She sailed with 4046 passengers on board and check in took a while an hour and a half of queuing however it was all organised and civilised and I've waited that long at an airport before. I believe this isn't the norm as well, it was just that this was a mini cruise and everyone turned up early. Once on board I had no idea that there were so many people.
My cabin was an inside and had plenty of storage space and I didn't miss the window, although given the choice I would upgrade to a balcony for the additional cabin space. Especially if I travelled with my family.
The ship herself held lots of surprises for me, the main dining room was much grander than I'd expected and in terms of food I thought the menu's were great. There was a good choice each night, with a couple of seafood and fish dishes, a roast, a pasta and and indian dish to choose from amongst other things. I found the offerings more continental and adventurous than on other ships that I've been on. However there were also some British offerings each evening for the less adventurous diner.
The entertainment on board was great, there is so much to see and do at all times, I particularly enjoyed the cantilever whirlpool at midnight as a great way to end the day. I won't list all the activities as these can be seen in the brochures but I will just mention the things that I didn't know about. One evening the waiters all did a wonderful rendition of 'O Sole Mio' across the 3 floors of the restaurant and on two of the evenings there was a show on the Royal Promenade - the Welcome Aboard party with a free glass of champagne and a Rock and Roll show with singing and dancing.
This is where Royal Caribbean cruises differentiate themselves, they are lively and fun and give that little bit more.
They also surprised me with everything that is included in the price. I have always heard that they are expensive on board and yes they are - wine is $9, cocktails $9.50 and a can of coke was $2.50. However you really don't have to spend much across the day. There is iced water available all day, the Cafe Promenade serves coffee and tea with a choice of at least 20 tea bags and in the Windjammer restaurant there is a choice of 4 different flavours of soft drink. As well as food in the restaurant there is Pizza available 24 hours a day and sandwiches and cakes in the Cafe. On the pool deck you can help yourself to ice cream in a cone with a choice of 3 flavours. I was able to keep myself fed and watered all day without spending a dime. If only I hadn't wanted the alcohol at night.
The age group on board was really mixed, quite a few families with young kids, groups of ladies away for a weekend and elderly couples. This ship really does have something for every one. I came away wanting to go back with my husband and 6 year old and also separately on a girls trip, and with my Mum. I think I'm going to be doing a lot of mini cruises next year.
Read what others think about Independence of the Seas and other Royal Caribbean cruise reviews by visiting Cruise.co.uk.
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