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Independence Of The Seas B2B with over 100 pictures

Spaniel Lover
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crewsweeper "Live from...." Rare

crewsweeper

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Great review JimZim! Thanks for sharing. DW is booked on the IotS for next April with a women's group. She's a "loyal" Carnival cruiser (platinum) and just got back last month from her second cruise on the Sunshine. So your pictures and comparisons to Carnival are appreciated. We're booked on the Vista in January 2017 and from what I can gather from our small roll call, the Havana cabins are already sold out. There's only 4 with hammocks, so better not wait too long. Be a great area to avoid lots of screaming kiddos. BTW I have those YI moments too.:D Like the time I dropped my S&S card in the elevator and it fell straight through the crack in the floor by the door. My wallet was in the safe in the cabin. I had to get security to open the cabin, open the safe and then someone to go down to the bowels of the ship and retrieve my S&S card.

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Ecuador

Ecuador

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great review and fantastic photos.

Re tripod Do you only use tripod ashore or do you use it on the ship.I have a travel tripod and am thinking of taking it on next cruise for some low light photos but not sure if there would be too much movement on board.

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wildcat46

wildcat46

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I am bummed. None of he pictures would open for me. the review was great, but it sounds like I really missed out on the pictures. Just a bunch of square icons and I tried opening them in two different browsers will not luck.

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Spaniel Lover

Spaniel Lover

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Re tripod Do you only use tripod ashore or do you use it on the ship.I have a travel tripod and am thinking of taking it on next cruise for some low light photos but not sure if there would be too much movement on board.

 

I only use it onboard, and never take it ashore. Mainly I use it for low-light night shots and then also sometimes for selfies on a timer. The motion of the ship is no problem at all for the camera on a tripod... as both the ship and the camera move in sync. A low-light shot of something on the horizon would not work, though, as the motion of the ship would mess that up. But shooting something within the ship is no problem on a tripod, even if the ship rocks.

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ccw2891

ccw2891

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We're sailing soon on the INDY and was wondering do you remember if there were any fees to assess the beach/waterpark in Haiti?...Or what the fees for the zipline were? I noticed you said the lunch was free , just wondering what else may be included there. Looking for a lot of low cost to free things to do while traveling. Your review is awesome and I thank you for all the details.

 

 

Labadee, Haiti

 

Normally you wouldn't think of Haiti as a vacation hot spot. It's one of the poorest countries in the world, with a whole lot of political instability and about the worst living conditions you'll find in the Americas. But Royal Caribbean has developed a little portion of Haiti as their own little private vacation paradise. And paradise it is...

 

ColumbusCove-IMG_8377.JPG

One of the best days of our 14-day cruise was spent right here under the palm trees of Columbus Cove.

 

For most passengers, a day at Royal Caribbean's private destination at Labadee will basically be a day at the beach. Swim in the warm Caribbean waters and relax on a lounger. Buy some drinks, if you'd like, or just enjoy a free barbecued lunch. For those interested in a little more excitement, rent a jet ski, go snorkeling, or play on the inflatable toys at the water park:

 

LabadeeWaterPark-IMG_8407.JPG

 

There's also a gigantic zip line, a bobsled ride, and a waterslide! If you'd rather take it easy and you're willing to shell out a few bucks to be served, rent one of the bungalows overlooking the water.

 

Labadee-IMG_8405.JPG

 

You've got to be careful about sunburn at a place like this. Even if you cover yourself with sunblock, you can get a pretty nasty sunburn after spending the day here... if you're not careful. There are several distinct areas within Royal Caribbean's Labadee development. I recommend going to the one furthest from the ship... it's called Columbus Cove. The most important thing it's got going for it is a lot of trees and a lot of shade... to help you keep from getting sunburned. Also, because it's the furthest from the ship, it's the least crowded. The beach at Columbus cove is really nice. There are no waves, and the sand is soft and plentiful. No beach shoes needed in the water at all. There are bathrooms, and a restaurant serving a free barbecue lunch. It's not really that long of a walk from the ship... but there's a tram that can take you there if you don't want to walk it. Also, Columbus Cove is where that water park is located... so if you've got kids, this is a natural for you.

 

One of the most popular beaches at Labadee is called Adrenaline Beach. It's the beach where you can watch the people come screaming down off the hill on the zip line. That's definitely fun to watch! The problem, as you can see from this next picture, is that the loungers are all out in the direct sun. So, wear lots of sunscreen, cover yourself up after a while... and if you can afford it, think about renting one of those luxurious day beds!

 

Labadee-IMG_8412.JPG

The rocks of the breakwater help protect swimmers at Adrenaline Beach from the strong currents.

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ccw2891

ccw2891

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We're sailing soon on the INDY and was wondering do you remember if there were any fees to assess the beach/waterpark in Haiti?...Or what the fees for the zipline were? I noticed you said the lunch was free , just wondering what else may be included there. Looking for a lot of low cost to free things to do while traveling. Your review is awesome and I thank you for all the details.

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LeDemonBlond

LeDemonBlond

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Thank you for spending the time to put this together. Interesting about the Pinocchio set. 4 years ago I was on the Independence sailing a 14 day Mediterranean cruise. That very set and performance was performed. I remember giving it a standing ovation at the end. I remember it as my teenage kids were embarrassed that I stood up. The rest of the musical/dancing numbers on the ship were so-so unfortunately but that particular performance stood out for me.

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Clarea

Clarea

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We're sailing soon on the INDY and was wondering do you remember if there were any fees to assess the beach/waterpark in Haiti?...Or what the fees for the zipline were? I noticed you said the lunch was free , just wondering what else may be included there. Looking for a lot of low cost to free things to do while traveling. Your review is awesome and I thank you for all the details.

Using the beach is free. However, the zipline is around $95.

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bestmommy

bestmommy

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Could you please tell me which side of the Independence is the smoking side? Thanks for that as well as for the great review of the ship that you spent so much time creating for the rest of us to enjoy and benefit from!

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  • 1 month later...
Spaniel Lover

Spaniel Lover

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Great Review !

Can you tell me how much it was at the Hilton Rose Hall in Jamaica and how much it cost by taxi if that's how you got there? Thanks.

 

We did this as a shore excursion booked through Royal Caribbean... so there was no taxi involved. We all got on an air conditioned bus for the trip to the resort.

 

I don't remember the exact cost... but let's say it was somewhere in the neighborhood of $120 per person. Keep in mind it's an all-inclusive resort... so that cost includes all the booze you can drink, and all the food you can eat... plus access to the pool, lazy river, and beach.

 

If you've currently got a cruise booked to Jamaica... just go to Royal Caribbean's web site and login to your cruise and you can then investigate what shore excursions are offered and what the exact price is if they offer the Hilton Rose Hall excursion on your cruise.

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