Sail along with us - Indy 8-day Caribbean Report (Picture heavy)

[Paulette3028]

OP - Please come back and continue your great review :D

 

I know that Indy does not have the Izumi, specialty Japanese restaurant, but does have a section of the WJ called "Jade" which during the dinner hours has sushi. Does someone know if the sushi is served throughout the dinner hours that the WJ is open?

 

Sailing on Indy on the 8 day itinerary embarking on Valentine's Day. We very much enjoy sushi, but have the early dinner seating. I would love to stop by WJ for a snack later in the evening to pick up a plate of sushi, and even take it back to our cabin, if not to eat at that moment.

[M&JfromSDL]

Sorry ya'll been closing out the month at work. I will post an update later today. Thanks for following along!

[sharonlacey]

On the ships that I have sailed the WJ does have a sushi station every night. If not mistaking they might have it at lunch also.

[MICHLEV1974]

who do you ask for special favors, such as, may I have a plate of sushi for an appetizer every night in the dining room? doesn't matter what sushi it is, just any sushi would be great. is that the head waiter? maître d? I remember asking for my son to have bbq ribs one night during the cruise and they accommodated him by having ribs twice for him during the week..he was so happy.

[Paulette3028]

who do you ask for special favors, such as, may I have a plate of sushi for an appetizer every night in the dining room? doesn't matter what sushi it is, just any sushi would be great. is that the head waiter? maître d? I remember asking for my son to have bbq ribs one night during the cruise and they accommodated him by having ribs twice for him during the week..he was so happy.

 

That you would probably have to enlist the assistance of the Maitre D' is my thought.

 

What I would do, is go to Jade in WJ on the first night or the second night and bring a plate of sushi to the dining room so you can enjoy it with your dinner. What will happen is that you will get there a few minutes late....then ask if it could be provided to you without you going to the WJ to get it first....just a thought.

[M&JfromSDL]

Friday, January 9, 2015 (Cont.)

Labadee

I remembered how great the light was during sailaway on our last visit to Labadee. This time proved to be the same! The sunset was magnificent!

 

 

 

 

 

Yours truly

 

We headed to aft section of the sports deck to play a little mini golf.

[M&JfromSDL]

After getting cleaned up dinner we hit our usual spot, Vintages for a pre-dinner drink.

 

Then it was on to the main dining room for dinner. We ordered a round of Champagne to celebrate my wife's birthday. The birthday girl started with escargot.

 

I had a soup. I can't remember which one but it was good.

 

The Mrs. had a soup as well. Sorry it's blurry.

 

Tonight I had the prime rib again. It was cooked perfectly.

[M&JfromSDL]

Our waiter knew it was her birthday. In fact everyone who swiped her SeaPass card seemed to know it was bday. That means singing and dinned table embarrassment. We were pretty stuffed but quickly found room for her dessert!

 

 

 

We walked around the ship afterwards to burn off some dinner. Mrs. M&JfromSDL wanted a photo with the dog overlooking the promenade so we knocked that out.

 

 

Then it was up to the Viking Crown Lounge. The excellent jazz band was not playing tonight or at least they weren't when we popped in. We were both in the mood to dance so we headed down to Boleros to dance some salsa.

 

Quick video of the band at Boleros.

Edited February 3, 2015 by M&JfromSDL

[M&JfromSDL]

Saturday, January 10, 2015

Day at Sea

We slept in this morning. Well...my other half slept in. I went up to the gym and worked out for a bit so I wouldn't disturb her. After the gym I met her down on the promenade and we shopped for a bit.

 

We needed our token refrigerator magnet and a few odds and ends for the friends looking after our apartment/cats back at home.

 

After walking around we agreed it was time for grease. And what better place than Johnny Rockets? So up we went. We got there just as they opened.

 

 

 

 

I was craving onion rings.

 

 

I customized my own burger. It looks like slop but it was pretty good.

 

The Mrs. had a BLT.

[M&JfromSDL]

We were stuffed after lunch and agreed we needed to walk around for a bit. We weren't really in the mood to sit by the pool so we walked around the ship and took pictures. Let's face it, vacation would be over the next day so we were getting a little sentimental. By this point we were ready to be home but enjoyed reminiscing about how great the week was.

 

So sit back and enjoy some of photos of the Independence of the Seas.

 

 

 

 

 

The Schooner Bar. Home of our favorite martini on the ship.

 

And the Holler and Swaller Piano sing-a-long.

[M&JfromSDL]

Then it was onto the casino. Hopefully one of you has won back some of the hundreds of dollars we donated to the slot machines and blackjack tables here.

 

 

 

 

 

Back on the Promenade we stopped at the Dog and Badger pub. There are a ton of proper pubs near our home in Northern VA. So we really never connected with this bar. It feels like a place we can visit at home. And we weren't fans of the live musician that played there. The place was packed every night so different strokes for different folks I guess.

 

Someone asked for the beer list. And the easiest way I can show you is this picture of all of their bottles. They have a few of the regulars on draft, but the majority of the more adventurous beers are bottled.

 

 

Our personal favorite and something we drink at home is Grolsch. Gotta love the bottles.

[A2Mich]

Saturday, January 10, 2015

 

Day at Sea

 

 

We slept in this morning. Well...my other half slept in. I went up to the gym and worked out for a bit so I wouldn't disturb her. After the gym I met her down on the promenade and we shopped for a bit.

 

 

 

We needed our token refrigerator magnet and a few odds and ends for the friends looking after our apartment/cats back at home.

 

 

 

After walking around we agreed it was time for grease. And what better place than Johnny Rockets? So up we went. We got there just as they opened.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was craving onion rings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I customized my own burger. It looks like slop but it was pretty good.

 

 

 

 

The Mrs. had a BLT.

 

 

 

Actually the burger looks pretty good! What all is on it? I'm always on the lookout for a good burger!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[M&JfromSDL]

Actually the burger looks pretty good! What all is on it? I'm always on the lookout for a good burger!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

 

I believe it was a bacon cheddar single. It was very good.

[M&JfromSDL]

Sorrento's...our late night tradition.

 

By now they were setting up for the farewell parade.

 

One of our favorite places on Freedom-class ships. When we booked this cruise were were torn between doing Allure again or the Indy 8-day. One of the things my wife brought up was how much we enjoyed people watching from Vintages on our Freedom cruise.

 

That's our favorite seat in the house.

[M&JfromSDL]

Of course there are plenty of places to spend money. I didn't think the duty free liquor prices were all that good this time around.

 

 

 

The Michael Kors store was a little more interesting than the Britto store. Admittedly, I never got into the whole multi-colored suitcase stuff they were selling. Mrs. M&JfromSDL didn't think the prices at the Michael Kors store were all that much better than home.

 

 

Cupcake Cupboard. We never made it there for more than window shopping.

 

Guest Services located across from the Champagne Bar.

Edited February 3, 2015 by M&JfromSDL

[M&JfromSDL]

The various elevator banks.

 

 

 

 

As we walked past Boleros we noticed Lorenzo was working and we found ourselves immediately in the mood for a mojito.

 

 

 

It gave us a chance to log into our webcam at home and check in on the cats. As usual, there was one sleeping on the futon in my office.

 

 

[M&JfromSDL]

Oh! I forgot to add. After we left Johnny Rockets we took a peek at one of the interactive TV screens. Not that we were hungry but we wanted to see what tonight's dinner menu was.

 

We kicked around the idea of going back to Giovanni's Table but after seeing the Seafood 'Cerviche' and Hot 'Harira' Soup we knew we would want to eat in the dining room.

 

 

 

Luckily the items were spelt correctly on the printed menu in the dining room.

 

But we did find a gem of an afternoon activity. A couple's massage class in the spa for just $53.

 

I'm a cynic at heart. I'm skeptical of every single "awesome deal" the cruise line offers. But this one IMHO was in fact, awesome.

 

I started out on the table. The therapist demonstrated 3 different techniques on me; massaging my back, arms and legs. Then she let my wife take a turn. About half way though I hopped off the table and my wife laid down. The therapist showed me the same techniques and then allowed me to try.

 

After the class we received a brand new bottle of massage oil that is sold on Amazon for $35/bottle. The whole class lasted roughly 50 minutes. It was relaxing and educational at the same time. The therapist was awesome too!

 

I will say, I was a bit disappointed in how the room was appointed. It looked a little bit more like a dentist office than a spa.

 

 

[Paulette3028]

Oh! I forgot to add. After we left Johnny Rockets we took a peek at one of the interactive TV screens. Not that we were hungry but we wanted to see what tonight's dinner menu was.

 

We kicked around the idea of going back to Giovanni's Table but after seeing the Seafood 'Cerviche' and Hot 'Harira' Soup we knew we would want to eat in the dining room.

 

 

 

Luckily the items were spelt correctly on the printed menu in the dining room.

 

But we did find a gem of an afternoon activity. A couple's massage class in the spa for just $53.

 

I'm a cynic at heart. I'm skeptical of every single "awesome deal" the cruise line offers. But this one IMHO was in fact, awesome.

 

I started out on the table. The therapist demonstrated 3 different techniques on me; massaging my back, arms and legs. Then she let my wife take a turn. About half way though I hopped off the table and my wife laid down. The therapist showed me the same techniques and then allowed me to try.

 

After the class we received a brand new bottle of massage oil that is sold on Amazon for $35/bottle. The whole class lasted roughly 50 minutes. It was relaxing and educational at the same time. The therapist was awesome too!

 

I will say, I was a bit disappointed in how the room was appointed. It looked a little bit more like a dentist office than a spa.

 

 

As long as you were not in a reclining chair with that nasty glaring light in your eyes like when you are in the dentists chair......I think you were in the spa.

[jes Scott]

Oh! I forgot to add. After we left Johnny Rockets we took a peek at one of the interactive TV screens. Not that we were hungry but we wanted to see what tonight's dinner menu was.

 

We kicked around the idea of going back to Giovanni's Table but after seeing the Seafood 'Cerviche' and Hot 'Harira' Soup we knew we would want to eat in the dining room.

 

 

 

Luckily the items were spelt correctly on the printed menu in the dining room.

 

But we did find a gem of an afternoon activity. A couple's massage class in the spa for just $53.

 

I'm a cynic at heart. I'm skeptical of every single "awesome deal" the cruise line offers. But this one IMHO was in fact, awesome.

 

I started out on the table. The therapist demonstrated 3 different techniques on me; massaging my back, arms and legs. Then she let my wife take a turn. About half way though I hopped off the table and my wife laid down. The therapist showed me the same techniques and then allowed me to try.

 

After the class we received a brand new bottle of massage oil that is sold on Amazon for $35/bottle. The whole class lasted roughly 50 minutes. It was relaxing and educational at the same time. The therapist was awesome too!

 

I will say, I was a bit disappointed in how the room was appointed. It looked a little bit more like a dentist office than a spa.

 

 

 

 

In the dining room if one of you loves the menu and another hates it can you order grilled chicken or steak? It was that way 10 years ago (last time we cruised) on carnival Glory...just wondering as my DH is a bit (very) picky!

 

Thanks for the beer pic! He is thrilled at the selection!!

 

 

Jess

Edited February 3, 2015 by jessica.g.studer

[JenGang]

In the dining room if one of you loves the menu and another hates it can you order grilled chicken or steak? It was that way 10 years ago (last time we cruised) on carnival Glory...just wondering as my DH is a bit (very) picky!

 

Thanks for the beer pic! He is thrilled at the selection!!

 

 

Jess

 

Jess, they will have options every night that your husband will enjoy. :) If you go on Royal Caribbean's website, you can view sample menus.

[perfect match]

Thank you for all of the ship pictures! You are getting me really excited for our cruise on Indy in April! :D

[Bamagirl_gina]

Jess, they will have options every night that your husband will enjoy. :) If you go on Royal Caribbean's website, you can view sample menus.

 

The menus on the RCI website are under "press kits". :)

[MichaelCMTX]

Breakin my heart, we were on the next 8-night after you and man, how I wish I was back there today.

 

We were so overcast leaving Labadee we missed out on a decent sunset, but I snapped a few the evening after San Juan for the History Books.

 

That Harira soup didn't cure the cold that was coming on but hoo-boy, it sure delayed it.

 

To anyone sailing in Indy in the near future, if they're low on Moscato that's DW's fault. She had the Ultimate Package, that was one of her go-to's, and on at least 5 different occasions she ran 3 different bars out (Plaza bar twice, possibly 3 times if that's where Chops was getting their refills, Olive or Twist twice, Vintages once).

 

Thanks for the memories. Phone problems, printer problems, shipping problems, none of this happened on Indy. ;)

[1ParticularHbr]

Since OP is keen on misspellings, I couldn't resist..."luckily the items were spelt correctly on the printed menu in the dining room" should be "spelled" correctly :)

[DanScrim]

OP -

 

Thanks for the pictures and reading. This has been terrific. We sail Indy on 2/27 and this just got us REALLY excited!!!

Edited February 4, 2015 by DanScrim