Royal Caribbean, Independence of the Seas Review

Overall Rating

In the same breath that I booked the cruise in June 2008, I started to read through the reviews online and couldn't believe how positive people were being about this cruise. I automatically knew this was going to be an experience of a lifetime.
18th July finally came around and I jumped in the car for a long 4 hour drive to Southampton. We got through passport control in 15 minutes and climbed aboard in no time at all! The first thing that came to my mind when I stepped onto the ship was 'Wow!' I was simply amazed at how big the ship actually was, I knew it was going to be big (I mean, it did hold 3,364 people) but I didn't think it was going to be this huge!
The crew were falling over themselves to help with advice, directions or simple smiling and saying hello! Even though the poor souls only get a small wage to work 12 hours a day and work for 6 months at a time away from home, the staff work very hard to make you feel welcome aboard the ship and make sure you have a great holiday.
The ship was absolutely fantastic. I felt like royalty walking through the Royal Promenade and looking around the selection of shops such as Ben and Jerry's, hairdressers and souvenirs.
It was spotlessly clean and cleaned regularly. The cabins were cleaned daily by the room attendants who were also so friendly and helpful. They even started making animals from towels and leaving them on our bed which was a nice surprise to come back to at night.
The cabins were quite big and had a nice sized balcony. We appreciated the kettle, hairdryer and TV on which could give you information about the ports, excursions, as well as normal TV and more. Also, you could order room service for free via the TV which was a lengthy process but well worth it!
There was plenty of choice for food on the ship. I mainly went to the Windjammer cafe which was a buffet typed restaurant. But you could go to the main dining room (Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth and King Lear) which we only went for one formal night because we had to wait over an hour for our food. Also, there were places on the Royal Promenade to eat such as Sorrento's pizza bar, Ben and Jerry's and Cafe Promenade. In the Windjammer, they had a wide variety of food such as Chinese food, Indian, Italian as well as burger and chips and more. It could get pretty busy in the Windjammer but if you took the time to look for a seat, you could usually find some.
There were loads of things to do on the cruise. I particularly enjoyed the rock climbing, flow rider, ice skating and table tennis! There's always something to do and you never get bored.
The nightlife was fantastic! There were parades in the Promenade and plenty of bars. Also, they had shows in the theatre most nights which were good including acrobatics, dancers, singers and comedians. Ice shows were on some nights too. Overall, the entertainment was amazing!
Fuel and the living room were the clubs for the kids and my 14 year old daughter quotes "I loved it in there! It was so easy to meet new friends and they played good music." They also had themed nights in there such as a pyjama party, prom and more.
Overall, I found that this cruise was a good value for money as you got all food and drinks for free minus cocktails, alcohol and shops on the Royal Promenade. It was the best holiday I have even been on by far and I thank Royal Caribbean for the amazing experience!