Home from Independance of the Seas

[ccletzgo]

We have spent the last 6 years doing all-inclusives instead of cruising so I was excited to finally be on a ship again.

 

Some very specific things stood out for me as far as change. VERY obvious was the decline in bar service.:eek: The drink packages have made an overall change in the atmosphere of the lounges. My favorite quiet place to hang out has always been the Champagne Bar and now its just another bar with a big group of partiers bellied up to the bar at night. :rolleyes: By day 5, I was SO sick of standing at bars waiting to get a drink. If you walked into a lounge you either sit at a table with no service, or you go and get your own at the bar. This really wore on me after a while. (I had the premium package) Only on the last day of the cruise, which was a sea day did you see the roaming bar servers a little more. The best bar service and best drinks were from the Windjammer bar. Who goes to the Windjammer to party? I knew I could get fast service..;)

 

Dining room was slow. I was not at all surprised with a large table for 10. Never less then 2 hours but thats how its always been. Both specialty restaurants were out of this world fantastic. AMAZING food! (I remember the really old days when the dining room food was actually that good);)

 

Diamond lounge was great with exceptional service, always.

 

Ship was in tip top condition. Beautiful and clean. Staterooms on the Independance are ready for drapes, carpet and upholstery but I assume its coming soon. Stateroom attendant great as always. New for me this cruise.... Ice on request only in the cabin. No robes? what happened there? :confused: The mini fridge was absolutely the warmest so called mini fridge I have ever experienced. Completely Worthless.

 

Internet, painfully slow. Oh SO so slow. But I needed it, so I was grateful to have it.

 

Shows and overall entertainment was really really great. Pool band was really good. Odyssey was good. All the shows were really professional and fun to watch.

 

We had 2 medical evacs. One helicopter from Labadee and ambulance from a port. We had one man over board false alarm at 4:30 a.m. causing the ship to shudder and make a very sharp U turn. The 4:30 a.m. call from the bridge was: "coast guard, coast guard coast guard" I had never heard that one before and woke thinking we were broke down. Thank goodness it was a false alarm.

 

We had absolutely beautiful weather all week. Hot and sunny! Labadee was amazing. I still love it. Royal Palm resort on Cayman was fun too. (I'll post about the Cabana on the ports boards)

 

We had a wonderful cruise. I just noticed some changes that were not positive centering around bar service and dining room food.

 

a note about diamond drinks... They are really strict about those 3 diamond drinks loaded on your card being from the little diamond drink menu.

 

Premium package. I got scolded twice when asking for a bottle of water and a beer at the same time. Collecting enough water to have in my cabin at night became a bit of a challenge.

 

Next I will go back to Celebrity on an M class. I am one of those rare cruisers who has no interest in the giant mega ship. I cruise to feel the ocean, and I like a more personal experience. (we have never been disappointed in that area until this cruise) Independance is BIG! Too big for me. This was the first cruise that my husband and I were never greeted by our names from any of the staff. Missed that a lot. I really hope to find everything I love about cruising back on a smaller ship on Celebrity. I'm optimistic its still there and I'm looking forward to my next cruise.

[Ren1216]

Thanks for sharing your experience and thoughts with us. Glad you had a mostly good cruise. Happy to hear that you enjoyed the food and the ship is in good condition. But I'm disappointed to learn that the beverage packages are having a negative effect on service, that's no good. Appreciate the tip about the WJ bar, I'll keep that in mind.

[mcatmcat]

I honestly believe you are super accurate specially with at service. I don't drink alcohol and I rarely ask for a drink but I noticed that they bartenders and those that walk by the pool were less interested in bringing you a drink. MDR service is getting slower but I still love royal

[Grandma Dazzles]

If you had diamond lounge access you must be diamond therefore should have had robes in your cabin. Maybe steward forgot. Did you ask?

[John F]

We are Diamond Plus members thank goodness. Did you find the Diamond lpunge over crowded at all. I have been reading that if you did not get there very early when it opens, seats were not available. We usually try to go around 7:00 before our late seating. Many thanks. John & Priscilla :)

[Grandma Dazzles]

We are Diamond Plus members thank goodness. Did you find the Diamond lpunge over crowded at all. I have been reading that if you did not get there very early when it opens, seats were not available. We usually try to go around 7:00 before our late seating. Many thanks. John & Priscilla :)

 

 

I think every cruise is different. Sailed the first week of June and it was never crowded. Pleasant company - usually the same group every evening but never had problems finding a seat. Gustavo ( sp? ) was the concierge and ran a tight ship in terms of checking IDs. Believe there was a change in July. Perhaps new concierge is more lax and hence more overcrowding. Just a thought.

[ccletzgo]

If you had diamond lounge access you must be diamond therefore should have had robes in your cabin. Maybe steward forgot. Did you ask?

 

I didnt ask but there were 6 of us diamonds, in three separate staterooms in different areas of the ship and non of us got robes so I assumed it was the norm.

[ccletzgo]

I think every cruise is different. Sailed the first week of June and it was never crowded. Pleasant company - usually the same group every evening but never had problems finding a seat. Gustavo ( sp? ) was the concierge and ran a tight ship in terms of checking IDs. Believe there was a change in July. Perhaps new concierge is more lax and hence more overcrowding. Just a thought.

 

First night it was completely full and they had to overflow out into the Viking Crown. From then on, I waited until 7:00 or 7:30 to go up there. They always checked ID's if they didnt recognize you.

Edited September 28, 2015 by ccletzgo

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

We sailed on the same cruise. We are Diamond Plus, but used the Concierge Lounge more than the Diamond lounge because it had a working coffee machine. We also really like Raj, the friendly and long-time concierge in that lounge.

 

It could get very crowded, so timing was crucial to arrive at a quieter time in order to get a seat. Breakfast and daytime were almost always quiet there.

 

We had a port side balcony room. As luck would have it, our balcony had a continual drip that varied from heavy to light. I think it came from the platforms the ship cleaners use. They are parked above our balcony, but didn't block the view. I did get wet several times when I forgot about the drip.

 

The ocean was as smooth as ice most of the time. Frankly, I enjoy more rocking, but I can't complain about the weather. It was fabulous. One night we sat on our balcony and watched the most stunning lightening and thunder show I have ever witnessed on a ship. Incredibly with all that storm and fury, I don't think we ever got a drop of rain. The next morning there was a fabulous rainbow.

 

I'll write more later.

[Hotel CA]

So CCLETZGO -- how would you compare and contrast cruising today v an all inclusive resort vacay? My wife wants us to try and I love to cruise so am interested in how you see the diff stacking up

[ccletzgo]

So CCLETZGO -- how would you compare and contrast cruising today v an all inclusive resort vacay? My wife wants us to try and I love to cruise so am interested in how you see the diff stacking up

 

 

Well, I hate to say that my cruise experience this past week really brought to light all the great things I enjoy about all-inclusives. Here are a few that my daughter and I talked about today.

 

.NO LINES..........:D

.No need for elevators

.No witnessing of gluttony

.Wide open space

.Attention to room details by staff. (flowers, bed decorated, chocolates,towel animals)

.Public restrooms always have flowers. Celebrity maybe still does this?

.Room service! REAL breakfast room service

.Robes always

.Staff knows your name.

.DRINKING water! this is huge! Room stocked with all the bottled COLD water you could possibly consume. (along with all the other included beverages that are stocked in your room) All inclusives really spoil you this way and on the cruise I felt the drink policing all the time, even with a package. I seriously will never have one again on Royal Caribbean. I WILL pay my tab at the end and see if it changes my quality of service. :rolleyes:

.Mini Bars that are cold. Really cold. (a cold drink beer is always available in your room.:D

.The beach at my door

.The pool at my door

.All drinks available all times with NO rules and lists to stick too with NO bill at the end.

.The choice of adult only resorts

.I never thought I would say this while comparing but here I go.............................SERVICE. Restaurant, bar, maid, concierge, front desk, excursion desks. ALL with a smile by someone who seems to genuinely be happy to be there. (the lack of this aspect stood out for all of us this past week)

.The last morning. Love that noon checkout the last morning with zero cattle call when leaving the resort. No dreading the last night luggage drill. Leave at your leisure with the same service being offered that morning vs. the "get outta here feel"

.Internet included

.No stress about getting back to the resort by a certain time while on a day trip.

.Did I say No lines? ;)

 

Cruise has entertainment beat always. Different ports of call. More choices of things to do other then pool and beach during the day. Lectures, classes etc. Napkin folding. LOL;)

 

I truly love the ocean. I love my balcony on a cruise and I love seeing a new port out my door everyday. I used to love breakfast on my balcony too but Royal blew that one up this past week with horrible room service breakfast. Icky! :mad: Yep, I'm that person that wants to feel the ship move too. (smaller ships from here on out)

 

I want to visit Tahiti and I will do it from a smaller cruise ship. I have a mediterranean cruise on my bucket list as well. Maybe Azamara? I would like to do a one way Hawaii cruise too. Radiance or M class. As far as the Caribbean goes, it will be all-inclusives from here on out. The choices are endless and the level of service received is outstanding. My all time favorite cruises have been the Panama Canal on Infinity, Ultimate Caribbean on the Constellation and a 12 day extended Mexican Riviera on the Radiance.

Edited September 28, 2015 by ccletzgo

[ccletzgo]

We sailed on the same cruise. We are Diamond Plus, but used the Concierge Lounge more than the Diamond lounge because it had a working coffee machine. We also really like Raj, the friendly and long-time concierge in that lounge.

 

It could get very crowded, so timing was crucial to arrive at a quieter time in order to get a seat. Breakfast and daytime were almost always quiet there.

 

We had a port side balcony room. As luck would have it, our balcony had a continual drip that varied from heavy to light. I think it came from the platforms the ship cleaners use. They are parked above our balcony, but didn't block the view. I did get wet several times when I forgot about the drip.

 

The ocean was as smooth as ice most of the time. Frankly, I enjoy more rocking, but I can't complain about the weather. It was fabulous. One night we sat on our balcony and watched the most stunning lightening and thunder show I have ever witnessed on a ship. Incredibly with all that storm and fury, I don't think we ever got a drop of rain. The next morning there was a fabulous rainbow.

 

I'll write more later.

 

That lightning storm was spectacular! It rained pretty hard in the eve coming from Cozumel. We had an aft it was really dumping. Cant wait to hear your thoughts.

[Grandma Dazzles]

Ccletzgo - Understand your comparison to an all inclusive. However, having done cruises and all-inclusives I think you are comparing a more up-scale all inclusive to a main line cruise. You will get a lot of those things on a luxury cruise line.

 

Have done Hawaii on the Radiance - didn't see any great difference to any other RC ship. I think Azmara might be a good choice.

 

Example ..... Last time I priced Sandals it was much higher in price than a cruise for what I wanted.

[ccletzgo]

Ccletzgo - Understand your comparison to an all inclusive. However, having done cruises and all-inclusives I think you are comparing a more up-scale all inclusive to a main line cruise. You will get a lot of those things on a luxury cruise line.

 

Have done Hawaii on the Radiance - didn't see any great difference to any other RC ship. I think Azmara might be a good choice.

 

Example ..... Last time I priced Sandals it was much higher in price than a cruise for what I wanted.

 

Nope, RIU Palaces, Princess Resorts, and Real Resorts. $3,000.00 per couple including airfare and transfers. Have been doing approx 2 a year. I was sure to compare apples to apples. My mention of Radiance is due to size. I simply do not like the bigger ships.

Edited September 28, 2015 by ccletzgo

[gammite]

I used to love breakfast on my balcony too but Royal blew that one up this past week with horrible room service breakfast.

 

what made the room service poor?

[ccletzgo]

what made the room service poor?

 

Service was fine. The hot breakfast selection was not fine.:eek: Just ordered fruit and bread, yoghurt, after trying the first morning.

[gammite]

Service was fine. The hot breakfast selection was not fine.:eek: Just ordered fruit and bread, yoghurt, after trying the first morning.

 

can you elaborate on the hot breakfast selection and quality?

[Square]

Nope, RIU Palaces, Princess Resorts, and Real Resorts. $3,000.00 per couple including airfare and transfers. Have been doing approx 2 a year. I was sure to compare apples to apples. My mention of Radiance is due to size. I simply do not like the bigger ships.

That's interesting. Any particular places you've been to? I've sailed a decent amount of times and every time I looked at AI it's been much higher when said and done. Just glancing at the RIU website (never heard of them but it looks cool) it shows some locations as twice as much as others (Jamaica vs Aruba). I just want to run some numbers for an upcoming trip we're planning in the spring to see what it would look like for our group. Any best "bang for your buck" suggestions would be appreciated.

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

We've never been to an all-inclusive resort so I can't offer comparisons. We cruise for the ports and I just find such pleasure in being on the sea. I don't even care where the ship goes. I do care about what ship I am on however. We especially like the big ships including Freedom Class, Oasis Class, Explorer class and even the elegant, comfortable Radiance Class ships.

 

We have been on Independence several times. I continue to be surprised at how new it still looks. We really liked that Indy docked at Terminal 18 where Oasis and Allure dock. We were on board in less than fifteen minutes. I couldn't even believe it. When Allure returns, I think Indy will return to a much less convenient dock from which it is often the last ship to leave FT L on a busy port weekend.

 

I like the current CD, Ricky Matthews. He has tireless energy and is so versatile. We've been on another ship with him and I was happy to see him again. The talent throughout the ship was very enjoyable. The reggae band Hot Sands and the dance band Oddysey (in Olive and Twist) were especially good. The Latino band was not my favorite that has ever performed in Boleros. I love lively salsa, merengue and bachata. The band on our cruise tended to play older slow ballads such as "Green Eyes", etc. They made me feel sleepy. They did have a few songs that I liked each set, but maybe other folks like the slower, older music.

 

For us, we often commented on how friendly the crew was. We have been on cruises where the crew was more aloof. Our cabin attendant kept our ice buckets full. She always came to do our room first because we get up early. It was so nice to have our cabin cleaned early in the day. We don't always get that level of cooperation from cabin stewards.

 

There was a large group of science fiction writers on board. One night many of them dressed up in costumes and strolled through the Deck Five Prominade. They were so much fun to see.

 

It was exciting to watch the rescue helipcopter land on the dock at Labadee. It was pretty scarey because the helicopter just barely fit on the dock. I feel so sorry for the passenger (and the family) to have to end vacation in such an unfortunate way.

 

We would gladly sail on Indy again sometime.

[Ren1216]

Gangway Style -- thank you also for sharing your experience!

 

We're very much looking forward to our Indy sailing in a couple weeks :)

[patattack]

I was also on this cruise. On 8th floor. Did have robes. We actually did a B2B and thought the entertainment the first week was very poor. Just not Royal usual. The second week was better. The Ice Show was absolutely fantastic and the production shows were also very good. We ate in the dining room the first week which took over 2 hours but the waiters were awesome and very funny. We decided to eat in the Windjammer some the second week along with Chops. I thought everyone was very friendly but the crowd was much different from week to week. Was not impressed with the CD but thought the Activities Director was much better.

 

Pat

[NorseThunder]

The 4:30 a.m. call from the bridge was: "coast guard, coast guard coast guard" I had never heard that one before and woke thinking we were broke down. Thank goodness it was a false alarm.

 

In my sleepiness (middle of night) I also first thought they were saying "coast guard", but then realised it had to be "Oscar Oscar Oscar" - though I could not remember what that meant until the captain informed us in the morning. We did the All Access Tour on Saturday and talked to one of the second officers on the bridge, who also referred to the incident as "the Oscar alarm".

[ccletzgo]

That's interesting. Any particular places you've been to? I've sailed a decent amount of times and every time I looked at AI it's been much higher when said and done. Just glancing at the RIU website (never heard of them but it looks cool) it shows some locations as twice as much as others (Jamaica vs Aruba). I just want to run some numbers for an upcoming trip we're planning in the spring to see what it would look like for our group. Any best "bang for your buck" suggestions would be appreciated.

 

Yes, Aruba is always more. Loved Jamaica. ClubHotel RiU Ocho Rios. Fantastic!

Punta Cana, Cancun. My personal Favorite RIU Palace Riviera Maya. Also Grand Riviera Princess on the Riviera Maya.

 

You tip for the service you receive. (although tipping not required) We take a couple hundred in ones and hand them out here and there all week. SMILES and Happy staff all week. :)

 

Travel dates are a kicker for the rates. Just like cruising. We travel the same week in Sept every year so that's another reason I was able to compare bang for buck.

 

I will always mix it up. I will always cruise. I was just saddened by the obvious service change and I honestly believe these drink packages and auto tipping have done it because that is all that has changed in 6 years related to service.

[ccletzgo]

In my sleepiness (middle of night) I also first thought they were saying "coast guard", but then realised it had to be "Oscar Oscar Oscar" - though I could not remember what that meant until the captain informed us in the morning. We did the All Access Tour on Saturday and talked to one of the second officers on the bridge, who also referred to the incident as "the Oscar alarm".

 

THANK YOU! for clearing that up. Yep, I was in a groggy haze for sure. :)

[SICruiseGirlNYC]

I was on the same cruise and noticed many of the things you mentioned. I am Emerald and the couple we traveled with were Diamond Plus. We all noticed a decline in the quality of the food in the main dining room and wound up eating in Chops twice and Giovanni's Table once because of this issue. One night I was served a Crème Brulee that was like soup (obviously someone in the kitchen wasn't doing their job). I found the food at the Windjammer to be ok but it was lukewarm at best (we only ate there twice for lunch and once for breakfast). One of the things we found ironic was that we were told to wash our hands every time we entered the Windjammer but they were serving food at a temperature (lukewarm) that could make us sick. We were not on any beverage package and also noticed that bar service was extremely slow.

 

I paid for the internet and it was very slow. There were times when I couldn't get on the internet even though I was using only 1 device and was on 1/2 hr. earlier.

 

Our stateroom attendant was wonderful as were our waiter and assistant waiter. Overall we had a great cruise with the only exception being the food.

Edited September 29, 2015 by SICruiseGirlNYC