Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas - Full Cruise Review

We recently sailed on board Independence of the Seas for a five-day Northern Europe cruise. The cruise started in Southampton and visited the ports of Rotterdam and Hamburg. Unlike most of our previous cruises, we chose this cruise specifically for the cruise line rather than the itinerary, as it was our first Royal Caribbean experience. This review covers our embarkation, cabin, dining, entertainment, and overall experience.

Watch the full video review on YouTube below, or read on for the written version.

Embarkation

Embarkation in Southampton was smooth and straightforward. We really appreciated being able to choose our own embarkation time via Royal Caribbean’s online check-in six weeks before sailing, and we were lucky to be able to select 11:30am, which worked perfectly.

Completing online check-in and printing our luggage labels at home made the process seamless.

On the morning of the cruise, we left our hotel in Southampton and took an Uber to the port. Upon arrival, staff immediately assisted with our luggage, which was very efficient. Security and check-in were straightforward and very fast and were onboard in no time. From arriving at the port to boarding the ship, the entire process took around twenty minutes. Once onboard, muster procedures were quick and easy, especially since we had completed the required steps in the Royal Caribbean app before boarding.

We then headed to the Windjammer for a light lunch, we were expecting it to be busy, but it was actually very calm. Overall, embarkation was a very positive experience, which we think could have been down to our early embarkation time.

Accommodation

For our accommodation, we booked a guaranteed balcony cabin and were assigned cabin number 6532. While the location of the cabin was good, the room itself was underwhelming. It had not been cleaned properly and showed visible signs of wear and tear, which for the cost of this cruise we thought was unacceptable. Positively, the cabin was spacious, perhaps one of the largest balcony cabins we’ve ever had.

Interestingly, while our cabin was tired and dated, the public areas of the ship were clean and well-maintained, which contrasted with the condition of the stateroom. Some areas of the ship did look a bit old fashioned, which is to be expected for a ship of this age, but overall, we were pleased with the ship’s appearance and upkeep.

Atmosphere & Service

As first-time Royal Caribbean passengers, we weren’t sure what to expect, but the ship had a lively and fun atmosphere. There was a mix of families and adult groups, and everyone seemed in high spirits. We found service across the ship to be excellent. Guest services resolved the few issues that we raised quickly and efficiently, and the queues, although they appeared long, moved quite quickly.

Bar staff were also great, often remembering our usual drinks even at bars we had only visited once before. Dining staff were friendly and professional while still taking the time to chat, and the speciality restaurant staff were particularly attentive and engaging. We can’t forget to mention the washy wash man, at the entrance to the Windjammer either, he was great fun and definitely encouraged passengers to wash their hands.

Dining

We were interested to try Royal Caribbean’s dining options as we’d seen mixed reviews and weren’t sure the American style menus would be to our taste. In the main dining room, we enjoyed a variety of dishes including French onion soup, escargot, New York strip steak, Boston cream pie, and Indian curry options. Some dishes, like a surprise goat cheese tart, were great, but overall, the food could have been slightly more elevated, and the menu did feel repetitive over five days.

The Windjammer buffet was impressive, offering a wide variety of choices including burgers, chicken, and themed international nights. The quality of the food was excellent, but we did think that buffet closed relatively early at 9:30 p.m., we are used to there being a late night option in the buffet. For late-night snacks, Sorrento’s Pizza was available until around 2 a.m., and the pizza was ok, it was also very convenient for our cabin location.

We also tried several specialty restaurants. Giovanni’s Table offered Italian American dishes and was excellent value for money for the lunch time option that we chose. We thought the service was attentive and the food was great. Izumi Hibachi provided a fun, interactive experience with good food dishes and great entertainment from the chef. We also enjoyed a lunch in Playmakers where service was slower due to the venue being busy.

Overall, speciality dining was well worth the additional cost and enhanced our cruise experience.

Drinks Package

We pre-booked a drinks package via the Royal Caribbean app, which included a refillable cup for soft drinks. The package proved to be good value, offering a wide selection of cocktails and spirits. The wine options could have been better, but we found daily offers on shots to be a fun addition. For those who prefer non-alcoholic drinks, the Windjammer provided a wide range of soft drinks, making it easy to stay hydrated and refreshed throughout the day.

Entertainment

Entertainment on board was varied, engaging, and started well with a high energy sail away party at the pool. Daytime activities included craft sessions, quizzes, and live music throughout the ship, ensuring there was always something to do. We particularly enjoyed the boy band quiz on one of the port days, where we scored 19 out of 20. Evening entertainment included live bands, buskers, comedians, theatre shows, and the very excited ice skating performances.

One of our favourite shows was the theatre production of Grease, which showcased talented performers and delighted the audience. We’re disappointed that this is no longer available onboard Independence of the Seas.

In Studio B, the onboard ice rink, we attended the Quest, which was a fun, interactive, competitive, and highly entertaining game show. We had been looking forward to this prior to the cruise, and it didn’t disappoint. We also saw the ice skating show Freeze Frame which was very popular onboard.

Parties on the Royal Promenade, including the Rock Britannia Street Party, were lively and enjoyed by lots of the guests onboard, adding to the overall fun atmosphere onboard.

Ports of Call

We did not choose this cruise for the ports, and both Rotterdam and Hamburg were places we had visited previously. In Hamburg, we decided to stay onboard and enjoyed a much quitter ship. Conveniently we had docked next to a shopping centre, which many other passengers appreciated.

In Rotterdam, we had a delayed arrival into port due to currents and winds affected our speed. We had planned to visit Rotterdam Zoo however, as we didn’t arrive until 1pm this didn’t give us enough time. We did, however, enjoy watching the arrival from the helipad, which offered excellent views and was a unique experience.

Ship Technology

We were impressed with the Royal Caribbean app, which was well designed, easy to use, and allowed us to book activities and check schedules efficiently. We also found the internet access to be fast and reliable.

Dress Code

The dress code on board was overall quite relaxed. We did have a formal night during our sailing, but we didn’t see many people dressing in traditional formal attire. People did tend to dress for dinner, but in a more casual way than we’ve seen on other cruise lines.

Disembarkation

Disembarkation began very early at 5:40am, which felt unnecessarily early. Despite this, the process was efficient, allowing us to leave around 30 minutes before our official time. The process ran smoothly, though the frequent ship wide announcements for each disembarkation time were a little intrusive during our final morning.

Value for Money

We paid £884 per person for our five-day cruise. On top of this we booked the Deluxe Drinks Package and we paid for WIFI. We also paid daily onboard gratuities. By the time we had added everything on, the total cost worked out to be £2,500 for two people. When we sat and worked this out, we were quite shocked as we had thought it had been a relatively cheap cruise.

Whilst this is more than we usually pay for a short cruise, the entertainment, activities, and quality of service were in line with this cost. The standard of accommodation, however, was not.

Final Thoughts

We loved our first experience on Royal Caribbean. Independence of the Seas is a fantastic ship with excellent service, great entertainment, and a wide variety of dining options. The only major issue we had was the condition of our cabin, which was outdated and not cleaned properly.

We would sail with Royal Caribbean again but would be more likely to choose a newer ship. Over the next few years, it looks as though Royal Caribbean is planning to send older ships to the UK and this would certainly put us off booking, but we would never say never in case we spotted a good deal.