During Labor Day Weekend, we decided to voyage on a 4-day cruise to take advantage of our additional vacation days on Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas. We sailed to two different ports: Nassau and Coco Cay.
This is the first time we’ve been on Independence of the Seas, and it is one of the larger ships in Royal Caribbean’s fleet. The ship launched in 2008 and was refurbished in 2018 and has a capacity of 3,634 passengers. We’ll skip all the info and stats that you probably have already read on other reviews and tell you what really stood out to us.
Is Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas worth it? As usual, this review is based on own experience. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
The Good
The ship itself is ginormous.
This could be a con for some, but the Independence of the Seas was a lot larger than we were expecting. With a capacity of 3,634 passengers, the ship has 14 decks, 13 dining options, an ice skating rink, a rock climbing wall, and much more. Because of this, there’s something on the ship for everyone whether it be winding down for the night at one of the bars or finding a fun activity to do with your kids.
Entertainment
Out of all of the cruises we’ve been on, Independence of the Seas had one of the best entertainment shows we’ve ever seen. While some of the entertainment wasn’t as great (like the comedy show), their performance of Grease was so impressive it made us want to watch the movie again. It almost felt like we went to see a musical in a big city, except we were in the middle of the ocean instead. Highly recommend watching any of the plays/musicals if you have the opportunity to sail on Independence of the Seas.
Lots of bar and restaurant options.
Because the ship is so large, there are a lot of bar and restaurant options throughout the 14 decks. There are so many, we didn’t even get a chance to visit half before the sailing was over. Because of this, if there’s a restaurant that’s too crowded there’s likely something else on the ship you can get to eat instead. We love variety!
The Not So Good
Crowded, there are always people everywhere.
This is probably obvious, but one of the negative things about a cruise line as big as Royal Caribbean is how popular it is. Because it’s so popular, it’s not uncommon that the Independence of the Seas was busy at every corner. Sometimes, there wouldn’t be enough seats in the Windjammer (the buffet where most eat their meals) and we had to opt for something else. I don’t know about you, but we LIVE for buffet food when we’re on a cruise!
A little outdated.
The Independence of the Seas launched in 2008 and was refurbished in 2018. That said, the boat is still lacking in terms of decor if you compare it to some of their other ships. Because of this, everything on the ship feels just a bit dated if we’re comparing it to the other cruise lines we’ve been on like Virgin Voyages.
Cost
When comparing to some other cruise lines (ex. Virgin Voyages), Royal Caribbean seems to skew to the pricier side when taking into consideration all of the amenities you have to pay for. For example, there are packages for WiFi, speciality dining, beverages (even water/coffee), and all of the excursions at the port. When you add them up, the price per person can skyrocket depending on what you’re looking to get on this vacation. For us, we opted out of the unlimited drinks package and ended up buying a la carte each night we were there. It ended up being way cheaper doing it this way than buying the beverage package after we did the math.
Is it worth it?
If you’re looking for a short getaway where you don’t have to worry about things like entertainment, food, drinks, etc., this is a great option! If you’re looking for more R&R, I’d do some research first before deciding on Royal Caribbean.
Are you a beginner to cruising? Read our guide on for first time cruisers here!
