Independence 4 Night Cozumel Go-Pro Photo Review

[jbr5049]

So we decided we love winter cruises. They help us break up the cold north eastern winters, and allow us to take a really nice break from work after the holidays. We got an amazing deal on an E3 Balcony on Independence sailing from Ft Lauderdale on January 7th heading to Cozumel and back.

 

We have sailed on the small (Enchantment and Grandeur) and the large (Oasis) yet we were extremely excited to try a somewhat "In-between" ship.

 

We flew out the day of, 8 am flight out of Newark to land at 11 am in Ft Lauderdale. This was obviously a risk hoping we would not be delayed, because 2-3 hour delay would mean we might not meet the ship in port.

 

Newark has completely revamped their layout and there are all of these small venues in the terminals allowing for iPad ordering of food and beverage.

 

 

Remember, you can bring in 1.5 oz liquor through TSA security as long as it is in the recommended size bag, so we did take in about 8 little bottles of vodka. Guess what is in the drinks in front of us?

 

I have never understood why so many people stand up before their flight... all these people stood there ~ 25 minutes before we even started boarding.... why even bother, sit down and wait, we will all get there at the same time.

 

 

 

So 3 hours of excitement later we begin our decent over the port. How freaking exciting is it to fly over your boat???? Well too bad its nearly impossible to take a photo out of an airplane window, so just focus on the top left of the image.

 

 

We took a cab to the pier that cost about 25$ with tip, we arrived around Noon and were quickly met with some long lines. We are a point away from platinum and found that there were no "Gold" lines, so everyone under platinum were joined into the same line for security and check-in. It took about 45 minutes from drop off at the pier until we were actually on the ship which was long in our experience. Folks were friendly and we had no problem checking in.

 

So this was a "Scentsy" incentive cruise. This is the warmer with wax candle things, there were hundreds of these folks on the ship, so this photo shows the people in line to check in with "Scentsy" on the left hand side. This was a very LONG line.

 

 

My wife got her Premium Package online, and I used my onboard credit to get my package onboard. We have done this on most of our recent trips and have found it to be a wonderful option when you add in the cost of bottled water. I stood in line for about 2 minutes to get the package and had my first drink about 2 minutes later, gotta love all the bars on this ship!

 

We grabbed a quick sandwich at cafe promenade and headed up to the upper decks.

 

 

The weather was beautiful, the sun was shining and the drinks were flowing.

 

We had taken photos with fingers to show the days with each drink we purchased as a collateral to remember how many drinks we got that day, but this quickly fell apart, so don't judge that all drinks in the following review are not accompanied with a finger in the air!

 

[jbr5049]

So up on the top deck is beautiful. You can follow the jogging track and walk around the entire ship. You have these amazing views, and can see all of the other ships that are moving through the waterways.

 

 

So muster drill took in total about 45 minutes. This was much longer than usual, and we accredited it to the fact that at 3:30 there were STILL people entering the cruise terminal. We could see people running into the terminal as we were assembled which was quite interesting. Bring your water to ensure proper hydration!

 

 

Good luck finding a bar that isn't packed once muster ends. The promenade and the deck below are flooded and you will indeed have to wait for bar service, but patience pays off... get your drinks and if you can head off to the helipad, this is gorgeous place to set sail. The helipad was a little more packed than I had thought, but with a drink in hand relax and enjoy the sun and sea.

 

 

 

Dinner in chops was 30% off in the form of onboard credit and very much worth the price. We love the premium dining and honestly see a marked difference in quality, taste, and service. You can order as many appetizers and sides as you want, but i believe only one entree. My filet was ordered rare and did not disappoint.

 

 

We spent the rest of the night wandering the promenade and enjoying each other's company. Music was abundant, but we ended up praying for 21 playing blackjack.

 

More tomorrow, but it was quite a late night!

Edited January 15, 2016 by jbr5049

[Skipper Justin]

Great review so far!

[Lost_in_BC]

Great review. Love the play by play.

 

Look at that yummy steak!

[jbr5049]

Day 2:

 

So after stumbling back to the state room after a long night of blackjack. Not Club Royale members, but for the amount of money we gambled we damn well should be!

 

We had an 8 am couples massage. They called us around 7:30 to make sure that we weren't still drunk to remind us we had booked a massage. We groggily opened our eyes with his wakeup call and made our way up to the spa.

 

The spa waiting area here is TINY there were maybe 7 chairs for folks waiting for treatments, so maybe they didn't plan on ever being busy up there. Even at 8 am it was standing room only for folks waiting on treatment, so people were seated elsewhere.

 

The couples massage was fantastic, a 50 ish minute massage followed up by a passive sales pitch for more treatments and a watchful eye from the masseuse as my wife filled out the receipt. The thing that sucks is when you pay online ahead of time you forget there is a tip included, so when you get a $0.00 bill you feel OBLIGATED to tip if you don't remember your payment online already included a tip.

 

Weather sucked, cold and rainy when we ended our massage, so phew, no need to run and get chairs... Breakfast in the Windjammer was standard, with the exception of MISO soup in jade. This was an oddity I had to attempt, which after forgetting a spoon (Napkin rollup cutlery is a fork and knife only) I drank from the bowl. Oops? Breakfast was fine and we made out way to the pool deck to grab chairs. It was still cold, but manageable. Around 11 they played pool deck bingo for a guaranteed $500.

 

 

See the skies? Not beautiful for cruising!

 

 

 

So this was over in about 10 minutes and we enjoyed some music and drinks and the skies OPENED! We enjoyed several hours of beautiful weather and sun while boozing and enjoying our day.

 

Around 4pm we decided it was time to walk further than the bathroom or bar and walked back to our room. We showered and got ready for Formal Night in the MDR.

 

After a quick shower and sitting on the balcony we decided to head to the schooner bar for a pre-dinner drink.

 

 

Yes... I do smile...

 

 

 

Notice the fingers.. DAY 2 BABY!!!

 

So maybe a few too many drinks at the schooner, because we wandered into an EMPTY "Labyrinth". This is the gothic themed bar, 2 levels. A HUGE space that honestly I think is completely useless. (Liberty is turning this into staterooms and Sabor in the dry dock so I think Royal realized the same.) We wandered our way out to a backdoor and found a very friendly man to take our photo.

 

 

Before you comment on my attire for formal ware, at least it wasn't a tank top and Jorts (Jean Shorts for those of you not in the know).

 

Menu for those of you that are curious...

 

 

Dinner was fine, I got the prime rib which was tasty. Our servers were quite attentive and were well deserving of their tips on Day 3. These folks really grind for their money and I am a big supporter of extra tips when someone kicks butt!.

[jbr5049]

So tip to the wise. If you have a go-pro and want to take photos with it... make sure you set it to 5 photos 1 sec burst or 10 photos 1 sec burst. The go-pro is prone to motion blur, but if you do the 10 photos in 1 second you are more than able to capture the photo.

 

 

We went to the headliner show at 9pm since dinner was at 6. This was a combination of singing and dancing... Honestly nothing that appeared to a 20 something crowd, but it was loud and bright. The Foster's Oil Can was the beverage of the show. The Oz to Minutes of show ratio was in my favor, and this happened to keep my entertained for the entire time.

 

 

The funny thing about cruises is that you might get sleepy, but once someone offered to go gamble it is easy to get excited!

 

The casino offered your standard fare of blackjack, poker, roulette, craps, and some of those random other table games.

 

Blackjack minimums stayed strong at a 10$ minimum bet with 8 deck and 1 deck offered. There were always open tables which was very nice.

 

The slots are not circa 2016, some are the touch screen variety, but numerous are of the old reel variety. These can be a lot of fun if you have patience and are willing to try out a game who's bonus composes of lights and dials instead of flashy screens. We did pretty well in the slots, and although were able to grind several hours at the tables, did not turn up much of a profit!

 

Interesting point, casino tends to close around 3:00 am, so if you plan on gambling into the wee hours our cruise tapped out around 3.

Edited January 16, 2016 by jbr5049

[cincicruisers]

Enjoying your review. Looking forward to the rest.

[jbr5049]

Welcome to Mexico!!!!

 

We arrived early and opened our windows and enjoyed the view of the ocean and COZUMEL.

 

We didn't have a plan of attack for today, so it was a lazy morning. We were up by 8 am and wandered into the Windjammer. Breakfast was standard, but if you know what to grab quite tasty. We then went to the main deck to watch people debark. The pool bars seemed to open around 9 am which was a welcome change from Oasis (10 am for those not in the know). We had a few drinks, grabbed some cash from the room and decided to set foot into the foreign land.

 

I did snap a shot of the Solarium, which is an odd layout from what we were used to, there is no roof!!!

 

 

At 10 am the gangway was EMPTY, we brought drinks all the way down to deck 1 and stashed them right before we scanned out. Carrying a backpack and some water we wandered through the confusing outdoor market that was Cozumel. We were stationed with some other cruise ships and they had a Fruit and Veggie detecting Dog that snorted out a Banana from some random woman in front of us (ROOKIE!).

 

 

So where we docked, it was a 1.5 mile trip into the "Forum Shops" They really push taking a Taxi, but in retrospect I wish we had walked... It was around $20 with generous tip to get to the shops for 3 people. Remember to verify price before you get into the taxi.

 

So we wandered into the shops looking for some jewelry. They have all of the famous watches you might want as well as certified and uncertified diamonds. We couldn't find something of interest so we passed.

 

The main drag is full of shops, food, and various entities of entertainment. We walked about 2 miles away from the ship stopping in some random shops. Folks all sit outside asking you to come in to look, or for a "Free" sampling. A "No Thanks" will keep them at bay. You can walk around with a beer, so feel free to stop in a shop and buy a Tecate or Corona for $1.

 

 

We stopped in the shop above after 2 miles of walking and decided to turnaround.

 

We thought the food looked funny and took a photo.

 

So one side of the area is the shops and the opposite is this

 

 

Walk and walk, even a day without an excursion is full of beauty!

 

The ex-pat below is from London and was throwing a 2 liter bottle of coke into the ocean and her dog was picking it up and bringing it back. She was friendly and talked with us. She said how much they love having tourists help bolster the economy.

 

[jbr5049]

Cozumel Thoughts...

 

Be prepared to bargain. I repeat... be prepared to BARGAIN!

 

For example, a "Solid Silver" Giraffe was in the window of a shop, I walked in asking how much he was, the salesman said "950 US $" I said "Way too much! How about 950 Pesos?" He laughed, walked away and came back and said "OK! best offer is 600 US $". I said "No Way! How about $150?" to which he said, Ok best price, $250!".

 

So just for a frame of reference, they haggle and haggle and haggle. In a store other than a supermarket, do not feel odd offering under 25% of what their initial price is.

 

A lot of the cuban cigars they offer start off as 60-80$ for 5, but these can be sold for $20 if you have a strong constitution.

 

Some ports aren't this inflated, but in Cozumel, please please please haggle your ass off!

 

Also, please stay away from off brand tequila. There are shops all over the place selling fancy bottles with crap tequila with overly inflated prices. We were offered $250 for a 750 ml bottle of "No Name" tequila. Not worth it... don't take the samples either, just asking for trouble if not willing to purchase!

[jbr5049]

Cozumel is BEAUTIFUL.

 

 

We didn't go further than the main strip when we wandered, but it was such breathtaking scenery being oceanfront the entire time.

 

This bird cost $1 to take a photo with.

 

 

These birds cost $5 per person to take photos with

 

 

Supposedly the money goes to a "Parrot Rescue" but they seemed happy and very willing to be interacted with. Usually I wouldn't do something like this, but since you can openly walk around with beers that cost $1 each... things happen.

 

This was a little opening with some soft sand and limited rocks. Certainly within walking distance from the boat and no cost.

 

 

If you decide to walk back from the forum shops, know that there are little places to grab beers or other drinks as well as use the restrooms. If you are able I highly suggest walking home from the forum shops which is about a mile and a half.

 

 

Beers go from $1 to $3 each when you get closer to the boat.

[California kitty]

Great review great pictures...we sail in 32 days...which night was "formal" night? You said the prime rib was great...was that formal night? I had it on allure and it was awesome. We will do some specialty dining but don't want to book that for the wrong night!

[alexkrn46]

Nice review, thanks for sharing.

[jbr5049]

Great review great pictures...we sail in 32 days...which night was "formal" night? You said the prime rib was great...was that formal night? I had it on allure and it was awesome. We will do some specialty dining but don't want to book that for the wrong night!

 

Formal night was the 2nd night (Sea Day), and yes the Prime Rib was fantastic and well worth the calories.

[jbr5049]

Cozumel Continued:

 

We boarded the boat and laid out for a few hours. After getting ready for dinner, we were able to watch the NFL playoff games from Brilliance's pool deck from Olive or Twist. This was pretty cool to be able to see the game from this vantage.

 

Olive or twist was amazing for sail away, I highly suggest spending some time up there during the day or while docking.

 

 

 

A few minutes up there and we were sailing back home.

 

 

Dinner in the MDR that night was uneventful. Food was decent, nothing to write home about.

 

We spent some time in the Conisour club, which had the playoff game. They had a large number of scotches and would grab you beers if asked. The place is TINY, with seating for under 16, but with the ventilation in there, it wasn't overwhelming at all.

 

We spend the remainder of the evening in the Casino. The games of chance ended @ 3 am, which was surprising to say the least. They actually had a last call for gambling.

Edited January 17, 2016 by jbr5049

[Firefighterhoop]

I was on the same cruise, and was in Olive or Twist for sail away also. hope you had a great time - I did! :)

[crusinot]

We loved Indy! Plan to sail on her again in the future!

[mark290]

Great review, very enjoyable to read.

 

I also stand before the flight. Not to get there sooner but because

I'm about to be seated for a couple hours.

 

Five "Cubans" for $20 are guaranteed fakes.

[deanakay83]

I was one of the Scentsy ladies on the ship. :) We enjoyed sail away from Ft Lauderdale in the Olive Or Twist-- saw a couple of dolphins following behind us. Great review!

[cjs1957]

Great Review, Thanks!! We are on the March 31 sailing.

How was the disembarkation process? We have a fairly early flight out of FLL, wondering if I should rebook a later flight.

Thanks,

Cherie

[bubba83]

none of the pictures are showing up for me for some reason...they are all little boxes with "x" in them

[Peeker28]

I can't see the pictures either :confused::(

[Clarea]

none of the pictures are showing up for me for some reason...they are all little boxes with "x" in them

I don't see the pictures or the "x".

[I am pampered]

Great review! Can't wait to cruise on this ship. I CAN see the pictures, for some reason.

 

Was it worth it to get the drink package? We'll be with our kids (11 and 14) and enjoy drinking - trying to figure out who should get which drink packages, if any. We definitely would drink a lot of water, so that alone may make it worth it.

 

Thanks for the great review and pictures!

[monctonguy]

Great pics......brings back memories of this great ship I was on in Jan.

 

Surprised to hear you say the club was a waste of space..on my cruise it was packed..often line ups to get inside during the evenings and hard to move at times once inside......guess it really varies from cruise to cruise.

 

And mine was a 5 day, which I always think the longer the cruise, the less the party type crowd on board.

[jbr5049]

Great review! Can't wait to cruise on this ship. I CAN see the pictures, for some reason.

 

Was it worth it to get the drink package? We'll be with our kids (11 and 14) and enjoy drinking - trying to figure out who should get which drink packages, if any. We definitely would drink a lot of water, so that alone may make it worth it.

 

Thanks for the great review and pictures!

 

Premium worked well for us with the amount we drink. If you can handle 4-5 mixed drinks a day and enjoy bottled water and soda do the premium package. Remember there are no freestyle machines on Indy!