Royal Caribbean - Independence of the Seas Reviews

It was very nice

Everything was good, all the arrangements were as expected. The room was VERY small...if either of us had been overweight we probably could not have used the bathroom! HOWEVER, we both enjoyed the ocean view and bed was comfortable.

The ship itself was clean, had a lot to offer, very nice overall onboard shopping, and itinerary, beautiful decor, efficient programs, great restaurants, delicious food and drink offering dated rooms, but worse customer service representatives at guest services, and horrible extra charges for an all inclusive cruise compared to all the 12 or more cruises we have been in. The only few factors that redeemed the ratings to 3 instead of 1 are the house keeper, waiters, bar, and casino crew they were excellent! But without these other personnel this cruise would have not made it in our list as 3 stars. They forgot our daughter’s wedding surprise decor we paid for $50… they messed up on the dates for my birthday, there were no wine bottle served in our room for my 50th bday on our first day…. A huge deal for me and my daughter but the Guest service representative just looked at us like we were the most privileged people even after we paid for most of these items! Unbelievable and most horrible customer service, perhaps they were over worked? But there was no excuse for not apologizing, instead she blamed our Travel Agent. She even blamed the TA for the items I booked and paid for that were not received or done for my daughter! I will NOT recommend anyone to go to this ship.

Love the Independence of the Seas. The ship can be as relaxing or exciting as you make it! There is plenty of on board entertainment through out the day and night and a good selection of restaurants to try outside of the Windjammer or Main Dining, though some are at additional cost. Should also mention that this sailing (May 2022) we had a nearly full ship. Playmakers was my go to spot with great pub style food and no shortage of TVs. I also recommend the Ultimate Dining Package if you wanted to try each of the speciality restaurants. Chops will be one of the places I book on every cruise with Royal going forward! I also made note of the many quieter places to sit and relax, the bar above Boleros had comfy seating and was not too crowded. The serenity deck on 11 had a fair amount of people, but every time I passed through it appeared there were still available places to sit. The downside to me is that it could be a bit humid in that area at times. The main pool deck might be hard to grab a chair near the pool depending on time of day, so go early or take advantage when the ship is in a port of call and people are out on the islands. Same with the bars surround the pools. While the bartenders were quick to mix and make some drinks, you still had a short wait more often than not. I definitely recommend if you are on the pool deck and looking to have a quick drink like Titos and Soda or Rum and Coke to even just an energy drink, to seek out the small table setups that are just outside the doors near the Windjammer. Royal seemed very cognizant of demand during peak times and it was nice to see these quick tables alleviate some of the lines. I did not travel with children, but those who are will find plenty of onboard entertainment just for them. There is a large splash pad area on the main pool deck, mini golf, a small arcade and even a children only area they can hang out in. This is in addition to the escape room, water slides and flow rider. If your trip happens to stop at Coco Cay, make the most by getting down there early to grab a seat. Depending on if two ships are docked, you will find that by the afternoon it is difficult to grab seating near the beaches. The splash pad near the entrance to Coco Cay is free, but they do have a larger water park with slides at additional cost. There is a small assortment of shops set up on the left side of the island to purchase some bahamas themed items, sun block or even get your hair braided. You will be happy to note that food is provided on the island as a cookout buffet and your wifi and drink package work too. Take advantage with their CocoLoco, but don't forget to hydrate!

Loved the cruise itself! Our neighbors tested our limits though; having loud gatherings til 3 in the morning. They also smoked various things so our cabin got filled with the smell too.

Food was good as usual on Royal Caribbean. Severe lack of Bartenders and Waiters, could find no Waiters around pool areas. Casino extremley crowded with four or five tables that never opened. Still love Royal , but these things need corrected.

Food was ok not great, service was ok not great. Guest services very lacking. Be prepared to pay for most everything you do

I have been on a lot of cruises, many of them with Royal Caribbean, but I have never had as bad as of an experience as I did on Independence of the Seas. Other than our State room attendant (he was great), the rest of the ship was hard to find anyone that was in a good mood or wanted to serve you. No staff in the pool areas or bar areas to take drink orders - you had to go to the bar. The food and service in Wind jammer was substandard - they opened late and ran out of utensils and plates and not all food stations were open in an area. And the fish I got was fishy the Roti was grease soaked the regular breads were dry and stale... What happened to the quality I expect from RC? I've spoken to two other people that went on Independence in the past 5 months and they and they had the same experience so it wasn't a one off. I will not be sailing that ship again! So sad...

The staff, food, cleanliness were top notch! We will definitely be back to Indy one day!

The island was great and the service was wonderful

Never again will I go on Royal Carribbean Bahamas cruise. We paid for the cruise solely bc we were going to Nassau. However we were never informed it was canceled until out at sea and stuck!

Fabulous cruise!

Great help from Maria on planning everything. Book with her for your next cruise. No lines for anything. Boarding was really fast and safe. Have already booked 2 more with Maria.

Thanks Royal Caribbean..