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Independence of the Seas Pre-Inaugural Review

alphakitty

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alphakitty

alphakitty

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Independence of the Seas – April 30 – May 2, 2008

Pre-Inaugural Cruise

 

Pre-Cruise

We were contest winners! It’s an amazing feeling to have someone call you to tell you you’ve won a trip to England and a trip on the biggest, newest cruise ship in the world! We are avid cruisers and I couldn’t have been more excited.

Royal Caribbean was generous in allowing us to fly out early. We left on Friday, April 25th and spent 3 days touring London at our own expense. We flew on Virgin Atlantic and I’d recommend this airline to anyone. They were great. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Kensington Forum. It was a great hotel; the location was perfect, just one block from the Gloucester Road Tube Station.

We took the Big Bus tour the first day and saw all the classic sights from the bus. This is a Hop On/Hop Off bus and the ticket is good for 24 hours. On day 2 we toured the Tower of London and took a Thames River cruise. On our last day in London we walked to Kensington Palace and toured the gardens there. Then off to our flight on the London Eye and a visit to Harrods. That evening we went to the Lyric Theatre, one of the oldest theatres in London, to see Cabaret. It was a wonderful show and quite an experience.

On Tuesday morning, Royal Caribbean arranged a car service to pick us up at the hotel and drive us to the Hilton in Southampton to wait our boarding the Independence of the Seas on Wednesday. Here we met up with the other contestants as they came in. Some of us went out to dinner that evening at the Chilworth Arms, a lovely pub near the hotel.

Wednesday, we were shuttled together to the port in Southampton for our first look at this beautiful ship. The check in process was smooth enough. There were a few kinks, but that is to be expected on a shakedown cruise. We were all given Priority boarding passes and sent to wait in a comfortable lounge where they were serving cookies, coffee and tea. There is a bar in the waiting area as well. At 11:30 AM, we were able to board the Indy.

This was definitely not your typical cruise experience. We brought our own luggage aboard, our photos were taken for the Sign & Sail card and off we went to our cabins. There was open bar for the whole cruise too. J We were in cabin 7600, designated as Deluxe Ocean View, Cat E1. The balcony was very large at 74 sq feet, the deepest balcony we’ve ever had. The cabin was wonderfully appointed, even had a tea kettle. I really liked having this to make coffee every morning. The beds were pillow top mattresses and were very comfy!

We were off to wander the ship and I combed the whole ship taking a LOT of pictures. It was overwhelming…..just such a beautiful ship with so many spaces and things to do. The Royal Promenade was so cool. There you will find the shops, Sorrento’s Pizza, the Dog and Badger Pub and a Champagne Bar to name a few things. It was really amazing! There is also a LOT of artwork on board the ship. Something I really appreciated. We were given a booklet identifying all the pieces, the artist and the location. The three level dining room was spectacular as well. Most had open seating for dinner, but we contestants had reserved tables on deck 4 in the Macbeth Dining Room. Deck 5 has the King Lear dining room and Deck3 has the Romeo and Juliet dining room.

Next, we were off to the Windjammer for lunch. The windjammer is huge with lots of tables and window seats. The food was delicious! Chops is located at the entrance to the Windjammer. It’s a really beautiful space. After lunch, we did some more exploring, checking out the Flow Rider, Johnny Rockets and the Solarium area. The cantilevered whirlpools were open and although it was a chilly, rainy day, they were just so inviting we couldn’t resist a dip. It was wonderful! There are two of these whirlpools on either side of the ship. It was nice to relax for a bit. After that we headed back to our rooms to dress early for dinner and attend the Naming Ceremony held at 4:30 in the Alhambra Theatre.

Everyone was presented a glass of champagne upon entering. The ceremony was done very well, so moving. The Godmother, Elizabeth Hill we presented in a procession with the Highlander Players following and the International Highlanders and Celtic Feet, a River Dance type troupe. Richard Fain announced the Godmother and Captain Strazicic spoke. Elizabeth was presented with a huge bouquet by some of the children helped by the Steve Redgrave Fund, a charitable organization that helps disabled and mentally challenged children. The Norwegian, American and United Kingdom anthems were sung as well.

We went to the Ice Skating show before dinner, Strings! – A world Adventure on Ice. It was really good. After the show it was time to get ready for dinner.

Dinner was at 7:30. It was a more limited menu than is usual at dinner, but it was delicious none the less. We met the Royal Caribbean Marketing representative, Harry Liu and Gene Sloan from USA Today. We were also introduced to the reps from the marketing firm Weber & Shandwick who worked in conjunction with RCI and USA Today on the Name that Ship Genesis contest. Everyone was so nice. They made us feel very special.

Sail away was at 10 PM and we enjoyed it with a great view in the Royal Crown Lounge. Later, there was a 70’s dance party in the Royal Promenade. What a blast that was with the dancers in costume, the disco balls sparkling and the music thumping. We danced and drank the night away. After a visit to the Karaoke bar and some laughs there, we headed to bed. We missed the main show tonight, just too much to do! The was titled Abbacadabra, the Ultimate Abba Concert.

Thursday morning, we were up early and had breakfast again in the Windjammer. Then we were off to a meeting with some reps for RCI and Gene Sloan. After the meeting, we headed up to the top decks for our photo shoot with the group of other contestants. We had lunch at Johnny Rockets after that, which is a great place to enjoy a burger and a shake. The waiters and waitresses did the singing and dancing. It was a lot of fun.

Dinner Thursday night was a more typical menu, with many options. I had the steak and it was done to perfection. The Grand Marnier soufflé for dessert was perfect.

We attended the show on Thursday night, Under the Big Top. We enjoyed that a lot. After the show, was yet another dance party, the Rock Brittania Street Party on the Royal Promenade. After the party, we headed to bed, thoroughly exhausted and happy.

On Friday morning, disembarkation was a breeze. We took our own luggage off the ship, climbed onto the waiting bus and headed to Heathrow to fly home.

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FL_Cruiser64

FL_Cruiser64

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Independence of the Seas – April 30 – May 2, 2008

Pre-Inaugural Cruise

 

Pre-Cruise

We were contest winners! It’s an amazing feeling to have someone call you to tell you you’ve won a trip to England and a trip on the biggest, newest cruise ship in the world! We are avid cruisers and I couldn’t have been more excited.

Royal Caribbean was generous in allowing us to fly out early. We left on Friday, April 25th and spent 3 days touring London at our own expense. We flew on Virgin Atlantic and I’d recommend this airline to anyone. They were great. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Kensington Forum. It was a great hotel; the location was perfect, just one block from the Gloucester Road Tube Station.

We took the Big Bus tour the first day and saw all the classic sights from the bus. This is a Hop On/Hop Off bus and the ticket is good for 24 hours. On day 2 we toured the Tower of London and took a Thames River cruise. On our last day in London we walked to Kensington Palace and toured the gardens there. Then off to our flight on the London Eye and a visit to Harrods. That evening we went to the Lyric Theatre, one of the oldest theatres in London, to see Cabaret. It was a wonderful show and quite an experience.

On Tuesday morning, Royal Caribbean arranged a car service to pick us up at the hotel and drive us to the Hilton in Southampton to wait our boarding the Independence of the Seas on Wednesday. Here we met up with the other contestants as they came in. Some of us went out to dinner that evening at the Chilworth Arms, a lovely pub near the hotel.

Wednesday, we were shuttled together to the port in Southampton for our first look at this beautiful ship. The check in process was smooth enough. There were a few kinks, but that is to be expected on a shakedown cruise. We were all given Priority boarding passes and sent to wait in a comfortable lounge where they were serving cookies, coffee and tea. There is a bar in the waiting area as well. At 11:30 AM, we were able to board the Indy.

This was definitely not your typical cruise experience. We brought our own luggage aboard, our photos were taken for the Sign & Sail card and off we went to our cabins. There was open bar for the whole cruise too. J We were in cabin 7600, designated as Deluxe Ocean View, Cat E1. The balcony was very large at 74 sq feet, the deepest balcony we’ve ever had. The cabin was wonderfully appointed, even had a tea kettle. I really liked having this to make coffee every morning. The beds were pillow top mattresses and were very comfy!

We were off to wander the ship and I combed the whole ship taking a LOT of pictures. It was overwhelming…..just such a beautiful ship with so many spaces and things to do. The Royal Promenade was so cool. There you will find the shops, Sorrento’s Pizza, the Dog and Badger Pub and a Champagne Bar to name a few things. It was really amazing! There is also a LOT of artwork on board the ship. Something I really appreciated. We were given a booklet identifying all the pieces, the artist and the location. The three level dining room was spectacular as well. Most had open seating for dinner, but we contestants had reserved tables on deck 4 in the Macbeth Dining Room. Deck 5 has the King Lear dining room and Deck3 has the Romeo and Juliet dining room.

Next, we were off to the Windjammer for lunch. The windjammer is huge with lots of tables and window seats. The food was delicious! Chops is located at the entrance to the Windjammer. It’s a really beautiful space. After lunch, we did some more exploring, checking out the Flow Rider, Johnny Rockets and the Solarium area. The cantilevered whirlpools were open and although it was a chilly, rainy day, they were just so inviting we couldn’t resist a dip. It was wonderful! There are two of these whirlpools on either side of the ship. It was nice to relax for a bit. After that we headed back to our rooms to dress early for dinner and attend the Naming Ceremony held at 4:30 in the Alhambra Theatre.

Everyone was presented a glass of champagne upon entering. The ceremony was done very well, so moving. The Godmother, Elizabeth Hill we presented in a procession with the Highlander Players following and the International Highlanders and Celtic Feet, a River Dance type troupe. Richard Fain announced the Godmother and Captain Strazicic spoke. Elizabeth was presented with a huge bouquet by some of the children helped by the Steve Redgrave Fund, a charitable organization that helps disabled and mentally challenged children. The Norwegian, American and United Kingdom anthems were sung as well.

We went to the Ice Skating show before dinner, Strings! – A world Adventure on Ice. It was really good. After the show it was time to get ready for dinner.

Dinner was at 7:30. It was a more limited menu than is usual at dinner, but it was delicious none the less. We met the Royal Caribbean Marketing representative, Harry Liu and Gene Sloan from USA Today. We were also introduced to the reps from the marketing firm Weber & Shandwick who worked in conjunction with RCI and USA Today on the Name that Ship Genesis contest. Everyone was so nice. They made us feel very special.

Sail away was at 10 PM and we enjoyed it with a great view in the Royal Crown Lounge. Later, there was a 70’s dance party in the Royal Promenade. What a blast that was with the dancers in costume, the disco balls sparkling and the music thumping. We danced and drank the night away. After a visit to the Karaoke bar and some laughs there, we headed to bed. We missed the main show tonight, just too much to do! The was titled Abbacadabra, the Ultimate Abba Concert.

Thursday morning, we were up early and had breakfast again in the Windjammer. Then we were off to a meeting with some reps for RCI and Gene Sloan. After the meeting, we headed up to the top decks for our photo shoot with the group of other contestants. We had lunch at Johnny Rockets after that, which is a great place to enjoy a burger and a shake. The waiters and waitresses did the singing and dancing. It was a lot of fun.

Dinner Thursday night was a more typical menu, with many options. I had the steak and it was done to perfection. The Grand Marnier soufflé for dessert was perfect.

We attended the show on Thursday night, Under the Big Top. We enjoyed that a lot. After the show, was yet another dance party, the Rock Brittania Street Party on the Royal Promenade. After the party, we headed to bed, thoroughly exhausted and happy.

On Friday morning, disembarkation was a breeze. We took our own luggage off the ship, climbed onto the waiting bus and headed to Heathrow to fly home.

 

Cool review and I don't want to be a baby2.gif about it BUT....

 

our photos were taken for the Sign & Sail card
fear3.gif

 

:D

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alphakitty

alphakitty

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Cool review and I don't want to be a baby2.gif about it BUT....

 

fear3.gif

 

:D

 

ROFL FL Cruiser......yikes, you caught me! Ok, Ok, for our Sea Pass!!

 

Best part was there were NO charges on it when we left. ;)

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carmelninetysix

carmelninetysix

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and I'm glad you had an awesome trip! That is great that you were able to spend three days before touring London! What was London like? What sights did you see while staying in London? Did any of the other winners choose to fly in early as well and of course at everyone's own expense? Hubby and I want to go to London possibly in 3 years for our 15th Wedding Anniversary and possibly sail on the Independence!!! Thanks for taking the time to write your review! Do you happen to know if the other finalists were just as excited as you have been that they had also won this cruise sailing? I'm just curious what there thoughts were if you happen to know! Do you by chance happen to know when the Grand Prize Winners name will be announced? Thanks for any and all information you wish to share!!! Congrats once again and Best of Luck being chosen as the Grand Prize Winner! Happy Sailings and Bon Voyage!!! Melissa

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carmelninetysix

carmelninetysix

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When I asked you what sights in London did you see I meant to ask..What sights would you suggest Hubby and I see? In other words what is a MUST SEE in your opinion waht should we absolutely see while in London? I think the bus ride would be the best way to experience London! Big Ben of course is a MUST SEE for us! Would you suggest us going everywhere that you went or would there possibly be other highlights to see that maybe you did not have time for? Where did you see the Musical Cabaret and how did you get there if you already said sorry because I can't recall right now? How many days/nights would you suggest we stay in London? Thanks again kitty!!! Happy Sailings and Bon Voyage!!! Melissa

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alphakitty

alphakitty

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When I asked you what sights in London did you see I meant to ask..What sights would you suggest Hubby and I see? In other words what is a MUST SEE in your opinion waht should we absolutely see while in London? I think the bus ride would be the best way to experience London! Big Ben of course is a MUST SEE for us! Would you suggest us going everywhere that you went or would there possibly be other highlights to see that maybe you did not have time for? Where did you see the Musical Cabaret and how did you get there if you already said sorry because I can't recall right now? How many days/nights would you suggest we stay in London? Thanks again kitty!!! Happy Sailings and Bon Voyage!!! Melissa

 

Hi Melissa,

 

Must sees for us included, The Tower of London tour...that was absolutely fantastic! I've always had an interest in The Tudors and King Henry VIII.

The bus tour was a great thing to do the first day. It's a hop on/hop off bus, so you can spend some time at the sights and it does cover most everything in London. It also includes a short river cruise on the Thames, which was nice for a different perspective on the sites along the river. I would have liked to tour Westminster Abbey, we just didn't find time for that. The flight on the London Eye was good for awesome views. St. Paul's Cathedral is also something I'd have liked to tour. All these things cost $$ though too and London is expensive! The museums are all free. We enjoyed the National Portrait Gallery on a rainy afternoon. I've heard and read great things about the British Museum as well. 3 days is just not long enough to really see a lot. We just scratched the surface. I'd suggest at least a week long stop in London. One other thing I'd wished we had time for was one of the many guided walking tours. London Walks comes highly recommended. http://www.walks.com/

 

We saw Cabaret at the Lyric Theatre, one of the oldest on Shaftesbury Avenue. http://www.londontheatre.co.uk/londontheatre/westendvenues/lyric.htm

I purchased tickets in advance and picked them up the night of the show. Theatres here rival Broadway in NYC and there are many, many theatres and shows to choose from. We used the underground to get there....Leicester Square was the stop and then walked about two blocks to the theater from there. Using the Tube, as it's called, was the fastest, most cost effective way to get around. It's very easy to figure out and there are always people to help if you need directions.

 

Hope this helps some. :)

 

If you look on the British Isles forum here on CC, there is a lot of info from locals that helped me decide what to do. :)

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alphakitty

alphakitty

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Thanks for posting! Was there a sports bar on IOS?

 

I don't remember seeing on debt, but I wasn't looking for one either. Perhaps the Schooner Bar has a TV. Hopefully someone else will be able to help you. :)

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alphakitty

alphakitty

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and I'm glad you had an awesome trip! That is great that you were able to spend three days before touring London! What was London like? What sights did you see while staying in London? Did any of the other winners choose to fly in early as well and of course at everyone's own expense? Hubby and I want to go to London possibly in 3 years for our 15th Wedding Anniversary and possibly sail on the Independence!!! Thanks for taking the time to write your review! Do you happen to know if the other finalists were just as excited as you have been that they had also won this cruise sailing? I'm just curious what there thoughts were if you happen to know! Do you by chance happen to know when the Grand Prize Winners name will be announced? Thanks for any and all information you wish to share!!! Congrats once again and Best of Luck being chosen as the Grand Prize Winner! Happy Sailings and Bon Voyage!!! Melissa

 

I misses some questions here for you Melissa :)

 

Some of the other contestants stayed after we disembarked the Indy and went to London for a day or two. No one else went early though. YES! Everyone was very excited! Who wouldn't be excited, winning a trip like that. :) We met all the other contestants and it was a great bunch of people. RCI could not have chosen a better group if they hand picked them.

 

Grand Prize winners will be announced on or before May 31st, so it won't be long now! Thanks for your well wishes.

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Mines

Mines

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Thanks for posting! Was there a sports bar on IOS?

 

There is nothing called a sports bar, but there is the on-air club on deck 3 that has a TV and looks very sporty.

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carmelninetysix

carmelninetysix

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I appreciate you taking the time kitty to answer all of my quiestions! Thank you for posting the links in your response to my many questions! Thanks alot for your help kitty!!! Hubby and I want to go to London in 2011 and hopefully set sail on the Independecne!!! I made notes in my Future Travel notebook from your posts so I will remember all the sites to see!!! I'm glad everyone had a great time and people were able to stay either before or after the cruise to enjoy touring London!!! Thanks again!!! We would most likely stay 2 or three nights both before and after our cruise!!! Happy Sailings and Bon Voyage!!! Melissa

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alphakitty

alphakitty

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Wow,

What contest did you win? HOW AWESOME IS THAT!!!!!!!!!!

Loved your review!

 

HiYa tamtot! It was VERY awesome. Don't tell me, someone who hasn't heard of the contest? LOL

 

It was a Royal Caribbean contest in conjunction with USA Today called

Name that Ship - Genesis. My husband was chosen as one of 6 finalists and we all won a trip to England to cruise on the Indy for the 2 night Pre-Inaugural cruise. If you'd like to read more about it:

 

Here http://www.usatoday.com/travel/cruises/namethatship.aspx

 

And Here: http://blogs.usatoday.com/cruiselog/2008/05/name-that-ship.html#more

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alphakitty

alphakitty

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I appreciate you taking the time kitty to answer all of my quiestions! Thank you for posting the links in your response to my many questions! Thanks alot for your help kitty!!! Hubby and I want to go to London in 2011 and hopefully set sail on the Independecne!!! I made notes in my Future Travel notebook from your posts so I will remember all the sites to see!!! I'm glad everyone had a great time and people were able to stay either before or after the cruise to enjoy touring London!!! Thanks again!!! We would most likely stay 2 or three nights both before and after our cruise!!! Happy Sailings and Bon Voyage!!! Melissa

 

Melissa...you are very welcome....happy I could help. :)

 

London is a wonderful city to visit!

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Musicman1

Musicman1

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I thought I might find you here, alphakitty. You're doing a fine job of explaining everything. I'll just continue to lurk.

 

We too loved the ship. It's gorgeous. We have taken 4 previous cruises, two (Grandeur of the Seas and Serenade of the Seas) with Royal Caribbean.

 

Strangely, your photos look alot like mine. Unforunately, I don't have a site where I can post them.

 

To answer a couple of London questions, we stayed one night post-cruise, Since we had so little time, we took the Big Bus Tour for a few hours. Luckily, people can hop-on and off as often as they like because sitting in London traffic isn't much fun. We did manage to see quite a few sights and take a lot of pictures. I would also like to recommend the City Inn Westminster, if you are looking for a nice, yet reasonably priced hotel.

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