My Review of Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas

In February 2009, Andy and I decided to try our hand at cruising as his father and stepmother are huge fans. Not knowing if we would like to sleep in a can and be confined to a boat, we had a great time. The Independence of the Seas was one of the largest ships in existence when we went. Now they have the Oasis of the Seas, which is the largest of all the cruise lines, with two Flowriders and a zipline from bow to stern.

We drove from NY to Florida, where we went to the port of Fort Lauderdale. It was a long trip, and even more so due to the fact that we took the girls to their old kennel in Georgia. Andy, as always, was a constant source of entertainment for me while I was driving.

We spent the night at La Quinta. It was a decent hotel, to the extent that we were able to park my car there for the duration of the cruise. . . but needed some improvements. The next morning we took the courtesy shuttle from the hotel to the port. We left pretty early because we didn’t know what to expect when we got there, and I’m glad we did, because it looked like Noah was carrying the Ark! All we needed was some zebras going two by two and it would have been a party. There were palates of food and supplies, alcoholic beverages, suitcases, and people everywhere. We waited in a long line at a warehouse-like building to check in, and then were ushered up a ramp to the ship. However, once we got on board, it was amazing.

inside the boat

When you get on board, you go to your room to check, but your luggage has already been taken, so you are free to roam. They set sail from the port and everyone applauds. But then they make you report to the lifeboat drill, or as I like to call it, excuse to take a humiliating picture of Andy.

The ship was very pretty and our cabin was small, but we were in it only to sleep. The bed was comfortable and we had a porthole window. I debated whether to buy a balcony, but those Dateline Murder mysteries keep popping into my head, so I decided alcohol and a balcony wouldn’t mix. If we ever take the kids on a cruise, which we really wish we had, we’d have to get a family suite or two adjoining rooms because the third and fourth beds fold down from the ceiling like bunk beds, and there’s no way I could sleep with the children floating above us.

Food: I read about a thousand cruise reviews before going on this one and I chose Royal Caribbean because they had good reviews on food and things to do for fun on board. They were very relaxed with what you were wearing. Honestly, I saw a great variety every day, even the so-called “formal” nights. We only ate twice at the buffet, but we ate in the dining room every night and had room service for breakfast every day. You can order whatever you want from your TV the night before and tell them what time you want it to arrive, all at no extra cost. There was a Johnny Rockets that we paid a cover charge to eat in, which was weird for a burger place, but they put a fried egg on my burger and all was forgiven. They had a nice little pizzeria where we bought our late night snacks before heading back to collapse into bed.

Entertainment: Well…I’m lacking in this department. I didn’t see the ice skating show. But we did see the comedy act, which was the cruise director. It was fun, but don’t bring your kids to that! The “F-BOMB” was dropped many times. We spent every afternoon at the casino and Andy got on the Flowrider, which is a surf machine. He might have tried it if there weren’t stadium seats at the bottom. We also went miniature golfing, which isn’t easy when the new challenge of trying to hit the ball is thwarted by the wind coming off the ocean.

The ports:

Our first excursion was to Belize City, Belize. The port area where you first arrive in the city is picturesque and pretty, but it soon becomes clear that it is an illusion created for cruise ships. We stopped at a small bar on the pier and tried the local beer, Belikan. (It’s pretty good.)

Then off we went to take our jungle zipline tour. We boarded a bus and drove for about an hour, where we were introduced to a local lunch. They said they were chicken and beef skewers, but I was skeptical. However, I was hungry so I ate it. 😉 Then we made our way into the jungle and started dressing up. I wish I had known we would have to walk off a cliff…it was wet and tiring. But we eventually made it to the top and after scanning the line for breaks, when it was my turn I just sat back and flew! I found that it was better to just not think about how I could fall to the ground and die.

It was a great experience, but I don’t know if I would go back to Belize again. I was told that the reef off the coast is second only to the Great Australian Reef for snorkeling. But I have no interest in diving as I am a bit claustrophobic and can’t float upside down.

Stop number two was Costa Maya, Mexico. This is the view from the cruise dinghies when we arrive at the port. The Costa Maya had been hit by hurricanes, so everything was new. It became clear that this small town relied on cruise ships to support their way of life. Andy and I spent a day relaxing under a palapa, with restaurants serving fresh ceviche, pico de gallo, and of course Dos Equis. You can’t go to Mexico without enjoying a margarita, so I stopped by the pier to get one. They had a busy but attractive saltwater pool, complete with a swim-up bar.

Finally, stop number three was Cozumel, Mexico. This is the home of spring break. Luckily we were there before the college girl crowd went wild so it wasn’t too busy. This is another place I probably wouldn’t visit again as the island is small and has limited activities other than drinking on the beach. What did we do.

Overall the cruise was a great experience. There were a lot of activities for the kids but it catered for all age groups. Our fellow cruisers included seniors, honeymooners, and extended families. We felt like we didn’t have to sacrifice quality for convenience, and we weren’t bothered by partying frat boys. It would be hard to go on another cruise line after this wonderful trip!