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

[luvlake]

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? Sorry no zip line.

 

Did you find any area of the ship being over crowded most of the time? The pool area was probably the most crowded.

 

If I do not want breakfast or lunch in the Main Dining Room or Windjammer every day is there another alternative you can recommend? You can try room service for breakfast and there are several things available on the Promenade deck and there is always Johnny Rockets.

 

What was your best and worst experience onboard? We also were on last week and I thought the whole trip was the best. We did not have any bad experiences.

 

 

thanks in advance

Glen

Australia

 

Hope this helps.:)

[springaussie]

Hope this helps.:)

 

It sure does help!

Thank you

[Dexysgirl]

We have just booked 1702(next door to you) for an 11 night Canary Islands cruise on Independence out of Southampton. Your review was fantastic . Thank you. We sailed out of New York on Princess last year and your photos of ST Thomas brought it all back to me. My day there was very special.

Can you tell me if the sofa beds are big , as we are bringing our 2 children aged 10 and 7 and hope the sofa bed is big enough for them?

 

Thanks again for your wonderful review and pictures.

[JS99]

Thank you so much for the wonderful review and of course the pictures!!

Really enjoyed reading every word. We leave 6 wks from today for our

AOS vacation. Can't wait.

[lhall85917]

Thanks so much for your detailed review. We are really excited to be on the same itinerary in April. Can someone help with some info on the Promenade area - are all of the shops in this area ones that have only "for pay" items or is there anything there that is included in your cruise fare?

[luv2read]

Thanks for your great review on the IOS. Just a few questions about your flight home. What time did your flight leave? Did you leave from FLL? Lastly, what time did you leave the ship to get to the airport? Sorry so many questions but I am trying to make arrangements for my flight home after my upcoming cruise but I want an early flight. Thanks for your time.

[dleafy]

Wondering what you mean by "toon army"? Newcastle fan?

 

That's right. Won 5-1 last night.

 

Once again, thanks for a great review. Loved the pics.

 

I have to agree with you, we just could not fault any aspect of this cruise, Apart from the red wine.

 

Cheers

 

davy!!!

[bbpark]

Great pictures and great review. Thanks for posting. We have a question for you. We noticed you had the corner aft cabin and we have the same cabin on the deck below. We've never seen a room with a pole in it like the one in your picture and we're wondering if our room will have that too. Did that bother you at all or get in your way? How annoying was it?

[SRQfireman]

I don't think I saw this asked.....if you don't mind saying, what did it cost to do the "Elvis thing" ?? Were there any restrictions? or what you paid, you doing anything that the others were doing? This is the first I heard about anybody being able to book on your own, but still be able to cash in on the guest entertainer like that....I've noticed on most of those "special deals" that they charge ya big time for your room and entertainment that you're required to get through a specific vendor........so....how much was that per person if you'd be willing to explain??

 

Thank you in advance

[TNCruiser30]

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

From what I read, you can pay an extra fee and have your luggage delivered straight from the boat to the airport without you having to check it in. You don't see your luggage again until you arrive home. But there were some restrictions of flight times...leaving FLL your flight couldn't be before 11:30am.

[TNCruiser30]

We have just booked 1702(next door to you) for an 11 night Canary Islands cruise on Independence out of Southampton. Your review was fantastic . Thank you. We sailed out of New York on Princess last year and your photos of ST Thomas brought it all back to me. My day there was very special.

Can you tell me if the sofa beds are big , as we are bringing our 2 children aged 10 and 7 and hope the sofa bed is big enough for them?

 

Thanks again for your wonderful review and pictures.

From what I remember from our last trip (when we did use the sofa bed) it was fairly large and I'm sure you will have no problem with both children on it. Hope you enjoy your trip!

[TNCruiser30]

Thanks so much for your detailed review. We are really excited to be on the same itinerary in April. Can someone help with some info on the Promenade area - are all of the shops in this area ones that have only "for pay" items or is there anything there that is included in your cruise fare?

All of the items in the shops were extra and not included in the cruise fare, but some of the eating places on the promenade are included, such as Sorrentos and the Promenade cafe (excluding specialty coffees).

[TNCruiser30]

Thanks for your great review on the IOS. Just a few questions about your flight home. What time did your flight leave? Did you leave from FLL? Lastly, what time did you leave the ship to get to the airport? Sorry so many questions but I am trying to make arrangements for my flight home after my upcoming cruise but I want an early flight. Thanks for your time.

Our flight left at 11:20 from FLL and we were the first group off the boat at 8am, so we had plenty of time. I think you may be able to get off a little earlier if you self-carry your own luggage, but I apologize I don't remember what time they were allowed off the ship. Hope this helps!

[TNCruiser30]

Great pictures and great review. Thanks for posting. We have a question for you. We noticed you had the corner aft cabin and we have the same cabin on the deck below. We've never seen a room with a pole in it like the one in your picture and we're wondering if our room will have that too. Did that bother you at all or get in your way? How annoying was it?

I'm not sure if the pole in on all decks, but it really wasn't a problem for us. We liked the layout of the corner aft cabin because it made the room seem bigger and more spacious than the typical balcony cabin.

[TNCruiser30]

I don't think I saw this asked.....if you don't mind saying, what did it cost to do the "Elvis thing" ?? Were there any restrictions? or what you paid, you doing anything that the others were doing? This is the first I heard about anybody being able to book on your own, but still be able to cash in on the guest entertainer like that....I've noticed on most of those "special deals" that they charge ya big time for your room and entertainment that you're required to get through a specific vendor........so....how much was that per person if you'd be willing to explain??

 

Thank you in advance

I'm not really sure how you usually book the Elvis group cruises, but we just happened to meet with one of the representatives when we first boarded and it sounded like fun (like I said my mother is a HUGE fan!). I don't think they got the turnout they were expecting on this cruise so that's why they opened it up for anyone to join. It was rather expensive at $150 per person, but that included all the daily shows and the meet and greets. I kind of tagged along with my mother, but I thought the performers were all really good and we both enjoyed it.

[TNCruiser30]

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

LuvLake couldn't have said it better!

[pscruzinboyz]

Hey TNCRUISER

 

Great Photos.......I love people that post their pictures on the thread....I hate going to web sites so thanks for that.

 

Plus you are very CUTE!!!!.....I am not a stalker......Just a Gay guy that knows Cuteness.....And that is you......And a great daughter to go with MOM. I lost my MOM 2 years ago and loved to vacation with her so try to do once a year if you can. Moms are the Best and so are daughters.....:)

 

Hope to cruise with both of you one day...:)

 

Mike

[chrisnleigh]

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

 

Would highly recommend Kays (not the same one as in the malls) Service wonderful, selection of jewellry out of this world. Prices great. We had our bables appraised once we got home. Most were double if not triple what we paid for them. Wouldn't shop anywhere else. Two location in St. Maarten. One right on the end of the pier. Ask for Prince. Great guy.

Chris and Leigh:)

[Ashala]

Loved your very detailed review! I'll be setting sail in three weeks exactly, but on the 6-day itinerary. Thank you for painting a wonderful picture of the IOS. Can't wait!

[ToddinVA]

We just got off a 6 night Yucatan Peninsula cruise on the IOS yesterday. We got a really good deal on a superior balcony room and went on it to relax since my wife is pregnant. While we had a nice time, we were disappointed in the overall service. Dinner in the MDR seemed disorganized and slow. On the first night, our assistant waiter disappeared half way through the dinner! It got somewhat better as the week went on, but it was well short of what we've experienced in the past. Everyone we talked to thought the same thing. The stateroom attendant was nice enough, but didn't do all that she promised. Oddly, the shows were packed each night, far more than we've seen in the past. Joff Eaton was our cruise director and he was very good though. Probably our second favorite behind Richard Spacey. So while it was a nice enough cruise, it was not all it could have or should have been.

[mtchg]

..whatever digital you use takes quality stuff and you have a great eye. Picture postcard

good!!

 

You mentioned missing the IOS when she shifts to Southampton. We are so excited to be doing our first overseas cruise in July on the IOS; 14 niter Mdd. cruise. To afford it we had to take an inside (it's high season and whew; it's pricey), but are going with friends who booked a Royal Suite (guess where we will spend alot of time..LOL)..

 

Your great info and pics just whetted our appetite and she does look like a beautiful vessel.

 

Thanks again!

 

Mitch

[BeancounterUSA]

Would highly recommend Kays (not the same one as in the malls) Service wonderful, selection of jewellry out of this world. Prices great. We had our bables appraised once we got home. Most were double if not triple what we paid for them. Wouldn't shop anywhere else. Two location in St. Maarten. One right on the end of the pier. Ask for Prince. Great guy.

Chris and Leigh:)

 

 

Thanks for that info. Adding it to my notes

[TerriDHair]

I'm not sure if the pole in on all decks, but it really wasn't a problem for us. We liked the layout of the corner aft cabin because it made the room seem bigger and more spacious than the typical balcony cabin.

 

DH and I were on board with you, in the other "pole" cabin on deck 10. :D I agree, our cabin steward was awesome!

To answer the question about the deck nine corner cabins, they do not have the pole. They are also not as large as the deck 10 corner cabins, they are a standard E1. They do have a larger balcony than E1's on the sides, however.

The pole has never bothered us in the least, and we've had this same cabin on many different ships.

[Canuk Flo]

I don't think I saw this asked.....if you don't mind saying, what did it cost to do the "Elvis thing" ?? Were there any restrictions? or what you paid, you doing anything that the others were doing? This is the first I heard about anybody being able to book on your own, but still be able to cash in on the guest entertainer like that....I've noticed on most of those "special deals" that they charge ya big time for your room and entertainment that you're required to get through a specific vendor........so....how much was that per person if you'd be willing to explain??

 

Thank you in advance

 

I attended the "Cruising With The King" shows on this cruise as I am a member of the Daylin James Fan Club. I really enjoyed the week with all three tribute artists. We had a wonderful time and were really proud of their efforts to raise money for Haiti. (Joff Eaton was hilarious as the 4th Elvis at the show open to the whole ship.) There are more cruises in the future planned. Here is their website: http://www.cruisingwiththeking.com/cruise-20100522-bermuda-mp.php

 

If you are an Elvis fan you will not be disappointed. Many of us are planning on attending again next January.

 

Flo