Independence of the Seas 8 Day Eastern Caribbean Review with Pictures!

[BeancounterUSA]

TNCruiser30:

 

Excellent review so far, even for someone from Tennessee (g). I especially enjoy the pictures. Can't wait to see the rest.

 

My wife and I (Bama graduates) are taking a cruise on Serenade for our 25th Anniversary this July and will be in St. Maarten on the 6th day of our cruise. It is there that I hope to purchase something special to mark the occasion. I would be interested to know which of the many jewelry stores you saw there that you would recommend. She is thinking about a diamond necklace given that she is not a big bracelet person and we have the both hands taken care of in terms of rings.

 

My criteria is that whatever we purchase is: 1) something she really likes 2) It is of good quality and value appropriate for the occasion and 3) that I feel like I'm getting a really good deal. Otherwise I will simply execute the backup plan at a jeweler here at home who appears ready to deal on a piece she found the other day.

 

Thanks in advance

[TNCruiser30]

Day 6: San Juan continued

The tour was wonderful! We had a really good guide and we visited the Castillo del Morro and the Castillo San Cristobal. I highly recommend this tour if you are interested in the history of San Juan.

Castillo del Morro

 

 

 

View from Castillo San Cristobal

[TNCruiser30]

Day 6: San Juan continued

The tour lasted until around 11:30am and I decided to head over to Senor Frogs (which is right across from the pier) to see if my mother was already there. There were lots of people from our ship there, but I didn’t see my mother, so I decided to head back to the ship to see if I could find her. As it turned out, she wasn’t feeling well and had decided to stay back and rest. I kind of wish I had stayed at Senor Frogs because by all reports, everyone had a great time!

 

 

 

 

I ate lunch at the WJ, then changed into my bathing suit and sat on the pool deck with my chair facing the city. It was great because most everyone was still in port and it wasn’t crowded at all.

 

 

 

I stayed on deck for a couple of hours, until it started getting really busy after sailaway at 2:00pm. At 2:45 I went to day three of progressive trivia. By this point, I can’t say our group was doing very well score-wise, but we always had a lot of fun!

After trivia, I had a snack at Sorrento’s then went back to the cabin to relax while my mother ventured down to play half price bingo. Tonight was the second formal night and unfortunately I just wasn’t feeling it. I guess I was starting to feel worn out from all the busy days! But I got dressed up anyway and we went to dinner where I had a mushroom puff pastry for an appetizer plus a Caesar salad, then the fisherman’s plate (which included lobster). My mother had the Thai BBQ which she said was really good.

After dinner we had some pictures taken and did some more shopping on the promenade. I bought a half-price T-shirt to add to my collection (I already had an IOS t-shirt with the Western Caribbean route and now I had one with the Eastern Caribbean route). We went back to the room to change and I had every intention of going back out, but once changed I decided I would rather stay in the cabin and read. My mother wanted to go to the show that night which was a tribute to the Temptations, but she ended up getting waylaid talking to a few of our table mates and she never made it to the show. So an early night it was!

[TNCruiser30]

TNCruiser30:

 

Excellent review so far, even for someone from Tennessee (g). I especially enjoy the pictures. Can't wait to see the rest.

 

My wife and I (Bama graduates) are taking a cruise on Serenade for our 25th Anniversary this July and will be in St. Maarten on the 6th day of our cruise. It is there that I hope to purchase something special to mark the occasion. I would be interested to know which of the many jewelry stores you saw there that you would recommend. She is thinking about a diamond necklace given that she is not a big bracelet person and we have the both hands taken care of in terms of rings.

 

My criteria is that whatever we purchase is: 1) something she really likes 2) It is of good quality and value appropriate for the occasion and 3) that I feel like I'm getting a really good deal. Otherwise I will simply execute the backup plan at a jeweler here at home who appears ready to deal on a piece she found the other day.

 

Thanks in advance

BeanCounterUSA....I am by no means an expert on jewelry! I just buy what I think is pretty, so I don't know if I can help you on which store has the best quality. We actually ended up at Diamonds International which really surprised me since it is pushed so much on the ship and I typically avoid the places that I know is recommended because of the commision they get. But DI had some really beautiful items and they gave us a good deal because we were on the IOS. So I guess that counts for something! Plus you don't have to pay sales tax, so that really helps on expensive items. I'm sure whatever you end up getting for your wife will be beautiful!

[cynt]

Excellent review - thanks for the pics.

[nancronin]

Great review - we leave in 4 weeks and I can't wait. Thanks!:)

[ArkieCruisin]

I am really enjoying your review. Great pictures as well. Thanks for sharing.

[misc]

Thank you for posting the wonderful pictures. We are on the same itinerary on IOS in March. As I'm typing, I'm watching the snow come down--we are expecting up to two feet here in the DC area.

March can't come soon enough!

[sueb]

Thank you for spending the time to post your review and lovely pictures. Can't wait until it's our turn in 4 months!

[Mango Mike]

Thanks to your review/pictures, it looks like DW and I will be booking another cruise on the Independence. Brings back many memories - thanks.

[dommer573]

Thanks for the review. Great pics, I "borrowed":o some for screensavers. Can't wait for more.;)

[cruizeblues]

TNCruiser30:

 

...My wife and I (Bama graduates) are taking a cruise on Serenade for our 25th Anniversary this July and will be in St. Maarten on the 6th day of our cruise. It is there that I hope to purchase something special to mark the occasion. I would be interested to know which of the many jewelry stores you saw there that you would recommend. She is thinking about a diamond necklace given that she is not a big bracelet person and we have the both hands taken care of in terms of rings....

 

Hi Beancounter, We have been to Kay's Fine Jewelers on St. Maarten (not related to the chain in the US) We bought a beautiful blue diamond bracelet as an anniversary gift on our first cruise, and since then have added to my collection each time we are in St. Maarten--it has become my favorite cruising tradition! This past cruise, my husband bought me a beautiful tanzanite/diamond pendant. Remembering the cruise every time I wear the jewelry is what makes these pieces more special than the ones purchased at home. We have looked in other stores on other islands, but have always bought from Kay's, they seem to have the best quality, a nice selection, & are willing to bargain a bit. :)

[BeancounterUSA]

 

Hi Beancounter, We have been to Kay's Fine Jewelers on St. Maarten (not related to the chain in the US) We bought a beautiful blue diamond bracelet as an anniversary gift on our first cruise, and since then have added to my collection each time we are in St. Maarten--it has become my favorite cruising tradition! This past cruise, my husband bought me a beautiful tanzanite/diamond pendant. Remembering the cruise every time I wear the jewelry is what makes these pieces more special than the ones purchased at home. We have looked in other stores on other islands, but have always bought from Kay's, they seem to have the best quality, a nice selection, & are willing to bargain a bit. :)

 

 

Thanks cruizeblues. Just what I was looking for. Will check it out.

[kicker]

TN: Thanks for taking the time to post the pics and review. We're not doing the Serenade, but we are hitting some of the same ports, and the others bring back happy memories. Looking forward to more pics. Thanks again.

[QTMichele]

Looks like you had a great cruise!!! Love the pictures and your review. :) Thanks for sharing with us.

[Beach Girl]

Thanks for sharing your great pictures Cruising IOS on February 20th :):):):)

[TNCruiser30]

Day 7: Labadee

 

Another early wake up (I don’t think I slept in past 6:00am this entire cruise!). We watched the ship pull into port and had a leisurely breakfast on the balcony. I had reserved the Dragon’s Breath Flight Line at 9:00am and I met the group in the Schooner Bar at 8:40 to sign the waivers. They had both the flight line and the parasailing groups together, and when they called out people’s names to see if everyone was there, there was some confusion since a couple in the parasailing group shared my name…the wife had my first name and the husband had my last name! So they thought the group leader was calling their names when in fact he was calling my name.

 

We left the ship as a group and got fitted for harnesses for the flight line. When we signed our waivers, we had to write down how much we weighed. Well, they also weighed you and to my mortification, I weighed 5 pounds more than what I had written down! I thought about telling the guy that I really did weigh that when I left home, but I’m sure he would have just shook his head and said, “Yeah right….that’s what they all say!” J.

 

After we got our harnesses, we walked up to the practice flight line and took turns going down.

 

 

When everyone was done, we piled into safari jeeps for the ride up the mountain to the real flight line. Talk about some amazing views! I didn’t want to carry my camera down the real flight line since you had to keep it around your wrist and I was afraid of it falling off, so I didn’t get any pictures from the top, but trust me, it was beautiful!

I didn’t want to be in the first group to go down since I knew my mother was headed toward the end point to get my picture as I came down and I wanted to give her enough time to get there. But alas, I ended up being in the first group and was actually the second person to go down. The ride was exhilarating! I was nervous at first, but quickly relaxed as I went down. True, it is a short ride for the price but I think it was totally worth it!

 

 

I met my mother at the bottom then we went to the Haitian market and shopped for a while. The vendors there are pretty pushy but I felt sorry for them, especially now after the earthquake, so I did buy a few things. I thought it was hilarious that the first booth we went into, the guy wanted to show us a box that he made himself and he would engrave with our names. We said no, and moved on to the next booth, where another guy wanted to show us what he made…and it turned out to be the exact same box! This would become a recurring theme at many of the booths in the market.

After we shopped, we went to lunch at one of the picnic pavilions, then my mother went back to the ship and I decided to head to the beach to spend the afternoon.

Before settling on the beach, I decided to walk around and get some pictures.

 

 

 

[TNCruiser30]

Day 7: Labadee continued

I circled back around and ended up on Barefoot Beach where I found an empty chair and settled in with a great view of the ocean. I relaxed and read for a few hours, then took a walk along the water.

 

 

 

 

By then it had started to get cloudy so I packed up my stuff. I visited Dragon’s Breath Lookout before going back to the ship. It was really cool since the water rushing into the rocks sounds just like a dragon blowing air. I tried to get a closer look at the rocks, but I must have drifted a little too much off the main path because I got the whistle blown at me. Boo.

 

 

I took some more pictures then headed back to the ship. I have to say, I was a little apprehensive about coming to Labadee since it seemed kind of awkward to be having a good time while there was so much devastation and suffering going on less than 100 miles away. Before the trip started, I had almost decided not to leave the ship at all, but the care and concern that Royal Caribbean had for Haiti convinced me otherwise and they handled everything very tactfully. Before we were able to leave the ship that morning, they unloaded over 100 pallets of food and supplies to carry to the capital. Plus donation offers were made on the ship and between the passenger donations and the fundraising efforts of the Elvis group countless thousands of dollars were raised for Haiti. After visiting Labadee, I am convinced that Royal Caribbean did the right thing by continuing to stop there and the Haitian people that worked there really seemed glad that we were there.

 

The brand new pier

 

Back on board, I had an afternoon snack at the WJ (I love their nachos!) then sat on the balcony and read. Because it was cloudy with just a little sun shining through, I was able to take some really cool pictures.

 

 

Before dinner, I went to Name that Tune Trivia in the Schooner Bar (50’s and 60’s so I only recognized the most famous songs) then went to dinner where I had the crab cake to start, then a ceasar salad, sirloin steak, and apple pie for dessert. We went to the Photo Gallery to look at our pictures from the second formal night before heading back to the cabin.

It was a great day and probably one of my favorites of the cruise!

[TNCruiser30]

Day 8: At Sea

Our last full day of the cruise! How sad L. After my morning coffee, I took the opportunity to get some last pictures of the ship before everything became too crowded. We then went to breakfast at the WJ and I went back to the cabin to start packing.

Our last day of progressive trivia started at 10:45am and our team did not win, but we still had a great time! It was pretty sad though since we didn’t even get the Sri Lanka question right! After a few pictures, I met my mother in the Alhambra theater for the last round of bingo. The jackpot did not go that morning, so another session was scheduled for that afternoon.

We had lunch in the dining room and of course I had my salad bar with a pasta dish that was so-so. After lunch, we packed a little bit more then went to the Elvis show at 2:30. This show was open to everyone on the ship and the theater was packed! The performers were great and even the cruise director got into the action as the “fourth” Elvis! The show was really well received by everyone and they also used it as another fundraiser for Haiti.

After the show, we stayed for the second session of bingo, with the jackpot of over $3,000. Of course we didn’t win, but it was still fun to play! When it was over, my mother went to the second Elvis show (open only to members of the group) and I went back to the cabin to change for dinner. Tonight I had French onion soup, Shrimp and Mahi-Mahi tempura with plum sauce, and a selection of cakes for dessert. We had also brought down the bottle of champagne from our room to share with the rest of the table. It was kind of sad to say goodbye to everyone since we had such a fabulous time with them throughout the week.

After dinner we went back to our cabin to finish packing and put out our suitcases. I decided to just take it easy and sit out on the balcony for the last time (sniff).

[TNCruiser30]

Disembarkation

We had an 8:00am departure since our flight left at 11:30am. We got up early and ate in the WJ for the last time. Since we had put out our suitcases the night before, we just had to pack our toiletries and we waited in our cabin until it was time to meet at the Macbeth dining room to be escorted out.

We didn’t have to wait very long and they had our luggage ready to pick up by the time we left the ship. Our two suitcases were together and relatively easy to find, but we were missing a duffel bag. I searched high and low for it, but could not find it anywhere. The representative suggested I look in the next “White” room since sometimes they got mixed up with the “Beige” but it wasn’t there either. Finally, the rep asked what it looked like and as it turned out they had kept it separate because the strap broke and the luggage tag was lost.

Relieved, we carried our luggage through customs and out to the waiting bus. We had to wait for quite a while for the bus to fill up before leaving for the airport, but we still had plenty of time.

Once at the airport, we had to wait in a long line to check in. Next time I think I will do the luggage valet service. We wanted to this trip, but our flight left too early for us to be eligible.

Our suitcases were packed to the brim with clothes and souvenirs and one of them was overweight (I won’t name names). They offered to let us repack the suitcase but there was no way so we just paid the excess baggage fee and went on our way.

The flight home was smooth and it was quite a start to leave 70 degree weather and land in 30 degree weather. With snow on the ground too! But we had a great time and can’t wait to do it again!

[SandraLee]

LOVED your report. Thank you!

 

I'm thrilled I picked the 'right' side of the ship -- we love watching the dock and I'm booked on the starboard side. That looked like the side that was at the dock on most of your pictures.

[TNCruiser30]

Final Thoughts

CABIN: Of course we loved our cabin (especially the balcony!) and had specifically requested it after staying in the same one last March. Our room steward was fantastic and she always took the time to make sure we had everything we needed. It was always clean and we had towel animals every night!

SERVICE: I thought the service was fantastic and found no faults anywhere. All the staff members smiled and said hello every time we passed them. Everyone was polite and friendly and several took the time to really get to know you and remember your name.

FOOD: I know there are a lot of negative reviews out there about the food, but again, I could not find any faults. I admit I am not a gourmet, but I thought all the food was good and I especially liked the salad bar for lunch in the dining room. I guess all food is good when you don’t have to prepare it! I think I will go back to the later seating though for my next cruise. I just liked the extra time before dinner to relax and change.

EXCURSIONS: All the excursions we took were great. I especially enjoyed the panoramic drive in St. Thomas. Since I was traveling with my mother, we kept everything a little low key, but I had already been to the islands before and done scuba diving, snorkeling, etc. The island tours were a nice change of pace and I think I appreciate the islands we went to more after having the chance to do them.

ENTERTAINMENT: Unfortunately we did not get to the shows like we had planned, but it wasn’t a big deal. The only show I wish we had seen was the ice show, but we didn’t realize that they distributed tickets for ALL the ice shows at once. We thought it was just for the show that day, not the rest of the week. As soon as we realized our mistake, it was too late, and of course we remembered then that we made the same mistake last year! Oh well. In general, I thought the cruise director’s staff did a great job and I especially liked Joff Eaton and his assistant Katie.

SHIP: The ship is gorgeous, the most beautiful I have traveled on. We will really miss her when she goes overseas, but I guess that will give us an excuse to go on a European cruise next time!

I know some people like to read about the negatives in reviews, but I can honestly say there were no negatives on this trip. Everything ran smoothly, we had perfect weather all week, and we met lots of great people. It probably was the best cruise I have ever been on and hopefully my next one will live up to it (or exceed it!)

Thanks everyone for reading my review and to all your nice comments about the pictures. I love to take pictures and I thought it would be nice to share them with all of you. I have read countless reviews on this website and I always appreciated the information they gave and it was fun to see people have such a good time on their vacations. It just makes you look forward to your vacation even more!

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask and hopefully I will be able to answer them!

[springaussie]

Top review. Thanks for sharing!

I am looking forward to my trip on the Independence of the Seas on its Trans Atlantic run to Southampton in April.

I have a few questions for you please.

Is there a zip line on the Independence?

Did you find any area of the ship being over crowded most of the time?

If I do not want breakfast or lunch in the Main Dining Room or Windjammer every day is there another alternative you can recommend?

What was your best and worst experience onboard?

thanks in advance

Glen

Australia

[poncho1973]

Very nice review. I've been to most of the ports and enjoyed your take on them. Thanks!

[LTyler]

Great review and your pictures are SIMPLY GORGEOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Was wondering how the valet luggage service works?