Tell me about the Indy!

[LuckiStac13*Majesty*]

Morning! Never thought I’d go as big as Navigator…but sailed on her in Feb. and loved the ship. Just booked the Independence since we want to leave out of FLL, and am once again worried about the size of her. I really know nothing about the ship…so tell me about her! How is the crew, the crowding, the pool deck? Any favorite/least favorite things about her? I would appreciate any advice/feedback good or bad...

[uksaint]

Morning! Never thought I’d go as big as Navigator…but sailed on her in Feb. and loved the ship. Just booked the Independence since we want to leave out of FLL, and am once again worried about the size of her. I really know nothing about the ship…so tell me about her! How is the crew, the crowding, the pool deck? Any favorite/least favorite things about her? I would appreciate any advice/feedback good or bad...

 

Actually - you know quite a lot about the ship. IOTS is very similar to Navigator. These were the first two RC ships we sailed and we instantly felt at home and knew our way around on IOTS - just imagine they cut the Navigator in half and stuck and extra mid section in there. So longer Royal Promenade - Water Park area up top and most everything else is where you would expect it to be on Navigator - least thats how it felt to us.

 

As for crew, we had the best MDR team ever on our IOTS sailing. Cabin steward was just OK, but everywhere else crew were friendly and helpful as I would expect. Can't say I have ever felt crowded on an RC ship (except WJ) so if you loved the Navigator - don't think you need worry about the Freedom class.

[LuckiStac13*Majesty*]

Actually - you know quite a lot about the ship. IOTS is very similar to Navigator. These were the first two RC ships we sailed and we instantly felt at home and knew our way around on IOTS - just imagine they cut the Navigator in half and stuck and extra mid section in there. So longer Royal Promenade - Water Park area up top and most everything else is where you would expect it to be on Navigator - least thats how it felt to us.

 

As for crew, we had the best MDR team ever on our IOTS sailing. Cabin steward was just OK, but everywhere else crew were friendly and helpful as I would expect. Can't say I have ever felt crowded on an RC ship (except WJ) so if you loved the Navigator - don't think you need worry about the Freedom class.

 

Excellent, this is great news. Thanks a lot for taking the time to respond.

[ellyg1824]

She's a beautiful ship !! Yes she is very large and some cabins are a long distance from the lifts but as long as you're pretty mobile its not a problem. The crew are fantastic and can't do enough for you .

 

Pool Deck is lovely the only thing i'd comment on for the number of passengers the pools aren't big enough/too few. It can get slightly crowded if you have sea days but there are quieter areas that you can find. The royal promenade is stunning and the street parties are good fun.

 

I was on her last October and i'm back on her from Saturday for two weeks. Can't wait !! Favourite thing......everything about her.

 

Only thing that did dissapoint was sometimes the food wasn't warm enough but mass catering on the scale of Indy must be a big challenge.

[LuckiStac13*Majesty*]

She's a beautiful ship !! Yes she is very large and some cabins are a long distance from the lifts but as long as you're pretty mobile its not a problem. The crew are fantastic and can't do enough for you .

 

Pool Deck is lovely the only thing i'd comment on for the number of passengers the pools aren't big enough/too few. It can get slightly crowded if you have sea days but there are quieter areas that you can find. The royal promenade is stunning and the street parties are good fun.

 

I was on her last October and i'm back on her from Saturday for two weeks. Can't wait !! Favourite thing......everything about her.

 

Only thing that did dissapoint was sometimes the food wasn't warm enough but mass catering on the scale of Indy must be a big challenge.

 

Thanks, the things you mentioned don't bother me, except the pools, but I expect that. I'm a sun worshipper so I love to spend lots of time up on deck around the pool.

 

We booked Cabin #8610, near the elevators, so we should be okay as far as that's concerned.

 

Have a great cruise!!

[LuckiStac13*Majesty*]

Anybody else have any thoughts/opinions? Bumping this up...

[avazah]

No additional thoughts, but I'm keeping an eye on this thread... Our first cruise is on Indy in January! Very excited!

[micmacmissy]

I'm bumping this too...seems that since Independence has been overseas for so long, it's been awhile since we've had a review of what their Caribbean cruises are like. I guess we'll have to wait awhile longer...looks like it won't be sailing out of FLL until December.

 

The recent reviews are all Canary Islands cruises out of Southampton...kind of hard to compare that to a cruise out of FLL that is full of Americans. Different expectations, I would imagine.

 

I'm curious to hear people's thoughts too!

[Lottycruiser]

I can only give an opinion from a British point of view , we sailed around the Canary Isles on her in april .She is due to go into dry dock April next year which might make people think she is in need of some TLC , she is a beautiful ship , the crew keep her spotless , wherever you walk you will see crew cleaning or polishing , the crew are second to none , very happy , very friendly and will always greet you with a smile and a hello .

The food was the best we have had on any of our royal cruises , food tastes vary as does people's opinions but we couldn't fault it , there was everything you could want in the Windjammer buffet , with the amount of passengers on Indy the food had a good turnover so was replaced frequently and we found it plenty hot enough .

The MDR was very good , we were served promptly with excellent wait staff , the food came out as hot as you could expect with the demands of so many passengers , not once was it served not hot enough and the food was always delicious with plenty of choice .

We were unfortunate to experience a very rough crossing through the Bay of Biscay which kept some passengers in their rooms for a day due to the swaying of the ship , we also only had two days out of the ten days cruise where we could go up on the pool deck to sunbathe due to the bad weather , it was a shame but we still had a great time , there was still plenty to do onboard and the crew did a great job in keeping us all entertained .

To sum up , Indy is a great ship with great crew , great food , lovely and clean throughout , you should have a great time on a fantastic ship .

[Ocean Boy]

Independence is one on my favorite ships. I love Voyager class ships and the Freedom class ships are even better. The Freedom class ships are stretched versions of the Voyager ships. If you liked Navigator you are going to really enjoy Indy. The Royal Promenade is a bit longer that Navigator's. In addition to the Café Promenaded you will find Sorrento's Pizza. There are also a couple of extra shops. The pool deck is about the same as on Navigator with the addition of the H2O zone in the extra section that was added. The adult solarium is really nice with some very comfortable furniture. It also has hot tubs that hang out over the side of the ship. Up on the sports deck you will find a flowrider that Navigator does not have. The rock wall is a bit taller. There is no roller blading track. Out in front on deck 11 there is no peek-a-boo bridge overlooking the bridge operations as there is on the Voyager class ships.

 

With just a few other minor changes stepping aboard Independence after Navigator will seem like you are in very familiar territory.

[Ocean Spirit]

We sailed on her the first year she was out. It is a wonderful ship. We would sail her again any day.

We loved the whirlpools! The small pool area for adults was great for resting.

We always book a cabin right at the elevators. It is much easier to find your cabin & to orient to the ship. If I had to do it again, I would book more mid ship. If you forget something when you went to dinner (a needed sweater if dining room is cool) it is a long long walk to the front of the ship. We just thought a little bit more about what we needed before we left our room.

Enjoy your trip.

[xray]

Regarding the hot tubs that extend over the side of the ship..Are they usually crowded? What hours can you use them? Are they in a shade?

 

Thanks,

Xray

[dln929]

Morning! Never thought I’d go as big as Navigator…but sailed on her in Feb. and loved the ship. Just booked the Independence since we want to leave out of FLL, and am once again worried about the size of her. I really know nothing about the ship…so tell me about her! How is the crew, the crowding, the pool deck? Any favorite/least favorite things about her? I would appreciate any advice/feedback good or bad...

 

Stacy, try using the search box. Just type in "Independence of the Seas" and you'll come up with several pages of posts you may enjoy reading. Most of them are Roll Call posts so ignore those but in between you'll see plenty of questions just like yours. Have fun going through them! You'll find out that the Indy is a very well liked ship with lots of positive reports (mine included :D).

[redwings1958]

Is the Pizza any better than what is on the Voyager class. I found those to be mediocre at best

[Ocean Boy]

Is the Pizza any better than what is on the Voyager class. I found those to be mediocre at best

 

It is pretty much exaclty the same. But somehow it doesn't taste so bad sitting outside the pub with a beer on the Promenade at 1 AM.:)

[kruzerci]

They are a lot alike, the Freedom class is just slightly larger and newer with a few new features. You will know your way around Indy from being on Navigator.

[Ocean Boy]

Regarding the hot tubs that extend over the side of the ship..Are they usually crowded? What hours can you use them? Are they in a shade?

 

Thanks,

Xray

 

They can be crowded at times. It is hit or miss. They are open 24 hrs. though periodically one or the other will be closed for cleaning. Whether they are in the sun or shade depends on which side of the ship the sun is on.

[micmacmissy]

Found this video about Independence on you tube. It isn't new, but it is pretty cool!

 

[LuckiStac13*Majesty*]

Thanks everybody, I've enjoyed reading your comments. Sounds like a great ship!

 

OB-you sailing on her this winter?

[vacation fool]

Just wondering if the Indy has a broadway production show like Liberty does? (saturday nite fever) Trying to decide between those 2 ships.....thanks

[Ocean Boy]

Thanks everybody, I've enjoyed reading your comments. Sounds like a great ship!

 

OB-you sailing on her this winter?

 

I'm planning to go back to Indy this year as I really like the 8 nighters and I love the ship. However, if I find some good pricing on flights to San Juan I may change to Adventure as we have not been down in the southern Caribbean, my favorite ports, for awhile now.

[redwings1958]

I'm planning to go back to Indy this year as I really like the 8 nighters and I love the ship. However, if I find some good pricing on flights to San Juan I may change to Adventure as we have not been down in the southern Caribbean, my favorite ports, for awhile now.

 

GOOD LUCK!. I just changed from the AOS to IOS because the airfare to SJU is OUTRAGEOUS. Flights to FLL are about 1/2 of what they are to SJU:):):)

[Ocean Boy]

GOOD LUCK!. I just changed from the AOS to IOS because the airfare to SJU is OUTRAGEOUS. Flights to FLL are about 1/2 of what they are to SJU:):):)

 

I'm hoping that will change when Southwest finishes the buyout of Air Tran and takes over its routes to San Juan.

[VegasMark]

For those that are active, there is probably no better ship on the seas unless you go to Allure/Oasis. They really do a lot to cater to the active crowd with the FlowRider, rock climbing wall, ice skating rink, sports court, and more. Great staff, great ship - look no further!

[LuckiStac13*Majesty*]

I'm planning to go back to Indy this year as I really like the 8 nighters and I love the ship. However, if I find some good pricing on flights to San Juan I may change to Adventure as we have not been down in the southern Caribbean, my favorite ports, for awhile now.

 

Got it. I'd love to do the SC but the airfare is always a deal-breaker, unfortunately. Hope it works out for you.