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An interesting cruise by
A Traveler from Ft. Lauderdale, FL Sailing date: Jan 2010Pros: The stateroom was great. Cons: Too many long lines The Independence of the Seas is a beautiful ship, but way too big. It is not designed for the older generation. There were too many lines everywhere, ie standing in line for "My Time" dining (attendant got flustered at how many people were waiting to be seated.) The dining room was NOT even partly full. Disembarking was rough also. Ship QualityBeautiful ship, but not good accessibility. Very long walk to everywhere. Dining/FoodDining room food was often cool rather than hot, food was fair, not exceptional. Stateroom QualityVery nice stateroom, plenty of storage. Hair dryers don't stay on when in use is one problem. Also towels were thin-need new ones. Ship Staff QualityVery helpful. Couldn't be better. Entertainment & ActivitiesEntertainment was good, had problems getting seats as others saved seats and were not suppose to. Ice show and Quest and Guest performer were the best.  0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.
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  It was a wonderful ship by
Virginia F. from Woodbridge, VA Sailing date: Jan 2010Pros: The shows Cons: Too much cigarette smoke A great clean ship. A little crowded for events on the Promonade, however, other wise everything was run smoothly. The staff were great, the shows were wonderful, meals were mostly excellent. Would travel on Independence of the Seas again. Ship Quality
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A revitalizing experience by
Erik D from Boston, MA Sailing date: Jan 2010Pros: Ships atmosphere Cons: Knowing the cruise had come to an end We recently sailed the Independence of the Seas Western Caribbean itinerary which left us with a revitalizing feeling. We are a young couple that lives a very hectic life and have not been on a vacation in over three years. This was our second cruise with RCCL and like the last was not disappointed in any aspect. When we boarded the Independence we were welcomed by a friendly staff with open arms. Our first impression of the ship was of course the size, but RCCL makes it very easy to navigate throughout the boat. I was completely impressed with the cleanliness of the boat and the staff that they have working around the clock to make sure everything is shinning which includes our stateroom. We stayed in a balcony cabin that was plenty big enough for the two of us, honestly there was so much to do on the ship that we found ourselves hardly in the room anyways. The layout of the ship was amazing as there was areas designated for adults as well as kids and RCCL did it right by putting areas on opposite ends of the ship for those that care to be left alone. The mix of people was great and even though we were on a ship that could accommodate 3000 plus, we hardly felt like there was that many people there. For me the best part of the ship was the variety of food, there was a perfect mix of food options for breakfast, lunch and dinner and for the snackers like me, options were limitless. Dinner was by far my favorite meal as the menu was always changing with great selections but we were also lucky enough to have two very entertaining gentlemen in our waiter and his assistant. My girlfriend happens to be a vegetarian and our waiter made sure that there was something for her every night which was a big plus in my book. We made stops at Belize, Puerto Costa Maya, and Cozumel and found each one to have there pluses but in my opinion you need to book excursions in Belize to make sure you get the most out of your stay there. Costa Maya had a great beach to go to with a simple cab ride and of course Cozumel was the highlight with great beaches and great bars!!! Overall, I can say nothing but good things about RCCL and the way they take care of their guests. We have already started looking into our next cruise and will without question be with RCCL. Ship Quality
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2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Independence of the Seas was amazing! by
Susie G from Indianapolis, IN Sailing date: Mar 2009Pros: Coffee buffets EVERYWHERE, the promenade, our waiters, our room! Cons: no chocolates on pillow at night :( We loved the ship. Despite the huge size, we felt that the lines for elevators, dinner, etc, were acceptable. The disembarkation process was quite long and that was really the only bad part of the whole cruise! We loved that you could get food or drinks any time during the cruise and especially loved the coffee-to-go and hot chocolate stations! The real lemonade is another great addition. We LOVED that the hot tubs were open 24 hours as well.
Oh yes, and we actually sailed in Jan of 2009, but that wasn't on the drop down list. Ship QualityLayout was great and the restrooms were always clean. Dining/FoodWe were in the upper level of the main dining room and we thought it was lovely! Our waiter, Jim, and his helper, Olivia were amazing. Our head waiter was a lovely guy (can't remember his name, but he was turkish...) Stateroom QualityWe had an inside cabin and it was HUGE! We loved our little shower...it didn't even get the floor of the bathroom wet! Ship Staff QualityEveryone we came in contact with seemed to be excited to be on that ship. It was such fun to get to know all of the people! Entertainment & ActivitiesI didn't think the ice shows would be anything special and I was glad to be proven wrong! They were such fun. The comedians were great and our cruise director was the best ever. We loved the newly wed game show on this cruise. 18 out of 18 people found this review helpful.
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great ship - poor experience by
chris p from naoles, fl Sailing date: May 2009Pros: ship design and construction Cons: dining experience and shore excursions Ship is great
embarcation great
iceshows excellent
evening dining a huge disappointmnt after 2 big complaints service becanme acceptable, food quality only accepatable
windjammer cafeteria good food and service
out of 5 shore ecursions booked 3 were canecelled at just 24 hours notice - stall surly at having to help with rebooking new excursions
expect long waits for elevators Dining/Food
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Entertainment & Activitiestwo good evening shows - others disappointing
ice shows excelelnt 
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Malaga, Spain
Barcelona, Spain
Cagliari, Sardinia
Cannes, France
Gibraltar (U.K.)
Livorno (Florence & Pisa), Italyhave to pay for shuttle to city
Vigo (Santiago De Compostela), Spain
5 out of 7 people found this review helpful.
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A Cruise on the Best by
Ronald F. from Brechin Ontario. Canada Sailing date: Apr 2009Pros: I really appreciated the courtesy and gracious attitude of the servers and the cabin stewards. My wife and I were treated like royalty Cons: If anyone found any faults with this cruise, they should stay home and read a dictionary We sailed on the "Independence of the Seas." The ship was magnificent. It was clean, and our room attendant kept our room spotless. The Capt's humerous remarks added lightness to the trip. The entertainment was so professional. We also appreciated the friendliness of the staff. There was always a"hello" or "how are you enjoying your trip?"
We enjoyed the Ports of call namely, Azores, Madeira. There was large visibility of Gaffitti painted on walls, sidewalks, and windows in Vigo, Spain. It was so different from the Portugese Islands, which were so clean and the people were friendly. Ship Quality
Dining/FoodThe Meals had good variety and the proper quantity Stateroom QualityOur cabin attendant, Aniceto, should be the "poster man" for Cleanliness. Ship Staff QualityI wrote a complimentary letter regarding a situation that I witnessed, where the Serving staff went way beyond the normal of being friendy. Entertainment & ActivitiesAlready mentioned in Review comments
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Funchal, MadeiraMy favorite stop.
Don't Miss: Eating establishments, and tour to the winery Ponta Delgada, AzoresA beautiful and clean Island. Friendly people. Pleasant shops fairly good value.
Don't Miss: Tour of the hills Vigo (Santiago De Compostela), SpainIt was dirty, and covered with painted graffitti. Unfriendly people on streets
Don't Miss: N/A 5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Very relaxing cruise by
Terri P from Soquel, CA Sailing date: Apr 2009Pros: The fitness center, the cleanliness, the friendliness of the crew, the smoothness of the trip and the cabin with balconey Cons: the food was not quite as good as other R.C. ships The ship was very interesting in its layout, and fun to explore. The sailing across the Atlantic was very smooth, and the cabin layout was great. Ship Quality
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Funchal, MadeiraWe took the shuttle in to town and walked back. The town had interesting streets, and the espresso was terrific.
Ponta Delgada, Azoreswe walked the streets, and it was very pretty, but being a sunday most shops were closed.
Vigo (Santiago De Compostela), SpainWe walked up to the Citadel, and though it had many steps, the sight of Vigo from there was wonderful, along with the view of the bay. We had a very good lunch at a small cafe one street off of the waterfront, and the food was the tastiest of the trip and at a good price. We were almost pushed into a seafood rest. that was advertised, and would have spent a fortune for lunch (over 65 euros). Instead our meal cost us each 10 euros, including beer. Not to be missed.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
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a great cruise. i would do it again . by
thomas b from st petersburg fl Sailing date: Apr 2009Pros: service Cons: windjammer crew not as friendly the ship was large and wonderful. never experience such a large ship. had everything i wanted and needed. Ship Quality
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3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
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Great vacation by
A Traveler from Ft. Lauderdale Sailing date: Mar 2009Pros: The boat, staff and activities Cons: lots of prepole omn board...pools very crowded We loved the Independence of the Seas. Our waiter Jan Michel has left us spoiled. We will never be able to eat in another restuarant again.The best service we have ever had dining.. The Cruise director Graham was also very impressive and funny. Ship Quality
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Stateroom QualityMost comfortable bed we have ever slept on Ship Staff QualityExtremly positive and nice...very helpful Entertainment & ActivitiesIce show was impressive
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Belize City, BelizeTube and zipline was wonderful and exciting
Costa Maya, MexicoRent jet ski from independent owners on shore Great $$ savings
Cozumel, MexicoSnorkel excursion was way too crowded and not a great snorkel stop...no fish or coral. I would go thru an independent. Catamaran not a good choice.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
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The Best of Cruises by
Robert R. from Spring Hill, Fla. Sailing date: Feb 2009Pros: Everything. After 30 cruises on RCCL, this ship was wonderful and beautiful. Cons: Absolutely nothing. We loved the spaciousness of the ship and our balcony was wonderful, a little bigger than the last one. But everyone that you dealt with on the ship was very friendly and cooperative with all of your requests. The Cruise Director was excellent, Graham. We have seen and met a lot of cruise directors, and he is just the "best". The shows were great, just everything. I don't want to get gushy, but we certainly enjoyed ourselves and hope to cruise on The Indepenence again soon. Dining/FoodOur servers were very good and the food as good as always. I asked for a special dessert that has been retired and they produced it one evening for the table. Excellent. Stateroom QualityPerfect! Our stateroom attendent was excellent. Ship Staff QualityAs I stated, they were very cooperative with any questions. Entertainment & ActivitiesThe enterainment was superb! 6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
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