independence review 12/7/08

[cruiseray1]

Independence of the Seas review December 7-13, 2008

 

What follows is my review of my family’s incredible first time experience with Royal Caribbean onboard the new Independence of the Seas.

Months before our cruise I spend many hours reading the Cruise Critic boards and the 50 or so Independence reviews posted there. I have to say that I am amazed at what people complain about and the many examples of disinformation therein. I’ll explain below.

Each year I like to treat my nieces (11 and 13) and their parents to a week long vacation. Last year we sailed the Disney Wonder and had a blast. The Wonder was a great ship and we were wondering how Royal Caribbean would compare. I have also sailed with Celebrity before, so this was my third cruise.

We stayed in Fort Lauderdale for two nights before embarkation at the Lago Mar hotel and resort. The Lago Mar is a family run non-corporate paradise from days gone by, right on the sea at Harbor Beach. We were given a lovely room on the fifth floor overlooking the ocean where we were able to watch the ships come and go right from our balcony. I requested a rollaway bed and slept on the balcony under the warm Florida breeze and the girls slept on the comfy double pullout couch in the living area, while their parents slept in the bedroom. This worked out well for the five of us. The Lago Mar is just beautiful with lots of things like tennis, great pools, mini golf, good food etc. It was around $300 a night and worth every penny. Way better than the corporate vibe of the Marriot and their like at $400 plus.... If you can afford it this is the place to stay prior to sailing.

 

We took the 10 minute taxi ride to the pier and arrived at 11 am. Embarkation was a breeze and we were onboard before noon. At first sight the Independence is enormous and the Royal Promenade majestic. The whole ship was decked out for Christmas with a huge tree in front of Sorrentos pizza. We had a bite to eat at the Cafe Promenade and headed up to our cabins on the seventh deck which were ready at exactly 1pm.

I choose the seventh deck forward close to the elevators and stairs and this proved to be a perfect location for the week. We had two adjoining balcony cabins and the girls were across the hall in a promenade room. The rooms are just gorgeous, comfy and well laid out.

Our cabin attendant Maria from Nicaragua was amazing, unobtrusive and efficient. When I’m on vacation I like to tip people who work hard and make our vacation so enjoyable. I gave Maria ten dollars a day. On the first day I asked her if she could bring two robes for the girls and within minutes she brought two beautiful terry-cloth robes with Royal Caribbean logos on them for the girls. Normally they are provided to suite quests only. We were off to a good start. Maria made the most beautiful towel animals for us every night. One evening I came back to my cabin and Maria left two baseball caps with the Royal logo on my bed for me. So treat you attendant well and they will do the same for you. Contrary to what has been posted here, chocolate is placed on your pillow every night.

 

My family then went off to explore and I went to the dining-room to check our table assignment. Months before sailing I emailed Royal Caribbean and requested a specific table....MacBeth level, in the center, along the railing and a six-top for just our family. When I entered the beautiful dining room and checked my seapass table number I found that the amazing crew of the Independence had granted our family the exact table I had requested. Another great sign of things to come!

And now for the “subjective” subject of food. For those of you who read these threads you are aware of peoples’ complaints with Royal’s food. You hear all kinds complaints and nit picking about food. To which I have one word of response. BULL.

Every single meal in every single venue we ate in was very good to outstanding! Windjammer was often busy but we were always able to find a table for the five of us, often a window table. The crew in Windjammer is amazing, clearing,cleaning and offering juice and water to your table. If you are not able to find something you like to eat then you are a very hard person to please. Jade serves delicious Asian and Indian dishes in addition to the regular faire. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are just great. So enjoy.

 

Now for the main dining room. We ate four nights in the main dining room. Every night our waiter Sergio and assistant Edwar greeted us as soon as we arrived at 6pm sharp. Their service and professionalism is like nothing I have experienced in my 50 years on planet Earth and I’ve eaten in some of the best restaurants anywhere. The order was taken as soon as we were ready, the food arrived promptly, it was hot, well presented and it was very good to excellent! Every single dish! Every single night!

Now on to the Lobster controversy. In-spite of the misinformation I’ve read on these boards, Royal has NOT done away with lobster night. On our second formal evening, lobster was served. It is a medium size tail and it is delicious. It was served hot, and cooked to perfection. And if you want to eat 10 of them they will bring you 10 of them. As soon as the lobsters arrived our head waiter, waiter and assistant surrounded us like Royals and offered to remove the shell. Drawn butter was immediately offered.

For a crew that serves thousands and thousands of meals every day..our food and service was nothing short of remarkable. Every single meal in every venue was outstanding. The food on Royal in my honest opinion blew Disney and Celebrity out of the water and over the moon. Oh, and yes there IS bar service in the main dining room. The bar waiter arrived as soon as I sat down and after the first night he knew my name and what I like to drink. He was so friendly and professional it boggles the mind.

Every single crew member that my family encountered the entire week was incredibly friendly, polite, helpful, patient and kind. Every single one of them, from guest services to the guys that vacuum and clean. This is a truly amazing thing and a testament to this company’s understanding of the importance of good service. Sure we ran into a few pushy, demanding passengers. The crew is trained to deal with them. They just let them pass so as not to ruin the experience of other passengers.

We ate at Portofinos and Chops and both were excellent. I thought Portofinos was a notch or two better than Chops, but both were great.

 

In Belize I booked a snorkel/beach day from Hammerhead which I found online thru Coral Breeze tours. These guys were so fantastic I can’t even tell you how much fun we had on Bannister Island and exploring the reefs. On the way back from a wonderful day we wandered thru the mangroves and discovered two manatees. There were just 10 of us on the comfortable boat and the Hammerhead crew were super.

 

In Costa Maya I booked with Native Choice. Ivan and David took our small party of 8 to the Mayan ruins. His family once owned all the land where the ruins stand until the Mexican government kicked them off it in the early 1990s. Ivan and David were the highlight of our vacation. Words cannot describe these fantastic and knowledgeable people. After the ruins Ivan took us to his family’s village where a traditional Mayan dinner was served. The only thing touristy about this visit was us. It was a very special day we will always remember. Some of us cried when we left the company of these beautiful people. If you go to Costa Maya you will be missing something special if you don’t contact Ivan at Native Choice.

 

Back on the ship the girls and I often had the whole pool area to ourselves, with the reggae band setting the mood just right. The ship never felt crowded even at full capacity. The elevators were never hard to get, never, not forward or aft ...except on disembarkation day...big deal..take the stairs down a few flights, work off the belly...People gravitated to their favorite places... shopping on the promenade, casino, quiet game rooms, the pool areas, flow rider...its just amazing. One evening at 11:30 a buffet was set up on deck 11...fresh mussels, beautiful salads, wonderful cheeses, a roast pig, fantastic deserts, ice carvings and on and on. So much for doing away with midnight buffets. Its just smaller and less wasteful.

The entertainment onboard was top notch. Full live orchestra with a brilliant drummer who was the musical director.

The ice shows, the music, the little cozy bars where live music was performed...all great. So much to see and do....just not enough time.

All the ships bartenders were spectacular. Super friendly and they know how to pour a drink believe me. They free hand pour and if you are pleasant to them they will return it in spades. I was often given my drink at the pool bar in a special glass, not plastic, and at the cost of regular drinks. Contrary to the complaints I’ve read on these boards drink prices are reasonable. A beer is $4.50 and a pina colada is $6.50 (including gratuity) and like I said if you are a pleasant person and tip a little you just might get the special glass for free as I did several times.

In summary, my family’s first experience with Royal Caribbean was unbelievable. The ship, the crew, the food all rate a 10+...

I’m not joking it totally blew my mind and exceeded my expectations 100%...Not one single issue the entire 7 days. Not one.

For a ship with 4,000 plus passengers and 1,400 crew this is an amazing accomplishment. If you are one of these people who go looking for something to complain about and to be miserable about I’m sure you’ll find imperfection somewhere. I’m not one of those type of people. We had a freaking blast and I would sail with Royal Caribbean again in a heartbeat! They blew us away. I hope you experience the same if you sail the Independence.

Tim

 

 

 

 

 

 

[retdon]

WOW, what a review can't wait for 1/18/2009 when we board the IOS. Thank you for taking the time to do such a great review, you covered it all. Linda:D

[maggieq]

thanks for the review....can't wait until our cruise on the IOS.

 

 

 

Can you tell me if your debarkation was as bad as others have posted?

 

Thanks.

[The Big Booper]

Yea!! to your review.

 

We were on the Indy for 13 days for the TA and it wasn't long enough. This was last month, November.

 

So when RCI had the fire sale for us New Yawkas to fill the slightly smaller Explorer holiday sailing out of scenic Bayonne, NJ ;) we jumped. Amazing pricing for a 12 night covering Christmas and New Years. Beats freezing in the cold and hoping for no snow.

[The Big Booper]

As far as debarking, ours was not normal as more than half the pax were foreign and so had to go thru a separate line in the shed. We were staying in Fla so had no air plans and were among the last to get off, sitting in the pharohs lounge and talking to Brandon from the CD staff. From what I hear FLL does not have their act together yet.

 

I would not book an early flight home from this port.

[cruiseray1]

disembarkation was a breeze

we got up had breakfast at 830 in windjammer near a window. went back to our cabin and got a little sad. went to our assigned area (theater) at 930 and we were called at 935 and off the ship in 10 minutes... our bags were right there. just amazing!

[maggieq]

disembarkation was a breeze

we got up had breakfast at 830 in windjammer near a window. went back to our cabin and got a little sad. went to our assigned area (theater) at 930 and we were called at 935 and off the ship in 10 minutes... our bags were right there. just amazing!

 

 

Thanks. Do you have any time info for the express debarkation?

[petesweet]

If you are one of these people who go looking for something to complain about and to be miserable about I’m sure you’ll find imperfection somewhere. I’m not one of those type of people.

 

Great review. Hope we get to sail together sometime. I so agree with you about the attitude of the cruiser.

[honeywell]

Tim, thank you for the wonderful revue. You are undoubtedly a very well liked uncle! I am wondering how your nieces enjoyed the cruise when compared to Disney. We are scheduled aboard the Indy for our next spring break and my children, ages 8 and 9, asked to cancel our Disney cruise and book the Independence due to more activity on board. What did your nieces think?

[cruzingduo]

By any chance do you have any menus?

[cruiseray1]

honeywell

thats a tough question. the disney ships are nearly ten years old extremely well maintained and art deco beautiful. they are half the size of independence at 83,000 tons as compared to 160,000 tons on the independence. disney has lots of kids and all the characters running around. I took my nieces out of school last week and there were few kids their age onboard. most of the passengers were older. Im sure if you go during school break there will be loads of kids on the independence. the pool area, sports area and flowrider are just spectacular and they will love the Independence. We did disneyworld and Disneycruise so the girls were ready for something different. hope that helps.

[cruiseray1]

no sorry but Im sure they are on these threads somewhere...can someone help?

[cruiseray1]

Thanks. Do you have any time info for the express debarkation?

 

yes from 8 to 830 you may express depart and carry your own bags but I would suggest waiting until later when the crowds are thinner and they iron out the kinks in Ft lauderdale which is where and why i think there have been some complaints...it was a breeze getting off the ship at 9:45.

[I'm on holiday]

Thanks cruiseray1 for your positive, upbeat review. How refreshing! I'm thrilled that you and your family had such a memorable experience. :)

[TexCruise371]

WOW, what a review can't wait for 1/18/2009 when we board the IOS. Thank you for taking the time to do such a great review, you covered it all. Linda:D

 

Ditto....and we'll be onbord on the 18th too. We can't wait!

[nanfromatlanta]

Wow, thanks Ray for a good well balanced and insightful review.

 

I have never had a bad cruise on any Royal Caribbean ship. I can't say as much for some other cruiselines, though. :D

[COCKYMARK]

Tim thanks so much for the great review!! we were on navigator last year and my review of it would have been just like yours!! we are so looking forward to indy!!!:p

[cruiseforus]

Thank's for the great review. Can't wait for our sailing on Feb 1st! Can you please tell me what 2 nights are the formal nights.

 

Thanks.

[cruiseray1]

Thank's for the great review. Can't wait for our sailing on Feb 1st! Can you please tell me what 2 nights are the formal nights.

 

Thanks.

 

yes

our formal nights on our six night cruise were Monday and Thursday (2nd and 5th night) and EVERYBODY was dressed either in a tie and jacket (some tuxes)

or just nicely. I saw no one who didnt take the the time to dress nicely.

[Silvery Seas Cruiser]

I am so glad the OP feels so enthusiastic about Indy. It is a fabulous ship with so much to do for nearly every taste.

 

Just want to add a few comments. Robes are not the exclusive perk of those in suites. Crown and Anchor members at Platinum, Diamond and Diamond Plus also receive robes regardless of their class of staterooms.

 

I am not sure, but I wonder if the ball caps given to the OP weren't the beige and blue Crown and Anchor hats given to C&A members instead of simply Royal Caribbean ball caps. Gifts are not usually given to RCI first timers, but I do agree that generous tipping can provide appreciative acts in return.

 

I'm really glad the OP had superior service in the MDR on Indy. We did not. But we have cruised on RCI 17 times now and know that MOST of the time service is very good to excellent. In fact, the threesome at the table to our right did have excellent serivce. We joked with them that we wanted their waiter. We even began to make bets to see who would be served first. Their table always won, except the one time we ended up with dessert first. We all had a good laugh. One has to be understanding on a new ship in a new home port and new itinerary and try to have good humor about things. The alternative is to sit and pout and get out of sorts, so why even cruise?

 

The exit from the ship was not pleasant, but I had done my level best to persuade Hubby to chill out, leave around nine and enjoy a leisurely breakfast. He was really impatient to do express check out because he dreaded the port traffic jams we had experienced on the way to the ship. He believed if we got out early before new passengers started arriving, we'd avoid the jam up.

 

Well, we had no jam up leaving the port, but we did get into the jam up leaving the ship. I would not advise the express check out except for those who simply must catch an early plane or transportation. Maybe RCI can iron out the stressful express walk off. They need more crew assigned to make sure folks are in their specified places for the self-debarkation.

 

Once we were out of the actual ship, matters proceded smoothly (except for the two fork lifts that collided near the path we were taking to the customs and immigration area. It was kind of funny.)

 

Anyway, we would absolutely sail Indy again in a heartbeat.

 

I will add here that the Port Everglades Port Authroity has simply got to get their act together quickly as ever larger and ever more ships make this their home port. Just one example, the road entering the port is inadequate. The trucks bringing supplies to the ships should not be blocking passenger arrivals, but they have nowhere to go to avoid the problem.

 

When Oasis arrives next December, the mess will be worse still than it is now. There is no time to waste to get parking facilities, port check-point gates and roads up to standard for the mega-ships.

 

This is NOT in any way Royal Caribbean's fault.

[cruiseray1]

I am not sure, but I wonder if the ball caps given to the OP weren't the beige and blue Crown and Anchor hats given to C&A members instead of simply Royal Caribbean ball caps. Gifts are not usually given to RCI first timers, but I do agree that generous tipping can provide appreciative acts in return.

.

 

yes they were C&A hats and we felt special getting the robes

[MickeyB426]

Thanks for the reviews and comments.

 

Does anyone know who the featured performer was?

[freve1]

Thank You so much for the great review. This will be my first cruise and have seen lots of negatives. I will be sailing the 1/18/09 and can not wait.

 

I loved hearing that lobster would be served. Now my next question is the lobster from down there or from my home state of Maine where it's the best!!!:D Were there lots to choose from during dinner. My son does not like alot of steak. Prefers pasta or chicken sometimes fish.

 

My son is looking forward to it as well, We will be celebrating his 13th birthday on the cruise, being in Belize for that day.

 

Again thank you for the great review.

 

Kelly

[cruiseray1]

I loved hearing that lobster would be served. Now my next question is the lobster from down there or from my home state of Maine where it's the best!!!:D Were there lots to choose from during dinner. My son does not like alot of steak. Prefers pasta or chicken sometimes fish.

 

Kelly

 

the lobstertails comes from Chile and Yes there is fish, pasta and everything else in the world to eat...you will not go hungry 24/7....your only problem will be to NOT eat too much.....have a ball ..you will love the Indy

[cruzobsessed]

love love loved your review:)

we'll be boarding her on the 27th and can't wait.......did you mention if alan brooks was still the cruise director? i've been on 2 cruises with him and he's my favorite.