Our Family Cruise on the Independence Oct 11th

[Ren1216]

We just completed another fabulous Royal Caribbean cruise. We'd like to share our thoughts and experience with you in hopes it will be of benefit to those with upcoming sailings.

 

About Us: We are a family group ranging in age from 44-88. Because we are scattered about and living in different states, we meet up every year for a family trip, alternating between cruises and land vacations. For our 2015 cruise, we chose the Indpenedence of the Seas October 11th sailing (eastern itinerary), mostly because we enjoyed sister-ship Freedom and St Kitts would be a new port for us. For this trip, we had a group of 8 adults, so I booked us in 4 side-by-side balcony cabins on Deck 6.

 

Ft. Lauderdale: Half of the group drove down from the Tampa area while the others flew directly into FLL, we all arrived on the day prior to departure (Oct 10th). We stayed at the Cambria Hotel & Suites off of Stirling Road (near I-95) in Dania Beach. We were pleased with the hotel, the beds were super comfortable. I reserved these rooms online (via the Choice Hotels website) back in March for $114 per night, never saw the price drop lower than $165-185 thereafter. Since we had a vehicle, making a run to the store was easy enough. I can't say that I'd recommend the on-site restaurant for supper. We spent a bit of time there the night everyone arrived, appetizers and drinks were ok, but meals were over priced and small (in my opinion). If you have the means, go elsewhere for your meal. Can't speak to their ammenities, we all arrived tired and after catching up, turned-in a bit early. We were up and out the next morning by 10am, made a stop at CVS before heading to the pier. Those who arrived via plane took the hotel shuttle to the port ($10pp) while the rest of us drove and parked. The Indy was using pier 18 and the parking was directly across the street, all very convenient. However, I believe when the Oasis returns, Indy will be moved to a different location.

 

Embarkation: Arrived around 11:00am, traffic was well directed and porters are readily available at the curb to help with your luggage. Surpisingly, there was no line, we were through security and checked-in within 15 mins. We were sent to the Gold holding area even though our group was mix of Gold and Platinum. Sat for about an hour before being allowed to board, apparently there was a hold up with customs or something today. Once on board, I discovered that my account was not set up properly. Even though we told the check-in agent to bill both accounts to one credit card, mine was established as a Cash account – this originated with an online check-in issue that couldn't be resolved before sailing. RCI IT.... enough said? But a quick trip to Guest Services and all was fixed. You'll receive your WOW cards as you embark, tuck them away to be completed at the end of your cruise (Guest Services seemed a bit stingy about giving more out later when we asked).

 

The Ship: We found the Indy to be in great condition, didn't notice any significant wear-and-tear, public areas were in good shape. Though the sheers in our cabin had seen better days, the bedding and furniture was all in good condition. In comparison to Freedom, I didn't note any difference in the “mood” or vibe, as others here on CC have mentioned (though one person in my group said she did). Personally speaking, I prefered Indy to Freedom, for what that's worth. Saw the crew painting the hull in port and our balcony railings were varnished one day, too (as well as some wood on the chairs in the lounge). Was a common occurrence to see cleaning going on around the ship. We had a very good experience where my grandmother was concered, in regard to her use of a wheel chair. Other than the Casino being a little tight and crowded for maneuvering, the rest of the ship was accessible. The staff was great, especially in the MDR where they happily assisted her each evening. For whatever reason, we found our fellow passengers to be much more friendly and courteous on this sailing in regard to letting the wheelchair into and off of the elevators, and there were no problems with people cutting in front of her. Everyone was well behaved and respectful – for those who use a wheel chair on board, you know what a pleasant surprise this was.

 

Stateroom (category D3 / #'s 6656-6662): Normally we reserve “hump” cabins, but the D3 category was our only balcony option for the group rate via our travel agent. We saved more than $600 per cabin for a higer category than we usually select – so it was definitely worth it. We found our cabins to be completely adequate for 2 people. Plenty of room, including storage space. Beds are very comfortable, though firm, and bedding was sufficient. Nice, long sofa. Seemed like a little bit more floor space (the coffee table wasn't in the way like it usually is). The “frig” was more of a cooler than a refrigerator. Bathroom was fine. Shower-tube is adequate with a flexible (and adjustable) nozzle, two wire racks for soap / shampoo / razor, etc. A/C worked great, almost too good. Our Cabin Steward was Hallana (from Tinidad), who was very visible and accommodating. We were allowed to open the balcony partitions between our cabins. Only complaint – could NOT get any cool or cold water all week from either the shower or the sink. Otherwise, quite pleased with our cabin and the location, just behind the mid-ship elevators. Very convenient.

 

Service / Staff: Simply awesome, ship-wide! We encountered helpful, friendly, smiling faces and attitudes all week (only one exception, a bar tender in the Windjammer). Dining staff was perfection – Joseph (from the Philipines) and Pan Pan (from China) were our servers in Macbeth dining room, table 409. Szilamer Panczel (from Romania) was the most present, engaging Head Waiter we've ever had – outstanding. He spent a lot of time at our table talking with us. Buffet staff was also very good – particularly Artur Ivanchenko (from Ukraine) and Chao Sun (from China). Chao memorized the requests of our group on the first day and subsequently had drinks and other items ready for them, at the right time, when they arrived for breakfast. That was really nice! Can't really comment about Ricky Matthews (interim CD), only because we didn't make it to many of the things he hosted, but we enjoyed him the few times we did see him. Overall, the consensus within my entire group is that this was the best service (wait-staff in particular) that we've ever had in all of our cruises. Another positive note was the way they triaged the Guest Services line. Any time the line got a bit long, staff memebers came out to assist those in line with simple needs, which made the line progress much better.

 

Food: We found the MDR food to be Good to Excellent. Stand-outs were: escargot, scallops, chicken marsala, rack of lamb, prime rib, beef tenerloin and the lobster. The strip steak from the Classics menu was usually good (tough on one night), for no up-charge. Don't think I saw baked potatoes on the menu but we were able to get one anytime we wanted. We always enjoy the breads and salads! The Windjammer (buffet) was also pretty good, always a carved meat offering (roast beef, brisket, jerk pork, etc), lots of other hot items, always fruits and salad makings, always burgers and hot dogs available, basic pizza too. And sugar-free dessert options. The selection wasn't outstanding but it was adequate. We sure didn't go hungry! Didn't have breakfast or lunch in the MDR, just never got to it. Also didn't make it to Johnny Rockets this time. We really had no complaints about the food, another pleasant surprise after all the comments about diminished quality over the past several years.

 

The only Specialty Dining we did was the Mystery Dinner on Wednesday (following St Maarten), which started in the Pyramid Lounge with drinks and hors d'oeuvres, and concluded with a meal in Giovanni's Table. Personally speaking, the entertainment and experience of the Mystery was fun, but the Dinner was only so-so. Just our opinion, mostly because the menu was so limited (only 2 entree options - tiger shrimp or beef filet, though very good). Overall, it was ok, but not something we'd bother with again.

 

Entertainment: Somehow, we didn't manage to see ANY of the production shows in the main theater (though we have seen some of them before, and they were enjoyable). We did make it to the Ice Show though, which was worthwhile. “Piano Man” Dave Curtis in the Schooner Bar was outstanding, very talented, plays completely from memory for hours on end and knows nearly any song you request. Quick-witted, spontaneous, funny, and a lot of fun. My family adored him, we stopped by every night he was playing. In the Pub was a gentleman who played guitar and sang old, familiar songs, which was also a good time. Really enjoyed watching fellow guests dance and sing along. Everyone seemed to have a good time in both of these locations.

 

A side note: In the Schooner Bar, we witnessed a strange situation wherein a female passenger displayed very poor taste, completely monopolized the evening dancing around, singing and making a spectacle of herself. At first, it was all in fun and silly... but it quickly became painfully annoying. It was a difficult situation for Mr. Curtis to deal with, as she just wouldn't take a hint (nor clear, direct instruction to settle down), and instead was careless with his equipment and exercised no regard for anyone around her who was there to enjoy the professional entertainment. Honestly, it was too much! Everyone is entitled to enjoy their vacation and have a good time, we don't begrudge that, but NOT at the expense of others. Mr. Curtis made several attempts to get other passengers up and into the spot light, but she was having none of it, insisting on sharing their moment, and eventually taking the attention back for herself. It was awkward and uncomfortable anytime she was around, which was 3 or 4 nights. And not just for a few minutes each time, but nearly the entire length of his set. I only mention it because we wish management would have stepped in after the train wreck that was the first night, but best we could tell, it went unaddressed all week. That was a little disappointing.

 

Drinks / Beverage Packages: Within our group, we bought 3 Premium Pkgs, 1 Select Pkg, 1 Replenish Pkg, and 1 Refreshment Pkg. All with a package enjoyed the freedom and flexibility they provided. My mom initially bought a Premium Pkg but by day 2 decided it wasn't practical for her. She was allowed to cancel the remainder of her package and only pay for the days already past. Some of us carried-on wine to drink with dinner, they'll keep it for you, no corkage fee. Bar service in the MDR was good, we had no trouble getting our initial drinks and then refills (soda, wine, water, mixed drinks, anything). As for adult beverages, I had the Premium Pkg and found the drinks to be very good. Of course, the frozen concoctions are tasty but not very strong (Wildberry or Strawberry Lava Flows, Mango Tango, Miami Vice, Pina Colada, etc). Drinks of the Day were usually good, particularly enjoyed the Paradise Punch and wished I knew about it from the start – yum! Prices were a bit lower than I had read on the boards recently. DOD's ran about $12 (incl tip), bloody mary's were a bit less. Don't think we saw a $14 drink all week. We had absolutely NO trouble getting drinks from any of the bars and there was rarely a wait. In the lounges, servers made their rounds regularly, never had to go to the bar to get our own drinks. However, I cannot speak to the pool deck, as we aren't pool-sitters. We were absolutely not treated any differently having beverage packages, in fact, we drank more having them and it seemed they were more than happy to keep pouring for us. And it didn't matter if we asked for a mixed drink or a soda, service was great. Two stand-outs: Sharon in Olive or Twist and Dunja in the Schooner Bar – both excellent! I will note here, because several of us had an issue with this.... we initially had a rough time with the drinks in the Schooner Bar (taste-wise). Drinks that we liked from other bars were not so great here, until Dunja stepped in and personally started making our drinks. She remembered our preferences and took exceptional care of us from then on. So speak up... the staff will make effort to please you, very willingly. (A little extra tip goes a long way too.)

 

Ports of Call: Arrived into San Juan too late to visit the forts. So we walked off the ship and managed to meet George of San Juan Happy Tours (aka Hillbilly, from NY) who was offering short tours for $10pp. Very nice young man, air conditioned bus, pleasant tour around old San Juan. Made a few stops (Capitol building, etc) and had some photo opps. We had plans of eating at Punta de Vista for dinner (atop the Hotel Milan) but, contrary to what I had read online, their elevator did NOT go all the way up to the restaurant – extremely disappointed. A bit of a medical situation arose this evening (more to follow), so we returned to the ship early and ended up having dinner on board. In St Maarten, we reserved Joyce Hanley (formerly and more well-known as Joyce Prince) for the day. We've toured with her before, so it was like visiting family. She met us with her comfortaable air conditioned van and her famous Rum Punch, and then took us where ever we wished. She accommodated our every request. It was HOT, so instead of having lunch at an open air cafe in Marigot like last time, she took us to a really nice, indoor restaurant called Villa Royale in Grand Case. Awesome food and top-notch service! We were treated very well – Rose was superb. For our first visit to St Kitts, one of our couples decided to take the catamaran snorkeling excursion through the ship (which they said was great!). So the rest of us made arrangements with Periera Tours. Our driver, Johnathan, provided us a great tour... winding all around the island, in and out of all the small villages and towns. Brimstone Fortress was huge, spanning a large area with several buildings. The fort itself and its canons were impressive. However, the on-site information was a lacking and dated item replication was a bit too (obviously) modern. Definitely worth seeing though. The walk up was mildly strenuous, but not too bad. St Kitts is a very pretty island and we really enjoyed our day. Overall, it was a HOT and humid week, so be prepared. It rained only a little bit here and there, always passing quickly.

 

Infirmary: Hours of operation are 8am-11am and 4pm-7pm. Outside of those hours, if you have an emergency, you can call and speak to a nurse who will determine if you should be seen right away. I had the misfortune of needing to visit the infirmary for the first time on this cruise. There was only one person ahead of me when I arrived at 8:30am, who was already being helped. Still, the wait was nearly an hour. There is a secondary room for staff members needing medical attention, so maybe they were busy in that regard. Once I got in to see the doctor, I found him to be a very pleasant man, he explained things thoroughly. He also asked me to return in 2 days for a follow-up (at no charge), which I did. The cost to see the doctor was $121 and my anti-biotic prescription cost was $21. They will provide you a statement to submit for insurance reimbursement. I was satisfied with the treatment I received.

 

Disembarkation: Slightly delayed due to technical difficulties with one of the gangways. Lots of public area to wait in until your schedules departure time. Tag #36 was slated to disembark at 9:45am, actually called just after 10am. Finding our luggage was simple, but porters were noticeably fewer than in the past. That said, ours did take us right past the long lines (possibly aided by having a wheel chair guest in our group), right up to and through customs (took seconds).... and then all the way to our parked vehicle (in h/c section). Very nice!

 

In Conclusion: The seas were the most calm we've ever experienced, and this itinerary took us past lots of islands along the way, which was really enjoyable. I polled my group – they said our first cruise will always hold a special place for them as “the best”. However, all agreed that this Indy sailing is a very close second. But personally speaking, this cruise was probably my favorite thus far. The crew and staff really made it a fantastic week, I can't praise them enough. Before our sailing, I had read plenty of comments about the crew not seeming happy... I found them to be the most personable we've ever had. I also read plenty about the food quality really slipping. Again, our experience was the opposite. And I read about negative effects the beverage packages are having on bar service, but again, this definitely was not the case for us. So set your concerns aside, the Independence delivers an outstanding cruise experience. We truly had a GREAT time!

 

No doubt, I'm forgetting some things... feel free to ask questions, I'll answer them if I can.

 

Cheers!

Edited October 25, 2015 by Ren1216

[maggieq]

Great review....thank you!

[CCC3]

Does Indy do the big parades on deck?

[Ren1216]

Does Indy do the big parades on deck?

 

I'm not sure if you mean on the pool 'deck' or in the Promenade.... I didn't see any parades, but I think they typically do a couple in the Royal Promenade. If you're looking for the Dreamworks characters, I don't believe they have them on Indy. I did hear the 70's dance party in the Promenade one night while I was one deck below at the Schooner Bar.

[divergirl63]

Great review, thanks! We sail on her Nov 1!!

[WanderingKate]

Great review, thanks! We sail on her Nov 1!!

 

So do we!! See you then, DiverGirl!

[cruisestan2]

Loved your review. Can't wait to go in January.

[Lionesss]

Very nice review.

 

We had looked at staying at the cambria suites, but we did not have a car, and everything would be a little hike.

 

Like the prices though.

Decided to go to Embassy instead.

 

Thanks for your review.

Very well done.

 

Sea Ya

[blonde375]

Hi there! Thank you so much for posting a review!! It is helping us choose a holiday sail with our son.

 

Dis your balcony have lifeboats below it?.... I mean, blocking the view of the water?

[cincicruisers]

Thanks for posting your review. What caused you to visit doctor?

[meyer_22]

We just completed another fabulous Royal Caribbean cruise. We'd like to share our thoughts and experience with you in hopes it will be of benefit to those with upcoming sailings....

 

My wife and I, as well as 2 friends were on this same sailing. We also had one of the more enjoyable cruises we have had in a long time! Great review, you hit almost everything I would have said about this cruise!

 

Service / Staff: Simply awesome, ship-wide! We encountered helpful, friendly, smiling faces and attitudes all week (only one exception, a bar tender in the Windjammer). Dining staff was perfection – Joseph (from the Philipines) and Pan Pan (from China) were our servers in Macbeth dining room, table 409. Szilamer Panczel (from Romania) was the most present, engaging Head Waiter we've ever had – outstanding. He spent a lot of time at our table talking with us. Buffet staff was also very good – particularly Artur Ivanchenko (from Ukraine) and Chao Sun (from China). Chao memorized the requests of our group on the first day and subsequently had drinks and other items ready for them, at the right time, when they arrived for breakfast. That was really nice! Can't really comment about Ricky Matthews (interim CD), only because we didn't make it to many of the things he hosted, but we enjoyed him the few times we did see him. Overall, the consensus within my entire group is that this was the best service (wait-staff in particular) that we've ever had in all of our cruises. Another positive note was the way they triaged the Guest Services line. Any time the line got a bit long, staff memebers came out to assist those in line with simple needs, which made the line progress much better.

 

We also were thoroughly impressed with the service on IOS. Some of the best we have had, especially the MDR staff and pool bartenders in both the main pool and solarium. Definitely not an unhappy ship or crew!

 

A side note: In the Schooner Bar, we witnessed a strange situation wherein a female passenger displayed very poor taste, completely monopolized the evening dancing around, singing and making a spectacle of herself. At first, it was all in fun and silly... but it quickly became painfully annoying. It was a difficult situation for Mr. Curtis to deal with, as she just wouldn't take a hint (nor clear, direct instruction to settle down), and instead was careless with his equipment and exercised no regard for anyone around her who was there to enjoy the professional entertainment. Honestly, it was too much! Everyone is entitled to enjoy their vacation and have a good time, we don't begrudge that, but NOT at the expense of others. Mr. Curtis made several attempts to get other passengers up and into the spot light, but she was having none of it, insisting on sharing their moment, and eventually taking the attention back for herself. It was awkward and uncomfortable anytime she was around, which was 3 or 4 nights. And not just for a few minutes each time, but nearly the entire length of his set. I only mention it because we wish management would have stepped in after the train wreck that was the first night, but best we could tell, it went unaddressed all week. That was a little disappointing.

 

Wow - you described it perfectly. Truth to be told she was a trainwreck. We hoped it would just be the first night and that maybe she had too much to drink, but alas she was there most nights and taking away from an otherwise great piano player...

 

 

In Conclusion: The seas were the most calm we've ever experienced, and this itinerary took us past lots of islands along the way, which was really enjoyable. I polled my group – they said our first cruise will always hold a special place for them as “the best”. However, all agreed that this Indy sailing is a very close second. But personally speaking, this cruise was probably my favorite thus far. The crew and staff really made it a fantastic week, I can't praise them enough. Before our sailing, I had read plenty of comments about the crew not seeming happy... I found them to be the most personable we've ever had. I also read plenty about the food quality really slipping. Again, our experience was the opposite. And I read about negative effects the beverage packages are having on bar service, but again, this definitely was not the case for us. So set your concerns aside, the Independence delivers an outstanding cruise experience. We truly had a GREAT time!

 

My wife and I also agreed this was maybe our best RCCL cruise, and the couple we sailed with were cruise virgins and have already booked another. Just a great sailing!!!!

[Ren1216]

I'm glad we could be of help to those of you with upcoming sailings. I tried to hit the points that are of interest to me when I am researching our next cruise.

 

Hi there! Dis your balcony have lifeboats below it?.... I mean, blocking the view of the water?

 

We were just behind the hump which located us directly over the walkway that juts out around the dining room. I expected that walkway to obstruct our downward view a little, but it really didn't. There were no lifeboats below us either. Turned out to be a great location, hallway wasn't noisy either.

 

What caused you to visit doctor?

 

I wound up with a really nasty case of cellulitis, which is very serious (but not contagious). Not sure if I encountered it while in FL visiting family prior to the cruise or once on board the ship. And I was unable to determine exactly how I caught it as I had no breaks (scratches, cuts, etc) in my skin anywhere, which is how the bacteria gains entry. I had an auto accident some years ago which caused tissue damage to my lower right leg, resulting in the area to be susceptible to infection. I've had cellulitis before so I knew what to expect and what to do.... but I've NEVER had a case like this. Maybe I was just unlucky, or maybe this particular bacteria was especially foreign to my body. Anyway, lesson learned... I should have called the after-hours nurse and seen a doctor immediately instead of waiting until the following morning. That decision allowed the infection to get out of control and was then much more difficult to treat.

 

So, my advice... don't take any chances, medically speaking, especially while on a cruise ship. Err on the side of caution, always.

[Mark-Sheffield]

Really enjoyed your Review, many thanks :)

[IrishCC]

Great review, thanks! We sail on her Nov 1!!

So do we! Can't wait!

[POTTERGIRL]

We have booked room 6656 for our cruise next year on independence,this will be our first time we have had a balcony.Lpicked this room because its position .....near to lifts and stairs and middle/aft.

[dizneefreak28]

What a great review! We are on the November 21st sailing. I had to print out your review and show my boyfriend people are saying good things!

[1ParticularHbr]

We were on the same sailing and also had a great cruise. We've sailed on Liberty and Freedom and, other than the absence of DreamWorks, didn't find a significant difference on Indy. There were very few children on board, I know in part because of time of year but with no DreamWorks, families may look at other ships...just a guess. A few thing to add -

 

Entertainment - We did catch a few of the shows and found them to be better than average. I'm not a ventriloquism fan but reluctantly went to that show. Boy, was I glad I did. It was hilarious. The aerial act and the comedians were also very good. There was at least one parade on the Promenade, in addition to the 70's night street party/

 

Cruise Director & Staff - Ricky was a riot, hosted many events, and it was great to see him paired with Activities Manager Katie Turner. They're almost as good together as she was with Richard Spacey. We saw both Ricky and Katie around the ship and they were happy to visit and joke with passengers. Another plus was Katie hosted our CC Meet & Mingle. She did a great job and gave out better prizes than are the norm. Wine, polo shirts, soda packages. DH won a soda package and I won a bottle of wine so we went away happy :)

 

Dining - Our seating on the first night wasn't to our liking due to some rather loud, crude, tablemates and a very forgetful server who never cracked a smile. We changed tables after one night and were very pleased with our 2nd assignment. We found MDR food to be a bit better than we've experienced in the recent past. Chops food was good but the service was SLOW (3.5hrs for our table of 8 with a 6pm reservation). Giovanni's was better service and better food, in our opinion, than Chops.

 

Great cruise overall - food, entertainment, service, and fellow passengers (for the most part ;)) were top notch.

Edited October 27, 2015 by 1ParticularHbr

[Ren1216]

meyer_22, dizneefreak28, and others -- thanks for your comments and feedback. I'm so glad my fellow CC friends had as good of a sailing as we did. And I'm pleased to see that our good experience has been an encouragement to those of you with upcoming sailings -- mission accomplished :)

 

POTTERGIRL -- I've no doubt that you'll be pleased with that cabin.

 

1ParticularHbr -- Thanks for adding those extra bits! We typically have a meal in Chops, but didn't this time (no real reason). You aren't the only one to mention that it took 3.5hrs -- that's absurd! Now I don't feel like we missed a thing, especially considering the MDR proved to be better than expected. I am, however, sorry that we missed the aerial act. I've heard it was good and it's something we haven't seen on a ship before.

[meyer_22]

Cruise Director & Staff - Ricky was a riot, hosted many events, and it was great to see him paired with Activities Manager Katie Turner. They're almost as good together as she was with Richard Spacey. We saw both Ricky and Katie around the ship and they were happy to visit and joke with passengers. Another plus was Katie hosted our CC Meet & Mingle. She did a great job and gave out better prizes than are the norm. Wine, polo shirts, soda packages. DH won a soda package and I won a bottle of wine so we went away happy :)

 

Now I wish we had done the CC Meet and Mingle. We skipped it as I was not active on the boards, and we hate to give up pool/relaxation time (especially when the handouts are so bad). Also the last one I did was with a Jr staff member that wasn't particularly engaging. IMO Katie was even better than Ricky and I have no doubt the Meet & Mingle was a blast, and good prizes? Who knew?