Independence of the Seas Review

4.5 / 5.0
1,703 reviews

Just a cruise -- not the best

Review for Europe Cruise on Independence of the Seas
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TABG
10+ Cruises • Age 20s

Rating by category

Cabin
Value for Money
Embarkation
Dining
Public Rooms
Entertainment
Fitness & Recreation
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Additional details

Sail Date: Oct 2019
Cabin: Spacious Ocean View Balcony

Overall the cruise was a cruise, a time away from our everyday lives to relax in order to continue with the demands normal life lends our way. That said let me tell you we have been on over 25 cruises, on several different cruise lines, and this has to be one of the most unique and challenging thus far. Here are my pros and cons from this cruise:

1. The pros for entertainment was all good with costumes appropriate for all family members. This modest dress was surprising and appreciated since many lines have gone to risque attire making the cast and production cheap and unrefined and an insult to the talented cast. The production of "Grease" was a nice addition; however, the show is very long so placing a 10-15 minute intermission or shortening the production would have been beneficial. The con for the entertainment was the lack of consistency for show time, Some times were set to early and 2nd showing was too late to 1st seating diners making attending some shows challenging but could be sorted out in the end. The second con was the comedians who either made excuses about their lack of talent, claimed they were unable to perform because they only tell inappropriate jokes, or some other excuse. This should never occur.

2. The pros for dining has to be for the main dining room that created wonderful meals each day. While some of the combinations were not what we desired the staff was eager to make the selection to our liking. Our table servers, Naptali and Birendra, were attentive to ensure a top-of-the-line experience. However, one con also involved our table servers who when asked for a small amount of extra vegetables the amounts continued to increase each day to being excessive. In addition, Naptali told us each day that we needed to complete the survey providing excellent ratings which resulted in lower ratings. Another con was the wastefulness in the Windjammer which threw away tons of food several times a day. Finally, any other ship we have traveled on a variety of food items can be found throughout the day and is continuous until at least midnight. Not on this cruise the only food available after 9:00 was pizza with the Windjammer closing for the night making guests on option for food or beverages on deck 5.

Cabin Review

Spacious Ocean View Balcony

The cabin was very nice providing enough space for three people for an extended amount of time. The movie channels could use a better selection of movies but most people do not come on a cruise to sit in the cabin watching movies. The shower door never closed completely but after the first day we figured out how to resolve the issue. The cabin steward was attentive and friendly making the cruise very enjoyable and relaxing.

Port Reviews

La Coruna

We toured with Cruising Excursions on a private La Coruna panoramic tour. While at the time of booking we were told this would be a private tour with a driver/guide; however, we discovered the driver was not very knowledgeable but took us to the points of interest we wanted to see and we made it back to the ship in plenty of time to walk around a bit prior to boarding. This tour was worth it and recommended if traveling with several people.

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