pongolo

Just got back yesterday from Independence. The area is for suite guests only and, according to the guys standing outside, also for anyone willing to pay for a cabana. The over the water ones were $250, the hilltop ones were $175 and the others were $150. Here's a picture of the area from the ship...

My in-laws were in cabin 7006 a week ago. The cabin was HUGE since the fwd wall is not straight (juts out fwd as shown in the deck floor plan). The other OV cabins behind 7006 are probably normal sized since the walls are straight. It was very roomy and also had a fridge.

Here is a mini-review from our cruise on June 9-14 (5 night):

Overall Ship Appearance: The ship looked real good and the staff was outstanding. The first day was a little hectic since the ship was about 2 hours late into the port and the entire staff looked rushed. Things settled after the first night.

Accommodations: We were in a JS (8126) and it was the perfect size for our family of four (2 kids - one 4 y/o and the other 9 months) when you include the crib RCCL provided. You do hear some deck chairs moving from the Solarium above but it was not too bad (never woke up from the noise). The tub is great for giving the little one a bath...

Food: Ate at the Windjammer for lunch everyday and the food was real good. Also, the Solarium cafe is great for a quick snack. Ate that the dining room all nights and it was real good. The service was outstanding as usual.

Entertainment: The CD was great and kept things lively. The pool was always buzzing with activity. I my opinion, the shows could be better as we did not really enjoy them as much as on other cruises.

Ports: It was our first time in Jamaica and Grand Cayman. We did not enjoy Jamaica as much as we expected. Maybe it was the constant harassment to sell you something or maybe the nonstop rain as we were waiting in the pier to board back the ship. Grand Cayman was completely different. No harassment and the people were real nice. We just went to the beach in Grand Cayman and had a blast even though it was a little crowded with 3 ships (2 Carnival ships and one RCCL). We may give Jamaica a second chance it we find the right itinerary in the future...

Departure: It took a little while to get the ship cleared but we were off at around 945AM (second group off the ship). It was well organized and were on the road by 1015AM.

Let me know if anyone has any questions!