly and is from Jamaica. As we were married there we have very fond memories of the island and he chatted about his home town and how he will be heading back to the Caribbean with the ship later this year. Lloyd arrived with a starter of fries and onion rings and delighted Finn with a ketchup smiley face on a plate while us grown ups enjoyed dipping into a beautifully cool sour cream and chive sauce. We placed our order and I was delighted to see our drinks package worked in the diner so we order a couple of glasses of red and also two of the famous milkshakes which were buy one get one free because of our gold crown and anchor status which was a bonus.

 

We were enjoying our drinks and fries to a soundtrack of 50s doowop and 60s girl groups when the volume was raised and the waiters began to dance in a line inside the diner. Finn was a little disappointed we weren't in there but he didn't need to worry as within minutes the waiters were doing the same outside and happily posing for photographs.

 

The food arrived shortly afterwards, by which time the restaurant was filling up. Needless to say it was delicious. Andy had a burger, I had a chicken and bacon sandwich and Finn had a hotdog, all accompanied by more fries including some cheese and bacon smothered fries which were to die for.

 

We had fully intended to eat dessert as the sundaes sound amazing but as so often happens on this ship we were beaten after finishing our mains. We declined dessert but promised we'd put this right another day and our lunch for three cost just $23 including milkshakes, an absolute bargain.

 

After lunch Finn wanted to go to kids club as it was a Lego session so we walked him there via the top deck pools which were understandably busy with hardly any free sun loungers. People were lying on towels on the ground in places so we decided to head back to the solitude of our huge corner aft balcony to enjoy the sunshine and even more dolphin watching - heaven! I'm loving having this space and feeling rather blessed and spoilt.

 

When we got back to our room it was as ever spotlessly clean (thanks to the lovely Delores) but she'd also left a little crown and anchor gift for Finn of a colouring book and crayola felt tip pens - nice touch RCI.

 

I took a few moments to complete the mid cruise survey, saying what a wonderful cruise we were having, praising the main dining room staff and quality of food but but also raising our disappointing Chops Grille experience, it'll be interesting to see if I hear anything following that.

 

Before long it was time to collect Finn from Adventure Ocean and then it was back to the room to slap on the sunscreen ahead of our daily dip and splash in the H2O zone. The pools were much quieter as it was nearly 5pm and there were plenty of empty sun beds as most people had gone to get ready for dinner. You can tell how hot the day was as we even persuaded Daddy into the pools and normally it takes Caribbean sunshine to achieve that! The pools were lovely in the heat and we had a fabulous time. Finn insisted on an ice cream from Sprinkles, the free self serve machine and then it was time to go and change for dinner. We went back to our room in our beach towels feeling distinctly underdressed as the corridors were full of people in DJs and ball gowns as it was another formal night.

 

Spurred on by how dressed up everyone was on the last formal night I put on a favourite dressy frock and the boys donned jackets, shirts and trousers. The only problem was we still weren't hungry following our huge Johnny Rockets lunch! Thankfully we'd booked a slightly later than usual table at 7.15. We're on My Time Dining, the flexible dining programme where by if you pre pay your gratuities you can choose to dine when you wish. It works really well for us as I always like to pay the tips ahead and the flexibility works well with a six year old. We arrived and had a 5 minute wait while they sorted a table and were sat in our usual section but on 665. The service was once again excellent with Vicky arriving the moment we sat down to deliver me a diet coke before I'd even asked and announcing that two glasses of red were on the way - yes they do know us well by now! We confessed we were full of Johnny Rockets and made a valiant effort to eat ordering pate for myself and oxtail soup for Andy as starters and for mains I ordered a mixed grill and Andy the steak with just vegetables. Finn had chicken fingers off the kids menu. The pate wasn't amazing if I'm honest but thankfully a small portion. My main was delicious but huge so I couldn't quite finish and Andy also struggled with his steak. We declined desserts (yet again) and sat for a while finishing our wine. We decided some fresh air was in order to try and walk of our excesses so we went to deck 11 to watch another glorious sunset and enjoy the warm breeze.

 

It was soon 9pm and time for the show 'Once Upon a Time' in the main Alhambra Theatre. We've cruised with RCI several times but never seen this show although I'd read great things about it. As it was child friendly We persuaded Finn to forgo kids club and actually spend an evening with us to watch it. We took the lift to level 4 forward for the theatre upper level and quickly found some good seats. The theatre was at most two thirds full for the first of the evening's two performances so there's really no need to rush there too early for the shows unless you want front row seats, particularly bearing in mind the ship is completely full with many rooms at 3 and 4 berth capacity.

 

The show started and I was impressed with the fantastic production levels and it was wonderful to see an orchestra in the pit playing live rather than performers singing to backing tracks. The show featured a cast of around 20 dancers, lead vocalists and acrobats. The theme of the show is around fairy tales but features well known pop and rock songs and the stage sets and costumes are superb. Finn loved it, taking great delight in shouting out which fairy tale was coming next and squealing with delight in the Pinocchio scene at the dancing teddys. He didn't want the show to end. Andy doesn't really do musical theatre so wasn't quite as enamoured however he did agree the production values were high and had a glass of red in his hand to help him through!

 

It made me think what great value a cruise actually is. We paid just over £4000 for this holiday (in prime time summer holidays) for 14 nights, that's just £95 a night each which includes a fantastic itinerary, our bed and board, food, kids club, all entertainment (including ice skating, production shows, sports activities, quizzes and leisure) - it really is superb value. When I was pricing the holiday I compared the cost of two weeks in a four star all inclusive resort and prices were comparable but the offering is considerably less and the standard usually poorer on land. Likewise a show in an all inclusive hotel will not feature an orchestra, a cast of 20 and some trapeze artists! Well these are the arguments I'll be using to persuade Andy about our next cruise :)

 

After the show we went to the Schooner bar to enjoy the pianist and a nightcap. He was slick and professional but didn't really get us involved in the way we have been in piano bars on previous cruises, still it was a pleasant enough way to while away half an hour. Then it was time for bed and we strolled back to the cabin ready for a sleep ahead of tomorrow's adventures in Valencia...

 

 

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[Noodle2202]

Getting way to excited reading your review. We're on the Indy in 3 weeks and counting. Your review is great research as it seems we'll be stopping at virtually the same ports.

 

 

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[Peewee14]

I have to say this is one of the best reviews I have read in a long time, I look forward to seeing your daily posts now, and come here every day, cant wait for August!

 

You said the pool decks where extremley busy on the sea days, and not many spare loungers, what are they like on port days, and how full is the ship on port days in general?

 

We dont plan on getting off the ship much in the Med ports, and I wondered how it compared to sea and port days, I know when we did the canaries a while ago the port days where my favourite as the ship was so empty!

[Nix111]

Hi Peewee, decks are quite quiet on port days, no problem at all getting a sun lounger today when we returned, the itinerary is so great it is almost a ghost ship on port days, get back around 3pm - 4pm and you'll have plenty of choice. I'm sure on a sea day if you were up and out by 10am you'd be fine too

 

 

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[kcms4]

hi nix111 we will be on indy three weeks tomorrow your review is fantastic its getting us all excited i have a couple of questions if you dont mind answering if you know do they sell cider in the english bar and the other do you know how much it is to learn to suba dive on the ship i know these are a bit random but the diving thing is something my husband and daughter would like to do and i like cider :-) i look forward to the rest of your review

[Nix111]

Live Review - Independence of the Seas, Spanish Med - Day 7, Valencia

 

I awoke to the sound of The Captain announcing our arrival in Valencia after another wonderful nights sleep. There's nothing better than a Royal Caribbean bed and the gentle movement of a ship to leave you feeling relaxed and refreshed.

 

I pulled back the curtains to see a blue, cloudless sky. The weather really has been exceptional this cruise however my view of Valencia Port was less than inspiring, row after row of containers and in the distance an outline of a city miles from where the ship had docked. Walking out of the port was not going to be an option. Royal Caribbean were offering a shuttle bus at €18 for adults and €9 for children return which would drop you in the historic old city. From our balcony I noticed some separate orange buses that were leaving the dock side before returning minutes later and guessed they were taking passengers to the port gates.

 

Still full from the day before we skipped breakfast, grabbing a croissant to go for Finn from the Royal Promenade. We disembarked around 10.30am and followed some crew to what was indeed a free port bus. If you ever want to find the most economical way into any town just follow the crew! Sure enough the port provided shuttle dropped us at the terminal building 5 minutes later.

 

Our plan for the day was to get a Hop on Hop off (HoHo) bus and then head to Valencia's famous Aquarium, apparently the largest in Europe but then almost every port says that about their Aquarium! I'd done a little research and discovered that the HoHo bus stops at the port but on arrival at the terminal it really wasn't clear where the stop was and the queue for tourist information was huge. We decided not to wait in line and instead jumped the public bus (route 4 from the roundabout) to the city centre. The bus was €1.50 each one way for myself and Andy, Finn who is 6 travelled free.

 

We got off in a large square, where we could have changed to another public bus (route 19) to the Aquarium however we spotted the HoHo so decided to take that instead. This was €16 each for adults and kids 6 and under were free. We went up to the top deck and took the last seats available thankfully under a little cover and shaded from the blazing heat as temperatures rose to 33 degrees today! I plugged in the free headphones they gave us, found the English Channel amongst the many options, studied the map and tried to get our bearings. There were two routes to choose from, the Historic city route (red) or the Maritime route (blue). We were on the blue route which included the Aquarium a few stops away from where we got on. In hindsight we actually could have got off the public bus a few stops earlier and easily walked it to the Aquarium but the HoHo gave us a nice overview of the city while we enjoyed the breeze and an interesting and informative commentary.

 

There is a central strip of parkland and water features that runs through the heart of the city. This is the Turia Gardens and it was created on the bed of the former river (presumably diverted elsewhere now) to create a fabulous green space in the city. The park is also home to the City of Arts and Sciences which houses several spectacular buildings with modernist and futuristic architecture that are museums, concert halls and galleries all surrounded by lakes and pools. We passed by on the bus getting a birds eye view but planned to walk back through and enjoy it fully on foot later. We got off the HoHo right outside the Oceanographic aquarium.

 

There were hardly any queues and we paid the €27 admission for adults and €21 for children. The aquarium comprises eight or so different buildings in an outdoor park style setting surrounded by pools or lakes. There's also a large outdoor auditorium where the main attraction, a dolphin show takes place five times a day. Each of the buildings has a different themed exhibition, such as the Mediterranean or Tropics featuring fish and sea creatures from that region. The tanks were large and stocked with thousands of different fishes and there's also a 60ft walk through tunnel with fish swimming over visitors heads. Finn was delighted to see divers working in some of the tanks cleaning corals and taking care of the fish, one of them even waved at him.

 

Our tummies were rumbling so we went to the restaurant of which there were two to choose from along with a number of cafés around the park. We chose the grill style restaurant and bar and Andy spoke to the waitress in his best Spanish requesting a table for tres. He was obviously very convincing as she gave us Spanish menus rather than English! I went and swapped them as our Spanish really doesn't extend to the intricacies of an extensive menu. The food looked delicious but we really didn't want a full meal so we decided instead to sit in the bar and have a sandwich and an obligatory bottle of chilled Rioja. Suitably refreshed, it was approaching 2.15pm and time for the dolphin show. We made our way to the auditorium and took our seats high above the huge pools below. The show was narrated in Spanish but that really didn't matter as the dolphins performed incredible feats that needed no translation including spectacular choreographed leaps as they sped around the main pool. Captive dolphins can be a point of contention for some but it was a highly enjoyable display and they seemed to be having a whale of a time :)

 

Next we went to the Artic exhibition, here we saw walruses and my favourite attraction the Beluga Whales. These beautiful pale and ghostly creatures were swimming in vast tanks and were really rather cute so much so we purchased Bluigi a little cuddly soft toy from the gift shop who now resides in our cabin much to Finn's delight.

 

Time was ticking on so at 3.30pm we left the aquarium and walked to the City of Arts and Sciences through the park. It was a lovely stroll through breathtaking architecture, pools and gardens. We'd planned to walk up as far as Gulliver, a children's playground shaped like the lay down giant from Gullivers Travels however it seemed to be getting hotter and hotter and time was ticking on so we played it safe and headed back to the ship. We spotted a well timed HoHo bus and the driver kindly waited for us as we ran to get on. We found seats upstairs and enjoyed a much welcome breeze and a few more stops before we arrived back at the port. The HoHo bus stop at the Port is actually a few streets back from the terminal so it was no surprise we couldn't find it in the morning. If you were planning on doing this in Valencia I think you may struggle to find it too, much better to do as we did and jump the public bus into the city and board there.

 

We had a ten minute walk back to the terminal and boarded the free port bus which took us back to the Indy. We were soon back on board with just enough time for a refreshing dip in the H2O zone and an ice cream ahead of dinner.

 

We had a table booked at 6.15pm today and hurrah, we were finally hungry and able to appreciate dinner. Service was once again exceptional. Mary, the head waitress delighted Finn by delivering a whole bowl of strawberries which he promptly scoffed. I had duck salad followed by a breaded chicken breast filled with cheese and ham which was absolutely delicious. Andy had duck breast salad and a soup followed by a mushroom curry, we all cleared our plates. I finished up with the Jaffa Cake dessert, a sponge, mousse and chocolate dish with Cointreau that tasted exactly like a grown up version of the chocolate topped biscuit - it was divine! My favourite dessert to date.

 

After dinner Finn wanted to go to kids club so we dropped him off and made our way to the Sky Bar on top deck to enjoy a few glasses of red while watching the sunset. The PA system was playing some of our favourite 80s Indie hits including Pixies and Talking Heads which we loved but possibly left some other cruisers bemused. It was a glorious sunset and a highlight of my trip so far.

 

Once the sun had set we went in search of entertainment, there weren't any live bands playing as we were between set times in all venues so we went to the Alhambra Theatre. Tonight's show was a comedy juggler, well I have to be honest, I wasn't really that inspired by the idea however he was absolutely brilliant. He was a real comedian and had the audience in stitches, be warned there was a little audience participation so avoid sitting in the first few rows if you don't like that kind of thing.

 

After the show we went to Boleros where the live band were starting a Spanish / Latin inspired set. I called kids club to check on Finn and he came to the phone with a disgruntled "what mummy?" and was adamant he wanted to stay for late night party zone, this starts at 10pm and is charged at a rather reasonable $7 an hour. I was quite pleased as I wanted to see the adults only Love & Marriage show, it's like a Mr & Mrs type game featuring four couples from the cruise, one of which had been married 50 plus years. The show was hosted by Joff, our cruise director who is a very funny guy. It was great entertainment, particularly when several of the guys couldn't actually remember what their wives were wearing that night let alone where the first kiss was!

 

After the show we went to collect Finn who was still wide awake having had a fantastic time and we retired to our cabin ahead of our adventures in Barcelona tomorrow.

[Nix111]

hi nix111 we will be on indy three weeks tomorrow your review is fantastic its getting us all excited i have a couple of questions if you dont mind answering if you know do they sell cider in the english bar and the other do you know how much it is to learn to suba dive on the ship i know these are a bit random but the diving thing is something my husband and daughter would like to do and i like cider :-) i look forward to the rest of your review

 

Hi

 

Yes they do sell Cider in the English pub, they had several different ones available. As for Scuba, there is a dive shop up on deck but I've never seen it open and I've not seen any references to dive stuff in the tours or cruise compass I'm afraid. Maybe that's just in the Caribbean that they open it / offer it. I'll ask one of the sports staff later though to make sure and report back.

 

Nicky

[Bril]

Now, i've got a question. I was on the Indy two years ago and again will be in seven weeks. Then I had bought two swim suits because I left the two, I had with me and which weren' t super new, so not really a loss, in the room at the pre cruise hotel. They do have a logo on them. Do you know whether they sell logo caps?

 

 

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[Nix111]

Hi, yes they definitely have logo caps, I saw them in the shop, not sure on prices, will check though & report back

 

 

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[lovcruzing]

Love your review. We will be in the same room in November. Were so excited. Is the room quiet and have you noticed smoke coming up from 2 decks below you were the ships crew take their breaks?

 

Post pictures of the balcony and room.

 

Thank you

[Bril]

Thank you for the info and review, it's good!

 

 

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[Nix111]

Love your review. We will be in the same room in November. Were so excited. Is the room quiet and have you noticed smoke coming up from 2 decks below you were the ships crew take their breaks?

 

 

 

Post pictures of the balcony and room.

 

 

 

Thank you

 

 

The room is amazing! It is very quiet and we've not noticed any smoke from the crew area below, in fact we've hardly seen anyone using that area. The balcony is beautiful, you'll love it!

 

 

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[Nix111]

Live Review - Independence of the Seas, Spanish Med - Day 8, Barcelona

 

I awoke at 7.15am feeling rather fragile to say the least. A few paracetamol later, a glug of diet coke and I was dressed and heading to the Royal Promenade in search of sugary pastries which are a well known hangover cure. I left the boys gently snoring and grabbed the iPad to start yesterday's blog.

 

I love the Royal Promenade, it's a great feature of the ship and particularly pleasant first thing when hardly anyone is around. My favourite spot is Cafe Promenade which serves breakfast pastries in the morning, free self serve filter coffees and teas (or paid for cappuccinos and the like) and sandwiches and dessert snacks from lunchtime onwards. I always start my day by my topping up the coke cups from our drinks package (which gives us unlisted wine, beer or sodas all week - although it was a little early for wine so diet coke it was) and sneaking a vanilla Danish. I sat down, relished the peace on the parade and started writing. After a short while I made my back to the cabin to see if the boys were stirring yet. They were still sleeping so I slipped onto the balcony to enjoy the views of Barcelona as we docked. We were at one of the berths quite far from town but we had spectacular views of the city and the Segrada Familia, Gaudi's spectacular cathedral which is still under construction.

 

The boys finally awoke with Andy feeling just as fragile as me. We both blamed Finn, as he wanted to go to late night party zone so we had to stay out and have one glass of red too many! As a result it was a very quiet start to the day, we literally just made breakfast, arriving in the Windjammer at 10.35am. It was fairly quiet and we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast of full English and orange juice to replenish lost vitamin C!

 

Our original plan for Barcelona was a lazy day on the beach as we've visited this amazing city many times before however the sky had clouded over and the weather looked almost stormy. We felt a few drops of rain on the breeze so we moved to plan B. This involved a reworking of outfits with me discarding the bikini and sundress in favour of shorts and layers. Finn donned his Abandon Ship sweatshirt (lovely new kids line of clothes and rather amusing cruise wear) and we agreed on a stroll up the Ramblas and a few shops instead as we've previously ticked off nearly all the major attractions. As we left the ship the weather brightened up, sweatshirts and we made our way to the port shuttle bus. A very reasonable €3 per person including Finn (no free kids tickets here) for a return trip and we were on board making our way to the statue of Christopher Columbus which marks the beginning of La Rambla. This is the Main Street in Barcelona that stretches from the port area to Placa de Catalunya, the main square at the top. It's quite a walk but is lined with shady trees, human statues, market stalls and pavement cafés which act as a very pleasant distraction as you stroll. The city is infamous for its pickpockets and petty crime but I have to say it feels no different to any other major city to me and personally we've never had a problem. For anyone concerned there was a reassuring and regular police presence on the Ramblas today.

 

We (or rather Finn) had a destination in mind, the toy concession in El Corte de Ingles, Barcelona's department store on the main square. We've spent many a happy hour in there over the years and he rarely comes away empty handed. Today was no different and he left with a few Pokemon figures and I was €30 worse off.... From there we went to Camper to get some new and desperately needed trainers for Finn - I was also hoping for a pair of shoes but sadly the Autumn / Winter stock didn't inspire me. We strolled back towards the port and stopped in Plaza Real, one of Barcelona's most beautiful squares just off La Rambla - on the right hand side if stood with your back to the sea. The square is a gorgeous tree lined oasis to escape from the madness of the city and we took a seat outside The Alex Restaurant to enjoy a chilled bottle of Rioja and some amazing and reasonably priced tapas - albondingas (meatballs) and patas bravas - both under €5 a dish. We were entertained by some amazing Brazilian street dancers who did backflips and somersaulted in front of the restaurant (showing their six packs with their tops off much to the delight of a table full of French girls nearby and myself of course :) I happily donated a few euros to their cause!

 

It was nearly 3pm so we strolled back to the waterfront where we boarded a waiting port bus which got us to the ship in no time. We chilled on our balcony and awaited sailaway before changing for dinner. Another glorious day (despite the hangovers) in one of my all time favourite ports.

 

At 6.15pm we made our way to the King Lear MDR and were quickly seated at table 666. Our waiters Edwin and Vicky greeted us, wine was poured and a huge bowl of strawberries placed in front of Finn, another great start to a meal. I ordered Chicken Consommé followed by a Butter Chicken Curry, Andy had Gourmet Meatballs to start, Chicken Consommé and then New York Strip steak. Finn ordered pasta again as he'd enjoyed it so much the night before. Andy thought the meatballs weren't quite as good as those we'd enjoyed in Barcelona (the best he's ever had he said) but he still cleared his plate, my curry was delicious and a nice change from what I usually order.

 

After dinner we strolled down the Royal Promenade, stopping at the duty free store to buy a few toiletries we had run low on. Finn decided he simply had to have a tub of Celebration chocolates which were served pick n mix so you could select the ones you wanted. A genius idea as it meant you didn't get left with a load of mini Bounty's or Snickers (Marathons to anyone of a certain age) as is usual at our house! They were a quite reasonable too at $5 a tub and Andy helped Finn fill every spare inch so we'll be eating them all week.

 

We opted for a quiet night as we need to be up fresh and early for Palma as we're meeting my Mum and Stepdad who have lived in Mallorca for over twenty years. Finn is excited to see his Nana who he calls Nag Nag and I know they are just as excited to see their grandson too.

 

We went to the Pyramid Lounge hoping to see a live band but they weren't playing till a little later. There was a quiz starting so I decided we'd join in although the boys were a little less keen. It was a blankety blank style thing where by you had to complete a phrase and there were 10 rounds in total. It wasn't great but the highlight was watching Finn race to the front with the completed slip after each round. The host, one of the younger members of the events team, was obviously still learning on the job and we've seen much much funnier redcoats at Butlins if I'm honest. Sadly we didn't win but as the prize was a Royal Caribbean baseball cap I soon got over it. We left after the quiz and headed to bed for an early night looking forward to seeing Nana and Grandad and enjoying a day in the Majorcan sunshine together.

 

 

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[rwright261]

Thanks again.

 

Not sure what I will do in a weeks time when my daily dose of Indy has finished! I'm enjoying your review very much.

 

Have a great time seeing your mom. I'm sure nag nag will be spoiling Finn rotten!

 

Looking forward to tomorrow's update :o

[Irish Cath]

I'm also very much enjoying your review. I can't imagine where you find the time to write it up in such detail every day. Enjoy your day with family, looking forward to reading about it.