Independence of the Seas Review
Rating by category
Additional details
We chose this cruise as we had never done this itinerary before, the dates suited us and we were keen to see the changes made to the ship during the refurbishment.
We live on the outskirts of Southampton so we were dropped off by our son at the port. We dropped our bags, entered the cruise terminal and within 20 minutes we were checked in and on board enjoying our first drink!
The cabin was ready around 1pm so we dropped off our carry-on luggage before continuing to explore the ship. The cabin was a balcony around midships on deck 8. It was clean and spacious, with plenty of storage space. Our steward knocked the door to introduce himself later that afternoon when we returned to the cabin and to check that everything was OK and we had received all our luggage. We later discovered that there was a problem with the safe which we reported to our steward and within 10 minutes, somebody had arrived to fix it. We also requested 2 robes which were delivered whilst we were at dinner. The cabin was serviced every day, usually whilst we were at breakfast and we did not see much of our steward, other than to say hello if we saw him in the corridor. We had a variety of towel animals throughout the cruise.
Cabin Review
Spacious Ocean View Balcony
Clean and tidy with plenty of storage space. Probably could do with some refurbishment in the near future.
Port Reviews
Vigo
Not a great deal of interest in close proximity. Shopping centre opposite the port is disappointing as many of the shops are empty.
Lisbon
Used the Hop on Hop off bus which as fine until it started changing route with no warging halfway around so we ended up getting a taxi back to the centre to avoid a 40 minute journey back to the port which we did not want to do. Apart from this, it is a lovely city to visit.
Seville
Last time we took a trip to Seville but this time we stayed in Cadiz. It is a lovely place to visit and we took a long work along the city walls. There are some lovely parks and also a nice beach close by. If you are a cat lover, look for the cats that live in the rocks along the sea front.
Lanzarote
Not a great deal to see close to the port but there is a beach within walking distance. The town looks a little run down but some very good bargains to be had in the numerous perfume shops.
Tenerife
Arriving on a Sunday is not ideal as Santa Cruz is mostly closed. The bus station is around a 20 minute walk from the ship and you can get buses to many places across the island. We got a bus to Puerto de la Cruz and from there walked about 20 minutes to Loro Parque which is a beautifully kept zoo and includes dolphin and sea lion shows - well worth a visit.
La Palma
Not a big place but the walk along the cobbled shopping street is lovely with some beautiful old buildings with traditional wooden balconies. There is also a small maritime museum on a wooden ship which is worth visiting plus a fort at the top of the hill which provides a lovely view of the surrounding area.
Madeira (Funchal)
A beautiful place which deserves a longer visit than we had. The cable car and toboggan ride are a must. The toboggan is particularly good fun but be warned that it only takes you about half way down so you either have to walk the remaining way (very steep) or get a taxi. We got a taxi but it was quite expensive. The market is worth a visit to see the fish, fruit and flowers. Beware the fruit sellers though as they will get you to sample many fruits and their sales techniques are quite persuasive. The many varieties of fruits are lovely but expensive to purchase!
La Coruna
Although this looked a little uninspiring,we had a good day, walking to the Hercules Tower - the oldest working lighthouse. There are a lot of steps but it is worth the climb. There are also a number of nice bars / restaurants in the main square.