Fam Review - Independence of the Seas - Belize, Costa Maya, Cozumel, Fort Lauderdale

[crusinmama06]

Hey all, I'm back! : - )

 

This is going to take a while - so bear with me. I am still feeling the rocking of the ship and I am sitting in my living room...lol.

 

So we just got home early this morning from Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas - 6 days - Fort Lauderdale, Belize, Costa Maya, Cozumel.

 

In one word - AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!

 

I have reconfirmed to myself that the Freedom class is my FAVORITE ship for families. We didn't want to leave. My 8 year old cried on the plane trip home....only happened once before and that was our flight home from Freedom.

 

I'll break the review into sections.....

 

Pre-Cruise

 

FORT LAUDERDALE

 

We flew into FLL airport. Took a shuttle from the airport (there is a rental car center on site) to Enterprise. Got a Jeep Compass ($62.50 total). And drove to our hotel which was 15 minutes away...

 

Westin Diplomat Resort and Spa, Hollywood Florida

 

We arrive at 10:30am. The hotel is gorgeous. I was using Starwood points so I figured the room would be small....facing the parking lot....no balcony. I get to the desk and the clerk says "How many beds do you need? We are going to upgrade you to a Oceanfront CORNER WRAP AROUND BALCONY SUITE" {I think my heart stopped for a second}

 

She hands me the keys to our 28th floor suite which was HUGE. The glass walls slid open onto the balcony. The room was immaculate. The property was kid paradise with pools everywhere, an ice cream social at 2pm and a wonderful gentleman by the name of Santiago in the lobby that handed the kids hershey kisses everytime they walked past him. He also told the kids to wait while he went and grabbed them "a surprise". He came back with Westin Kid backpacks with a Westin hat, stickers and map.

 

The hotel does have $17 parking (and valet parking). So the parking is not free. It does not have a shuttle to the port...which was the reason we rented the car. No free breakfast in the morning. There is a trolly out front and for $1 per person you can tour Fort Lauderdale with hop on/hop off options all over the city. It leaves every 30 minutes. We took the trolly to the boardwalk and ate there.

 

If you want a cheap hotel with a free shuttle and breakfast, do not stay here. If you want a high end experience, superior service and a true luxury resort...then start your cruise off at the Westin Diplomat.

 

The pictures from the Westin....

 

 

 

 

 

 

More later.....

[sandytoes03]

You're back! So, your next cruise isn't until December? What will you do?? LOL! Glad it was awesome.:)

[wrp96]

Oh WOW Michele on that room!! Guess that's Starwood's way of making it up to you with the oops on your original reservation!

[cassieroll]

Oh wow! I can't wait for the rest of the review and pictures!!!

[crusinmama06]

DAY 1 -

 

Enterprise Drop off

 

DO NOT rent a car from Enterprise at Fort Lauderdale unless you are willing to pay for the taxi from the "Port Drop Off location" to Port Everglades. We were assured on the phone when we booked that there was a shuttle to port. When we picked up the car, we told them we were dropping the car off at the port, "no problem" they said. When we arrived at the "port location" to drop off the car we were met by a sign that says "Due to 9/11 security, no shuttles to the port will be provided". They called a taxi for us which cost $32 without tip due to the traffic at the port.

 

Getting on the ship - we arrived at 11am. The Port Security gave the taxi driver a hard time. Can you say "Power Trip"? The port security yelled at the driver for pulling into the passenger pick up area instead of the drop off area. The driver kept trying to apologize.

 

We handed our bags off to the porter who said "I am the one who takes care of your bags and make sure they get on the ship...." so I interupted him and said "So if I EVER want to see my bags again, I need to give you a good tip". He laughed and said "noooo, noooo that's not what I meant"....lol...yeah right. I told him that I know the drill and handed him a tip. (our bags were at our cabin by 1pm...lol)

 

In the terminal building, we were able to go through the "Suite Guest" line (we were in a Junior Suite). Our Sea Pass cards were Silver, Grand Suite and Above were Gold (as was Diamond/Diamond Plus I think)....everyone else was white.

 

We were able to board the ship by 11:30am...no problems. We went to the Windjammer for lunch. Nice selection of food. Got a seat with no problem. We were told that we could go to our cabin at 1pm.

 

So at 1pm, we arrived at our cabin -

 

Aft Junior Suite - 1406, the bags were already waiting for us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[crusinmama06]

Day 1 - Super Bowl Party

 

Yes they held the Super Bowl Party in two places, Studio B ice skating rink and the Sports Bar. They had Nachos and Salsa with Hot Dogs.

 

They auctioned off VIP seating on the main floor. You can see the winners of the auction sitting on the couches down front.

 

 

 

 

We decided to take advantage of the super bowl and head out to the Mini Golf. We almost had the whole course to ourselves.

 

[crusinmama06]

Our dining room team was wonderful. Leoncia and Kemar. After the second day they had the chocolate milk ready for the kids when we sat down.

 

No additional charge steak appeared on the menu. There was an alternative steak on the menu every night, but no additional charge for it.

 

The last night had a Seafood Platter that did include lobster and shrimp. I wasn't impressed.

 

They DID NOT HEAT the pools on Indy. The pools were ice cold the whole week. The kids didn't seem to mind. I guess the concierge was telling people that in the Caribbean, they do not use the heating system in the pools but will turn them back on when they return to the Med. So many people were complaining about the cold pools. The temps were only 72 degrees on some days. The wind was cold. So the hot tubs were filled every day. So I guess some of us couldn't understand that if they have the ability to heat the pools, then why not heat them?????

 

Chairhogs - on our last Sea Day, I was surrounded by pool towels and some reading material....lol. I saw the Solarium Deck Patrol and I commented to them that it was nice that the library could get a nice tan. I never saw them remove the items. And I did sit for 2 hours next to a book by Anita Shreve. You were suppose to pay $20 per towel if they weren't returned. They did scan the sea passes when we got towels and returned them. But I didn't see the deck patrol removing any towels.

 

Kids in Diapers in the pools - The H20 zone had a member of the deck patrol watching for diapers and redirecting the parents back over to the Baby Zone (the water play area for infants in diapers). I saw one mom get pretty ticked. Guess she couldn't read the sign that specifically said no kids in diapers in the pools.

 

Suite Guest Perks - There was NO reserved pool seating for Suite guests. We made friends with a few suite guests and I specifically asked them what extra perks they were receiving. They got the fruit basket in the cabin. They didn't need to wait in line for ice skating tickets, just needed to show their concierge card which had their names on it. But no special pool chairs roped off for suite guests on Indy.

 

H20 Zone on Day 1

 

 

Deck Patrol redirecting parents with babies in diapers to the Baby Zone

 

 

Baby Splash Zone rules

 

 

Baby Splash Zone with the "Lazy Donut" behind it.

 

 

Sports Pool - Main Family Pool

 

 

Solarium - Adults Area

 

[crusinmama06]

Day 2 - Sea Day

 

Started off with Breakfast in the main dining room - Romeo & Juliet

 

Choices every day in the dining room were Omlets, Eggs Benedict, French Toast, Pancakes, Cereal (Hot/Cold), Home Fried Potatoes, Hash Browns, Bacon, Toast, Bagels, Fresh Fruit Selection, Orange/Apple/Tomato Juice, Coffee, Tea

 

 

In the afternoon for the kids Ages 6-8 Adventure Ocean -

The Circus comes to Town

 

The kids had a circus parade and them a performance in the Promenade in front of Sorrentos

 

 

 

At this point, I am LOVING AFT LIFE. I don't think I ever want to go back to a mid deck cabin.

 

 

 

We tried Johnny Rockets - ONE HOUR WAIT - Price is up to $4.95 per person. Coupons are in the books for any Crown/Anchor members. We ordered milk shakes which cost us $4.50 each. The rest of the food was included. The milk shakes were not worth $4.50. And I can honestly say that the food was not worth the one hour wait. I am glad we did it. But won't be doing it again.

 

[rebeccalouise]

Welcome back Michelle!!! It looks like you had a wonderful trip. I especially liked seeing the photos of the Westin Diplomat because my friend has stayed there and loved it.

 

My son had a fantastic time on Indy and I did too. I did book another cruise when I got back on Princess because I prefer that line but there is definitely a good time to be had on RC.

 

I did check with Princess to make sure that the pools are heated and also read reviews about Princess in Canada to make sure the pools are heated. Marc never swam on this cruise (other than the H2O Zone) which was a bit of a disappointment for us because that is one of the key reasons we cruise. No one was ever in the pools- I think RC should have heated them.

 

I have recommended RC to my friends and I do think you can have a great time. I'm just boring and like quieter ships.

[asshergirl]

What beautiful pics!! Now I want to go!!:D The Westin is beautiful I will definitely look into that next time we are in the area...don't you just love starwood? So consistent no matter if we stay at four points, westin, or St. Regis...there is not one complaint. They are great.

 

The ship looks wonderful!!! Wow, how great is that baby splash area...Your girls are beautiful and sounds like they had a blast...I can't wait until my LO is able to take part in the kid's programs, especially the parade! :)

 

Great info

[MNmomof4]

Great review Michele. Can't wait to see the rest. Sounds like a wonderful cruise!

[Julienatul]

your reviews are the best!!!!!

[ncmomof2]

 

Westin Diplomat Resort and Spa, Hollywood Florida

 

We arrive at 10:30am. The hotel is gorgeous. I was using Starwood points so I figured the room would be small....facing the parking lot....no balcony. I get to the desk and the clerk says "How many beds do you need? We are going to upgrade you to a Oceanfront CORNER WRAP AROUND BALCONY SUITE" {I think my heart stopped for a second}

 

She hands me the keys to our 28th floor suite which was HUGE. The glass walls slid open onto the balcony. The room was immaculate. The property was kid paradise with pools everywhere, an ice cream social at 2pm and a wonderful gentleman by the name of Santiago in the lobby that handed the kids hershey kisses everytime they walked past him. He also told the kids to wait while he went and grabbed them "a surprise". He came back with Westin Kid backpacks with a Westin hat, stickers and map.

 

The hotel does have $17 parking (and valet parking). So the parking is not free. It does not have a shuttle to the port...which was the reason we rented the car. No free breakfast in the morning. There is a trolly out front and for $1 per person you can tour Fort Lauderdale with hop on/hop off options all over the city. It leaves every 30 minutes. We took the trolly to the boardwalk and ate there.

 

If you want a cheap hotel with a free shuttle and breakfast, do not stay here. If you want a high end experience, superior service and a true luxury resort...then start your cruise off at the Westin Diplomat.

 

Good to hear. HAL booked us at the Westin Ft Lauderdale -- I hope it's even a fraction as nice!!

 

And welcome back -- so nice to hear you had a great time!!

[teachnh]

Awww you are killing me with your pictures! I just want to leave for a cruise right now! :D Thanks for the review!

[k8lin_VA]

Welcome back Michele! I know you're still working on your review, and I can't wait to read it since we are doing this same cruise March 1st. I am dying to hear about the Belize tour that we are also taking. How was the boat ride, the lunch, the zoo? Can we take our stroller on the boat? Will the lunch be good for a 20 month old and a preggo mama? :)

 

Can't wait to hear everything else! I'm loving your review so far. Major bummer on the cold pools though!!!!

 

How was the weather in Belize and Costa Maya?

 

Glad to hear you had a great time!!!! :D

[crusinmama06]

Caitlin - we didn't end up doing the zoo tour. I decided to do something I had never done before and left the kids onboard the ship without us :eek: and do an adult tour. :D

 

I grilled the couselors before I left

Me: "Do people leave their kids on the ship and go on excursions?"

Answer: "Yes, all the time"

Me: "Do the DECT phones work off of the ship"

Answer: "No"

Me: "Will you take our cell number and call that instead?"

Answer: "No, we usually don't do that"

Me: "What if there IS an emergency?"

Answer: "You give us the right to treat in an emergency case. If there is an emergency, security will be alerted and your sea pass will be flagged. When you come back onto the ship, security will be alerted and you will be updated of the situation"

Me: "Hmmmm, so you think it will be ok to leave for a few hours?"

Answer: "Well we haven't lost anyone yet!" :p

Me: :eek:;)

[crusinmama06]

Cruise Compass Day 1 - Fort Lauderdale

 

 

 

[crusinmama06]

Kids Menu in the Dining Room

 

[wrp96]

I grilled the couselors before I left

Me: "Do people leave their kids on the ship and go on excursions?"

Answer: "Yes, all the time"

Me: "Do the DECT phones work off of the ship"

Answer: "No"

Me: "Will you take our cell number and call that instead?"

Answer: "No, we usually don't do that"

Me: "What if there IS an emergency?"

Answer: "You give us the right to treat in an emergency case. If there is an emergency, security will be alerted and your sea pass will be flagged. When you come back onto the ship, security will be alerted and you will be updated of the situation"

Me: "Hmmmm, so you think it will be ok to leave for a few hours?"

Answer: "Well we haven't lost anyone yet!" :p

Me: :eek:;)

 

So did your husband get a picture of the look on your face when they said that.;):p:D

[crusinmama06]

Cruise Compass Day 2 - At Sea - Formal Night

 

 

 

[crusinmama06]

Photos - 8x10's - $19.99 each

Cruise in Review Video - $24.99

 

Backgrounds set up all over the ship starting at 5:30pm

KIDS Formal Night dinner and Kids dinners at Johnny Rockets - held ONLY 3 nights on our sailing. We tried to sign up the night before, they said to come back in the morning, the day of the dinner. No charge for Johnny Rockets for the kids dinners. We dropped the kids off at 5:45pm for the dinner at JRs. Our kids only did 1 kid dinner, they could have done 3.

 

For formal portraits, we did the ones on the Bridge

 

[crusinmama06]

Day 3 - Belize

 

The ship arrives in Belize at 7am.

 

Some of the people on our Cruise Critic roll call decided to meet and go on a group excursion together. This was the BEST idea yet. The kids stayed on the ship (see 2 posts above for those details). Age minimum was 12 for this ATV tour.

 

We met at 9:45am in Sorrentos. We left and boarded the tender (took about 25 minutes to tender to the port).

 

At the port, we walked through one of the shopping builldings and on the other side was our bus from cave-tubing.com for an ATV JUNGLE ADVENTURE!

 

For $55 per person, (at the end of the trip paid in cash/tip extra), we rode in an air conditioned bus to the jungle trails. It was a one hour trip....but seemed alot quicker because our guides were hysterical. It was a nice little party on the bus. They had music videos...the guide danced for us...lol. It was alot of fun.

 

We arrived at their "hut". We were advised to wear old clothes because we WOULD get muddy. They sold t-shirts for $10 each if anyone wanted to cover up their clothes. They also gave us plastic bags to tie over our shoes.

 

The guides took our cameras and went ahead on each trail to video and to take still pictures of every leg of the trail. NO EXTRA CHARGE. By the time I left, I had a video of our experience on my own camera. And I had pictures, including Before/After mud shots.

 

This was the MOST fun we had ever had on an excusion. They also run Cave Tubing trips. But recently started to do the ATV jungle tours. The age minimum is 12 to drive your own ATV. If you don't know how to drive one or you are unsure about your own skills, the guides will drive for you. One person in our group elected to do that.

 

The ride was 5 miles through the Belize rain forest and it lasted one hour on the ATVs.

 

They sold soda for $1/bottle and Belize Beer for $3. They also had Tamales for $2, ice cream, doritos and cheetos.

 

There was SOOOO MUCH MUD! We started off clean and ended up VERY MUDDY - but smiling from ear to ear. I would do this tour again in a heartbeat. If I go back when it's warmer, I want to try the cave tubing excursion that they have. The minimum age for their cave tubing is 5 if you have kids.

 

 

The Belize City Port when we arrived...

 

 

Our Bus

 

 

The food hut

 

 

And we're off...

 

 

Got Mud?

 

 

Our "After Mud" Pictures - you can see our crazy guide standing in front of us doing his pose. Love that guy! lol

 

[crusinmama06]

Cruise Compass - Day 3 - Belize

 

 

 

[crusinmama06]

Cruise Compass - Day 4 - Costa Maya, Mexico

 

 

 

[crusinmama06]

Day 4 - Costa Maya

 

So we decided not to schedule an excursion for Costa Maya. We knew the port area was renovated. We were docked and it was 72 degrees.

 

After breakfast at the Windjammer, we grabbed a couple of towels (must sign them out at the pool deck, $20 each if you don't return them).

 

We stayed at the port area at Costa Maya. Pulled up some lounge chairs. The drinks are a little pricey here. The water was cold...very cold....did I mention cold? Only a few brave kids got into the pools. They have a pool and a small fountain area for the little ones.

 

It seemed like most were shopping. The vendors were very nice...not agressive at all. One did put a musical instrement set in my 4 year olds hands - SUCKER MOM - yes I bought it. But he wanted $25, I paid $15. It was probably only worth $10...lol.

 

We stayed in the port until about 12:30pm. We got back on the ship, no need to pay for food when a whole ship had it for free. We spent the rest of the day with the ship pools to ourselves. The entire pool area (H20 zone) was empty until after 4pm.

 

And did I mention sprinkles????? Free soft serve ice cream, chocolate, vanilla, strawberry and twist every day from 11am - 11pm at the H20 zone.

 

Sprinkles - my new favorite place to hang out.

 

 

Costa Maya - Port

 

 

$15 - a real bargain, mom.

 

 

 

Swim up bar at Costa Maya

 

 

Both Carnival and RCCL were at the port that day

 

 

Crowds? What crowds? I got the pools to myself!