My family and I have been big fans on Royal Caribbean cruises and have previously been on the Liberty of the Seas (x2), Freedom of the Seas (x2) and Oasis of the Seas. (Most of these cruises were taken between 2008-2014 This was my first time on the Independence of the Seas and my parents second time.
We had an amazing experience and the Indy is the best of the freedom class of ships by far. The refurbishment was well done and the changes were all excellent. The new sports bar was a well-needed change and had a great atmosphere. The decor in Boleros was fresh and clean. The Windjammer was also updated and I thought it looked much nicer and the food options had a wide range. Most times I could find a table easily, with only one time needing to really look around to find a seat.
The waterslide was also fun, I went down it three times after getting back on board from Mexico and didn't have to wait too long in the line, maybe 5 minutes or so. The yellow and green slide is faster than the other!!