Independence of the Seas - First Cruise On Saturday - Need Help!

[divadee007]

We booked our first ever cruise with Royal Caribbean on Thursday and it was a last minute thing and we leave in a weeks time! Gahhhh.

 

We are sailing from Southampton on Independence of the Seas for a 2 week Med cruise.

 

We have so many questions still, even after reading hundreds of threads on here.

 

What restaurants are included in the price already? We have opted for My Dining Time. We didn't want to be restricted. The travel agent said we just tell them the night before what time we want to eat is that right? (There is only 2 of us).

 

We are maybe going for the soft drinks package. I don't think we will spend £1000 on alcohol which is what the top package would cost us for the 2 weeks!

 

Is it easy to do our own thing on port days? We don't want to be tied to excursions all the time. We like to meander off and do our own thing. (Making sure we are back at least an hour before the ship sails of course!)

 

Anything else we need to know? We have never done anything like this at all. We are both excited 30 something's (thinks kids at Xmas) but also nervous!

 

Thanks in advance.

[Clarea]

Restaurants included in the price: Main Dining Room, Windjammer (buffet), Cafe Promenade, Sorrento's.

[cb at sea]

If you know something about your ports, it's VERY easy to DIY...if you don't know your ports, grab a guidebook from your library or bookstore!

[Peewee14]

Diva

 

We are going to be on the same sailing with you!! this will be our second time on Indy, and we are the same, feels like xmas, can't wait!!

 

you will have a ball.

 

Best advice I can give is ignore your check in time and get there early, get on the ship when you can, they technically can make you wait but its very rare!

 

There are speciality restaurants on board you pay for, but you don't need to we enjoyed all the food that was included, my time dining is great, we turned up when we wanted on the first night and after that we picked a time slot for some nights and on others we just turned up when we wanted to, on only 1 occasion we where asked to wait and they gave us a beeper. If your happy to share a large table with other diners in my experience you get in straight away, if you want a table on your own you may have a wait.

 

Do a search through the forums, there have been loads of reviews for our itinerary recently with great advice for ports, a lady called Nix something did a particularly good one but there are many,

 

also do a search on youtube for some videos! they will get you even more excited!

 

you can always pick a drinks package on board, and change to a premium package then if you want to, so i wouldn't get too worried about it

 

Make sure you have a good look around all the ship, we didn't realise how much there was on our first trip and missed out a bit, so take the time to explore every bit of her!

 

and also just my personal advice is to take advantage of the room service, there are good and bad reviews of it, but it costs nothing unless late in the night and i enjoyed sometimes just chilling out in the cabin and having breakfast or even dinner!

 

Jonny rockets is also a must in my opinion!

 

Hope you have a great time, and maybe see you on board!!

[LBumb]

indy is a great ship

[divadee007]

Thanks for the advice so far!

 

It's all really helpful, booking last minute is good, but also a bit stressful as we have so much to do and learn about in just a week!

 

We have checked in today and printed the set sail passes. Know which balcony room we have. Now looking at trips we may do ourselves in port

[NorbertsNiece]

MTD you can just turn up..... or reserve table if you want.... it's your call entirely..... Indy is a super ship and you are going to have an awesome time :D

[Nix111]

Hi, you made a great choice, I did a live review a few weeks ago, you can search this forum for my post, there are 14 very detailed posts including port advice etc or you can see the first few days with photos on my blog http://www.cruisemuses.blog.co.uk I'm still uploading the rest should be done in a few days

 

You'll have an amazing time , it's a fabulous ship - enjoy

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[kruzgal]

Use the ports of call section on this forum and the search button to narrow it down to the exact port. We have always done DIY trips in the Med. and it is great. Not only do you save lots of money but you tend to see more and are more flexible about when you stop for food etc. We have also used the Rick Steves Book which has great detail on going alone and his free podcasts with walking tours around some of the major sites. Have a great time!

[JM-1972]

I always find Tom's Port guides very helpful when planning DIY. You can just print out what you need.

 

Check out magic seaweed for an indication of the sea conditions especially over Bay of Biscay. Don't worry if you feel a little queasy the first sea day a few people we spoke to felt a little queasy until they got used to the motion on our Med cruise in July just have some meds handy if needed. The Bay Biscay for next Sunday is looking good.

 

I am sure you will have a fabulous time!

[Clagmeister]

We booked our first ever cruise with Royal Caribbean on Thursday and it was a last minute thing and we leave in a weeks time! Gahhhh.

 

We are sailing from Southampton on Independence of the Seas for a 2 week Med cruise.

 

We have so many questions still, even after reading hundreds of threads on here.

 

What restaurants are included in the price already? We have opted for My Dining Time. We didn't want to be restricted. The travel agent said we just tell them the night before what time we want to eat is that right? (There is only 2 of us).

 

We are maybe going for the soft drinks package. I don't think we will spend £1000 on alcohol which is what the top package would cost us for the 2 weeks!

 

Is it easy to do our own thing on port days? We don't want to be tied to excursions all the time. We like to meander off and do our own thing. (Making sure we are back at least an hour before the ship sails of course!)

 

Anything else we need to know? We have never done anything like this at all. We are both excited 30 something's (thinks kids at Xmas) but also nervous!

 

Thanks in advance.

 

You will love Indy, its a great ship. You may find this site helpful http://www.whatsinport.com/index.htm

[Mark36]

Hi have a great time, Sailed on Indy twice to the Med.

 

Go for a sit down breakfast and Lunch in the main dining room sometime while on board. Much more civilised than the Buffet.

 

Also most cocktails are filled with lots of spirits so don't be put of by the price,

 

You will get a mid cruise Laundry bag for a set price fill it with lots of small stuff,

It comes back cleaned and pressed.

 

Have a great time.

Edited August 17, 2014 by Mark36
Update

[Paulette3028]

Hi have a great time, Sailed on Indy twice to the Med.

 

Go for a sit down breakfast and Lunch in the main dining room sometime while on board. Much more civilised than the Buffet.

 

Also most cocktails are filled with lots of spirits so don't be put of by the price,

 

You will get a mid cruise Laundry bag for a set price fill it with lots of small stuff,

It comes back cleaned and pressed.

 

Have a great time.

 

Take advantage of breakfast/lunch in the MDR, it is very enjoyable.

 

Johnny Rockets is great for breakfast as well....

 

The rest will take care of itself.

 

Cruising on Indy in February 2015, for Valentines Day. We have been on her sister ship, Liberty and loved it...

[Clarea]

Take advantage of breakfast/lunch in the MDR, it is very enjoyable.

 

Johnny Rockets is great for breakfast as well....

 

The rest will take care of itself.

 

Cruising on Indy in February 2015, for Valentines Day. We have been on her sister ship, Liberty and loved it...

No JR breakfast on Indy. Currently Oasis and Allure are the only ships with breakfast available at JR.

[Merion_Mom]

Is it easy to do our own thing on port days? We don't want to be tied to excursions all the time. We like to meander off and do our own thing. (Making sure we are back at least an hour before the ship sails of course!)

 

 

Thanks in advance.

 

I believe that your phones will work in all of your ports, so here is my advice:

 

Download podcasts for your ports now. There are many wonderful travel apps that you can use. Just a little research, and you will have a wonderful time on your own.

 

:)

[nbsjcruiser]

If you know something about your ports, it's VERY easy to DIY...if you don't know your ports, grab a guidebook from your library or bookstore!

 

better still Google the ports. You'll find a ton of information

[Paulette3028]

No JR breakfast on Indy. Currently Oasis and Allure are the only ships with breakfast available at JR.

 

Sorry to hear that....we tremendously enjoyed it when we were on Allure....when we are on Indy, it will be another breakfast in the MDR then.

 

Thanks....we do go to WJ, but have learned to enjoy the MDR especially on sea days.

[divadee007]

It's going to be a busy week reading up on all the ports!

 

Sill deciding which drink package to go for. I read somewhere on here that the wine and beer package includes cider and alcho pops. Is this correct? If so what does that include? Cos that's the one for me if it is right. Think it is about £23 a day.

[EatSleepCruise]

Hi Diva,

We did Indy in the Caribbean this past January and we liked the ship. We did an Ultimatum Drink Package which includes everything and we found it was a great value for us! The Select package comes with beer and wine under $8. I believe drinks like alcoholic cider are included in the package, along with soda.

 

As other folks on this thread have said, you can upgrade to a package with up to four days left in your cruise. You won't get any credit for your previous days alcohol purchases. I would feel it out for the first few days and then pull the trigger if you think the package works for you and your family. We bought the package with OBC we had on the first day of our 8 day sailing.

[Adayatatime]

It's going to be a busy week reading up on all the ports!

 

Sill deciding which drink package to go for. I read somewhere on here that the wine and beer package includes cider and alcho pops. Is this correct? If so what does that include? Cos that's the one for me if it is right. Think it is about £23 a day.

 

 

We are on your cruise! We did the same one last year.

 

We take our two free bottles of wine, and buy the 5 bottle package (about £120). That sorts me out except for a few cocktails (we drink the free water / juice / coffee and tea on board). My husband buys his beers one at a time. We don't drink many spirits.

 

Works out the cheapest option for us.

[rwright261]

We are on the cruise after yours and are very excited! Prepare to be hooked on cruising!

 

Sorry if repeat anything anyone else has already said, these are my tips-

 

- arrive early, make the most out of your first day on board

 

- you can take two bottles of wine or champers with you

 

- if you are driving to port, you aren't really limited on the amount of luggage you can take with you, so take advantage of it. There will be some wash in the shower, but IMO it's not great and you will most likely want your own body wash and shampoo. There will be a hair dryer in your room, but I don't find them very powerful so take my own. If you want to use theirs you may wish to take an elastic band to hold the power button down

 

- when you board if someone offers you a drink, it won't be free.

 

- breakfast will be served in the Windjammer buffet style, cafe promenade (pastries) and in two dining rooms (one buffet style) and one waiter service

 

- be sure to check out the lunch in the main dining room (only on sea days), you can be in and out in 30 mins if you like and they serve really nice salads as well as other meals and desserts. Lunch will also be served in the Windjammer. They serve afternoon tea in there too.

 

- each evening you will get the ships daily newspaper for the next day telling you what's going on on the ship and the opening times for the bars, restaurants etc. if in port it will also tell you the port authority etc. it may be worth taking ashore with you. You can get copies from a stand near to guest services. I always take highlighters to mark what activities I want to do.

 

- don't miss Quest show held in Studio B the ice rink. When I was last on Indy I really enjoyed the love and marriage show and the once upon a time show. There will be allocated times to pick up tickets for the ice shows although spares are usually available from guest services

 

- my time dining is great. If you want a table for two that's fine, likewise if you want to sit with others that's fine too. They will try and encourage you to make bookings, you don't have to if you don't want to. The waiters will try and accommodate you as much as they can, for example don't be scared to ask for your meal to be served with chips instead of mashed potatoes. If you don't like something they will bring you something different. Also if there's more than one dessert you'd like just ask.

 

- take some $1 with you so that you can tip the room service attendants and any bar tenders / room attendant. We always take extra dollars with us to leave extra tips at the end of the cruise for our room attendant but leave $1 along the way for towel animals etc.

 

- johnny rockets has a 5.95 (I think) cover charge and will be open for lunch and tea serving burgers and alike. Ben and Jerrys has an extra charge, as does the cupcake cupboard. The cakes, sandwiches and pastries from cafe promenade are free, as are the snacks served in sorrentos. There is a free self serve ice cream / frozen yoghurt machine on the pool deck. Room service has a charge after midnight until around 5am I think it is, but otherwise it's free. You will find a menu in your room. You can pre-order room service breakfast the evening ready for the next day.

 

- they hold events along the main promenade, such as 70s party which are worth watching. There's no extra cost for the surfing, rock climbing, mini golf and ice skating. There will also be activities such as scrapbooking, card making, jewellery making etc. Usually if there's a charge for the activity, it will tell you on the newspaper.

 

If you get time, take a look at your roll call, there may be people who have got together to do some private tours, there may still be space available for you.

 

Enjoy every minute of your holiday and take good care of Indy for our trip :)

 

 

-

Edited August 17, 2014 by rwright261