Independence of the Seas with a Toddler - Picture Review

[CruisinSinceIwasBorn]

Introduction

 

Sail Date: 12 November 2015

 

Itinerary:

Day 1 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Day 2 - At Sea

Day 3 - Cozumel, Mexico

Day 4 - At Sea

Day 5 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL

 

I wanted to start this review with a short background. I have been avid cruiser since I was very little and cruising was for the "newly wed and nearly dead." When my family and I started sailing with NCL, the children's staff also served as the dancers in the shows. When my wife and I first started dated, I quickly introduced her to the cruising lifestyle. In July 2014 we welcomed our beautiful new cruiser, I mean daughter, to the world. Previously, my wife and I sailed Carnival because it offered a great value and was targeted towards our demographic. Unfortunately, Carnival does not offer programs aimed towards the youngest cruisers (less than 2 years). The only two mainstream lines that do are Disney and RCI. Disney prices are on a whole different level, so we set our sights on RCI. In March 2015, we brought our daughter on her first cruise, the Liberty of the Seas. As much as an 8-month-old could, she loved it. For the Liberty, we had support from both sets of grandparents in adjoining balconies. We loved the ship as well as the Royal Tots program. When it came time to book our next cruise, it was a no-brainer that we wanted to go on a Freedom Class ship.

 

For the IOS, we would not have grandparent support and it would just be the three of us. We were actually excited that this would be our first "family" vacation. Because we had gone back and forth about booking, there were no balcony cabins available when we booked. We were a little nervous about this as the balcony (on the LOS) offered a lot of usable space (remember, we have a crib, stroller, and tons of crap). In addition, the balcony is a nice refuge during nap time. Oh well. We will make it work!

 

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. Also, if you have questions about sailing with an 8-monther, feel free to ask those as well. I have all of the Cruise Compasses and the Royal Tots programs saved.

 

Alright, time to start the recap/review.

[Peeker28]

Thanks for doing a review, I'm going in March.

[CruisinSinceIwasBorn]

Day 1 - Embarkation

 

It was a VERY early morning. We had a flight to ATL leaving at 5:25 am. I always like to fly down the day before the cruise, but with work schedules, it just wasn't possible this time. If we can't fly down the day before, I book the earliest flights possible in case something comes up. There is a direct flight to FLL, but the arrival time was too late for comfort. The alarm went off at 2:30 am. The car was packed the night before, but to get everyone mobilized (including a 17-month old) takes time. We were in the car at 3:30 and on our way to the airport. After parking, we hauled all of our crap into the terminal for check in. Our daughter is young, but has already been on 8 flights. This does NOT mean it's easier. It is still a struggle, but we are slowly learning how to manage. We boarded our flight on-time and we're on our way to ATL. Our daughter was very tired, but did great.

 

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After a quick lay-over in ATL, we were on our way to sunny Florida. Of course our daughter fell asleep as we were waiting in line to board, but luckily she stayed asleep. Big win for Mom and Dad. After a quick flight, we were landing in sunny Florida.

 

We picked up our luggage and grabbed a cab. It was still early, around 10am, but being a cruising veteran, I always head straight to the cruise terminal. When we arrived at Port Everglades, the last of the previous passengers were heading home. We dropped our bags off with the porter and made our way to the terminal. This was our first cruise as Platinum, and the first perk made itself immediately known. The regular line was fairly long, but I noticed a sign for Platinum and above. There was an attendant blocking the line that let us through after seeing our sail and sign. We went straight through to a private security line (which we were the only ones) and then directly to a check in attendant. Curb to checked in in less than 10 minutes. Nice job RCI!

 

The Port Everglades terminal is for a lack of a better term, a dump. It's basically a converted warehouse. Embarkation is fine, but disembarkation is horrible (more to come later). We took our seat in the waiting area, and within 10 minutes (~1030), they started boarding. This was probably the earliest boarding we have had after the Fascination in Jacksonville. I've always found this to be one of the most exciting parts of the cruise as you work your way up the gangway. Note to those with mobility issues. The gangway for IOS is VERY steep. My wife and I were very surprised at the incline, especially considering the number of elderly passengers. When we traveled on the LOS (same port), our parents had some difficulty getting up the gangway to the ship.

 

Coming Up!

Day 1 - Embarkation Continued

[LuCruise]

Subscribing. Your little girl looks soooo sweet.

 

Sent from my ONE E1005 using Tapatalk

[cincicruisers]

Your daughter is a cutie! Looking forward to the rest of your review.

[CruisinSinceIwasBorn]

Day 1 - Embarkation Continued

We were finally on the ship! After an early start to the day, it was such a relief to finally be on board. Helped as well that the sun was shining and the temps were in the low 80s.

 

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The carry-on is always something that you need to put some thinking into. We always want to bring everything that we will need for the day, but don't want to be burdened with too much that it becomes a pain in the a**. Our daughter is obsessed with the water, so we knew we needed to have our bathing suits. One of the reasons we booked the Liberty as our first cruise with our daughter was the H20 zone and the baby splash pool. We didn't want to lose this benefit, which led us to the IOS. Only Freedom, Oasis, and Quantum (I think) have pools that allow for children in swim diapers. Though the pool is fairly minimal, it is heated (much warmer than the regular pool) and shallow. Our daughter loved it. After a quick snack of PB&J, we changed and made our way to the H20 zone. Our daughter loved it.

 

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My wife and I aren't big drinkers, but we do enjoy a beer by the pool, a pina colada here and there, and a cocktail with dinner. The al a carte drinks have become so outrageous in price (pina colada is $13 with tip) that we both got the premium package. Yes, it's pricey, but we at least broke even, probably better. Don't forget that you get unlimited soda and water (no, IOS does not have freestyle).

 

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RCI definitely does not have a shortage of bars. You can't make a 360 degree circle without seeing a bar. When we went on the Liberty in March, it was spring break for Florida colleges. We had over 2000 greeks on board. Let's just say that the bars became a battle and elbows were thrown. This time around, it was much more calm and you could get a drink in less than 20 minutes.

 

At 1:30 pm, our room was ready. We ended up with an inside cabin on deck 7 front. It was tight, very tight, but it was a short cruise. Even though we did not need it, we were in an adjoining cabin. This actually worked in our favor as the adjoining cabins have single chairs instead of sofas. With a pack and play, this worked better as we were able to move the chair into the closet and place the pack and play flush against the wall where the door was located. This placement allowed us a better "flow" in the cabin.

 

Shortly after getting settled, we made our way to the Royal Tots and Nursery. We had read before, and took advantage on the LOS, the toy lending program. This helped us reduce how much we packed. They have an assortment of toy bags that you can borrow for free for the duration of the cruise. After selecting our bag, we signed our daughter up for the nursery for each night of the cruise. We had great success with this on the LOS, and were not concerned this time around. Our daughter is in daycare at home, so going to a daycare setting is natural for her. (I will go into greater detail about the Royal Tots in a future post).

 

Before we knew it, it was time for the muster and the official start to the cruise!

 

Coming Up - Day 1 Embarkation...Let's Set Sail!

Edited January 4, 2016 by CruisinSinceIwasBorn

[the_lovely_voyage]

Subscribed! Loving the review already and your daughter is adorable. Going on the IOS in November and super excited about it!

[Summerknight]

Thank you for taking time to do your review. Following...

[cello56]

Thanks for writing this post! We are cruising with our Grandbaby this winter and she will be 17 months old! Looking forward to learning some tips to pass along to her parents!! Especially interested in the sleeping arrangements - did you use ship pack and play or bring your own?

[bubba83]

following along!

[gvgseg]

Looking forward to reading more. My wife and I will be on the Independence in a few weeks with our 3yr old daughter and 14 month old son, plus my in-laws. It's our first major trip with the kids, so curious to see how you managed it all. Thankfully, we've got 2 rooms so the 3yr old can go sleep with the grandparents.

[Cruises are us]

I'm looking forward to hearing more about your cruise! We are sailing in March with our adult kids, spouses and 4 grandsons (10,8,5 & 2). I bet you'll have lots of good advice!:)

[Cruises are us]

I'm looking forward to hearing more about your cruise! We are sailing in March with our adult kids, spouses and 4 grandsons (10,8,5 & 2). I bet you'll have lots of good advice!:)

[CaribLola]

I am going with my 2 year old daughter in couple of weeks and was wondering if the activities for the toddlers were interesting. I am afraid it is going to be just watching them and not interact with them.

[emory2001]

I'm loving your review! Thanks for sharing. I'm boarding Indy one month from today!!!!

 

Where did you get the Share a Coke At Sea cup? Was that served at a restaurant, or purchased from a gift shop?

[CruisinSinceIwasBorn]

Thanks for writing this post! We are cruising with our Grandbaby this winter and she will be 17 months old! Looking forward to learning some tips to pass along to her parents!! Especially interested in the sleeping arrangements - did you use ship pack and play or bring your own?

 

We flew down to the cruise, so bringing the pack and play was out of the question. We used the one provided by RCI. Make sure that you notify RCI ahead of time that you need one as there are limited pack and plays available. Both times we have requested, it was in our closet when we arrived at our room. The quality of the pack and play isn't the greatest, and the sheets are twin sheets, so make sure to bring your own sheets and blankets.

[CruisinSinceIwasBorn]

Looking forward to reading more. My wife and I will be on the Independence in a few weeks with our 3yr old daughter and 14 month old son, plus my in-laws. It's our first major trip with the kids, so curious to see how you managed it all. Thankfully, we've got 2 rooms so the 3yr old can go sleep with the grandparents.

 

Multiple rooms is a huge plus. When we did the Liberty with both sets of grandparents, we had adjoining balconies so we had other space to go when our daughter was napping. This was more difficult because 1.) we had an inside so no balcony to escape to and 2.) no other room to go. Our daughter ended up napping in her stroller quite a bit, which allowed my wife and I to walk the ship and explore. Stay tuned for a funny nap picture later in the review.

[CruisinSinceIwasBorn]

I'm loving your review! Thanks for sharing. I'm boarding Indy one month from today!!!!

 

Where did you get the Share a Coke At Sea cup? Was that served at a restaurant, or purchased from a gift shop?

 

If you purchase any of the drink packages that RCI offers, you receive a tumbler. They have different styles but I liked the Coke one for that "at sea" part. You can bring them to any of the bars and they will fill them up for you. As of November, IOS did NOT have Freestyle machines (real bummer). We have been building up a collection of these cups and enjoy using them at home as a memory of a great vacation.

[CruisinSinceIwasBorn]

I am going with my 2 year old daughter in couple of weeks and was wondering if the activities for the toddlers were interesting. I am afraid it is going to be just watching them and not interact with them.

 

We never used the Royal Tots during the daytime hours, so I can't speak to those exact activities. However, in the evening, the activities were similar to a daycare setting. They did arts and crafts, read stories, had snack etc. We came back to our cabin one day to find our door had our daughter's artwork taped to it. The staff was very professional and attentive and our daughter enjoyed her time there.

[CruisinSinceIwasBorn]

Day 1 Continued - Setting Sail for Cozumel

 

We lucked out in the muster station department in that our muster was in the Sphynx lounge. The Freedom class ships make you go to your lifeboat, which I find to be annoying, especially if it's a hot afternoon. If you are assigned to a lounge for your muster, you get to sit down and it is a lot less stressful (not packed into a line). The drill was around 20 minutes. People may disagree, but I try to avoid going to the muster drill until very shortly before it starts. They want you to get their 30 minutes before, but it's one of those "hurry up and wait" situations. If you are traveling with a child, it's similar to boarding an airplane, avoid tight, small spaces for as long as possible!

 

Once the drill was over, it was time for the sail away! Vacation had truly begun. We were fortunate to have beautiful weather as we sailed out of Port Everglades.

 

Setting Sail from Port Everglades, FL

 

The sail away consisted of your typical line dances, crowd cheering, fruity drinks and a lot of excitement. Even after over 20 some cruises, I always enjoy this party.

 

Enjoying the Sail Away

 

We had my-time dinner for our cruise but booked all of our dinner reservations right after we booked the cruise. We made the mistake on the Enchantment of not making reservations prior to the cruise and were not able to eat when we wanted. After a little dancing, we made our way back to the cabin to unpack and get ready for dinner. Our luggage arrived around 5pm. Later than usual, but we had luckily packed the important items in our back pack and diaper bag. Can't stress enough to always have a carry on with you when you board. There were many, many first time cruisers that weren't able to use the pools because their bathing suits were in their luggage.

 

Coming Up - First Night on the Indy

[horric29]

Did you have a thread for your first cruise with your 8 month old? We are cruising with our 7 month old on the Allure of the Seas in two weeks! :) We are seasoned cruisers but, never with a 7 month old... Her first cruise! (Wonder if she'll get some free artwork at the first time cruiser party.. :p)

[dee5211]

My husband and I are sailing with our 1 year old son next Saturday on the IOTS. I can't wait to read more of your review!

[CruisinSinceIwasBorn]

Did you have a thread for your first cruise with your 8 month old? We are cruising with our 7 month old on the Allure of the Seas in two weeks! :) We are seasoned cruisers but, never with a 7 month old... Her first cruise! (Wonder if she'll get some free artwork at the first time cruiser party.. :p)

 

Unfortunately, no, I did not write a review of the Liberty.

 

Traveling with a child isn't as difficult as one might think, as long as you go in knowing that you can't do all that you can as just a couple. I would strongly suggest taking advantage of the Royal Tots nursery. It was really nice to have some time just my wife and I. In addition, my daughter just wanted to go to sleep at that time, so it was a win-win situation.

[CruisinSinceIwasBorn]

Day 1 Continued - First Night on the Indy

 

When we arrived at the dining room, we gave our name and cabin and were immediately brought to a private table of three overlooking the center of the dining room. Our wait staff was excellent and quickly retrieved a high chair for us (after night 1, it was there each night waiting for us). Our assistant waiter quickly got our daughter some fruit for her to eat. The staff was extremely attentive and we completed our dinner in 1 hour. I don't like spending 2.5 hours in the dining room, so I was very happy to have a quick dinner service. I have been on cruises where dinner took forever, and really made it an exhausting experience.

 

Dinner in the Main Dining Room

 

After dinner, we had some time to kill before the nursery opened. On the first night of the cruise, the Royal Tots nursery does not open until 8pm. For the remainder of the nights, it opens much earlier and we would bring her at 7pm. The main reason we love the Freedom class of ships is the large boardwalk plaza. Now that our daughter can walk, she loved running up and down the promenade, stopping to wave at passengers and staff. This was a great place for her to burn off some steam and for the wife and I to get our exercise. Her favorite place of all was the color changing bridge near the purser's desk. She would go back and forth and back and forth laughing the whole time.

 

Night on the Promenade

 

At 8pm we brought our daughter up to the nursery. She was fairly tired at this point, so she was ready to go down. When you check in, the staff will provide you a mobile phone that you can use to call and get a status report as well as they can call you if there is an issue. You fill out a form letting them know dietary items and suggested bed time. Diapers/wipes are not included and you must bring your own. They will change your child as required and will also change them into their pajamas before bed. If your child is on formula (ours was when we went on the Liberty), you need to provide the formula and bottle separately and they will prepare the bottle.

 

After drop off, the wife and I went out and explored the different venues on the ship. We always liked the piano bars on Carnival, so we decided to go to to the Schooner Lounge to hear RCI's version. The piano player was ok, not terrible, not great. There was a fairly large crowd and people were fairly into it. We had fun and before we knew it, it was time to pick up our daughter. When we arrived, she was sound asleep. Very quietly, we took her back to the cabin and put her to bed.

 

It was a wonderful first day to our vacation. After having gotten up at 2:30am, we were exhausted. A pillow never felt so good.

 

Coming Up - Day 2 At Sea

[dee5211]

Do you know if they had high chairs at the windjammer buffet?