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Login There’s a firm NO to FOMO onboard Independence of the Seas®. Hang ten on the FlowRider® surf simulator. Go head to head in a glow-in-the-dark laser tag clash in Battle for Planet Z®. And score game-changing grub at Playmakers℠ Sports Bar & Arcade. From next-level thrills to lowkey chill, celebrate each day at sea exactly how you want.
Even though the Independence of the Seas is an older, smaller ship we found our experience to be top-notch. We sailed in 2025 on the Liberty of the Seas, a sister ship, and we knew a lot of what to expect. We stayed in a Panoramic Oceanview Stateroom on Deck 12. The stateroom was spacious and bright. We ate in the Main Dining Room and the food and service there were great. The food was good enough we had no desire to eat in a specialty restaurant. The ship is well maintain. Our stateroom and the public areas were clean and in very good shape. The entertainment was good. The two comedians, Brad Mastrangelo & Billy Garan, were average. Illusionist Jason Bishop was excellent and the best comedian of the cruise. My wife and I missed not having a musical. Tap Factory was entertaining but one can take only so much pounding and tap dancing. Freeze Frame, the ice show, was good. The cruise was impacted by the Nor'easter so we missed a day in Bermuda. The crew made the extra 'sea day' very entertaining. Tornado Tanya was the Cruise Director. It was our second cruise with her as Cruise Director and she brings a great energy to events on the ship.
After a cancelled flight, my first night in the cabin there was an incident in the first cabin, but they changed my cabin quickly. After that things went smoothly. The staff on board are probably the best I have encountered on an RCL ship. There promenade deck was the widest and in the best shape for an older ship. The dining room had better service and quality of the food was good. As always the beds in the cabins on RCL are old and it took two mattress pads to be able to sleep. Entertainment was poor in the theatre. Repeats of acts from other RCL cruises and no broadway level shows. The pool deck was really crowded on nice days. I was impressed with the quality of Rcl shore excursions. Overall I would choose this ship again, even though it’s older and needs updating in the cabins and hallway carpets.
We sailed on Independence of the Seas from August 27th through September 3rd. I was very surprised that there were so many children on board because several school districts had started their school year already. This was my 5th cruise and my husband's 2nd. He loves cruises now. He calls it a one-stop shop. You don't have to worry about where to eat, what activity you are doing today and what shows you are going to watch at night. Anything you want to do is offered on this cruise. We were given a 8:30pm dining reservation for the MDR. That is much too late to eat so we ate in the Windjammer Buffet every night. Everything tasted great. I like that they put some ingredients on their food descriptions, such as vegan, contains nuts or ham. That was very appreciated because my husband and I are vegetarians. There was so much food, I couldn't eat anymore. We stopped eating lunch, but we would grab a snack at the Sorrento's pizza place (which is included), but when I found the Promenade Cafe I was in heaven. They made a great mozzarella, tomato and pesto sauce sandwich that was so delicious. These sandwiches and other snacks are included in the basic cruise price. They also had unlimited water, coffee and tea but if you wanted special coffees, there is a sign with prices on the wall. And this cafe is open 24/7! On the pool deck there was ice cream cones which is distributed by an employee. There was also a Fish & Ships food kiosk that is included. The production numbers were very good. They also had decent comedians and a Price is Right show that if you want to compete, you must pay a minimum of $15. We didn't win but we still enjoyed it. I participated in a Flash Mob dance and Marvin is a great dancer and choreographer. It was so much fun! Here's my only complaint. The ship was very crowded. It was hard to get a chair in the shade. We always managed to find a table in the Windjammer but it wasn't easy. The Promenade Deck is insanely crowded. Besides the bars and cafes, they have shops on this deck. While the ship is at sea (we had 3 sea days) they have large kiosks of jewelry and clothing that block the promenade. Several bands performed in the promenade and the 70's and 80's parties are performed here too so when there were parties, this deck was so crowded. It reminded me of NYE in Times Square or Fremont Street in Las Vegas. On our previous cruise the band and other events were performed in their showroom that had great chairs and you could see everything from two other levels that also had great chairs. Other than this, I loved this cruise!
This was our first cruise, at the invitation of family. Short version - we learned a lot but will probably not go with Royal again. The primary purpose of this trip to Bermuda was to locate the house my Darling Bride's family lived in back in the late 1960s. On that front, we were successful! The Independence was clean and appeared well-maintained. Our cabin (inside, deck 3) was larger than I anticipated, and actually larger than some European hotel rooms we've stayed in. It also had more storage space than I expected. As warned, the cabin refrigerator did a fair job but didn't get drinks actually cold. The layout of deck 3 was jarring; a theater in the middle split the deck in half, requiring going up or down a deck to get from one end to the other. We aren't big on group activities so I can't comment on those. We highly enjoyed the 'Freeze Frame' ice show. The 'Tap Factory' show was fun, reminiscent of 'Stomp!' or 'Blue Man Group'. The Q&A session with the captain and senior officers was informative and entertaining. Embarking and disembarking at in NJ was about as smooth as I could expect. No significant issues. Getting off and on in Bermuda was also relatively smooth once we'd done it a couple of times. Food ranged from fair (Sorrentos) to good (Windjammer) to very good (Dining room, Johnny Rocket's). Some dishes in WJ and MDR were exceptionally good. Service in all was outstanding. I cannot say enough about the friendliness, professionalism, and performance of almost every single Royal employee we interacted with. Captain, guest services, wait staff, cabin attendants, washroom maintainers; almost everyone was more friendly and outgoing than could be expected across a large group of people. My only less-than-outstanding experience was reboarding each day in Bermuda. I understand security is important and often large numbers of passengers were reboarding at the same time. Still, a couple of the staff scanning personal items or managing the metal detectors were more curt and abrupt than the rest of the employees. I'm certainly not talking TSA-levels of abuse; they were certainly professional. It was only that compared to everyone else, their approach was less than cordial. So why won't we repeat on Royal? Foremost, the common areas were just too darn loud. Between the music in WJ, the live acts on the Promenade, the music and activities on the pool deck, it was difficult to find a quiet place outside our cabin. The library was about the only refuge. I don't want a floor show from my wait staff. It seemed rude to ignore the well-rehearsed efforts of the Johnny Rocket's staff but I just wanted to eat my burger. The MDR staff's 'dances' were more like clapping parades, and very disruptive of my meal. Speaking of the otherwise outstanding MDR staff, I'm sorry they have to basically beg me at each meal to be favorable on the reviews. My understanding is upper management places a high value on these, but maybe there's a better way of evaluating performance? How about having internal reviewers who anonymously visit a couple of times a year, like restaurant critics? Our waiter was a delightful man with over 35 years of cruising experience. It was a bit pathetic how he had to basically grovel for our favor. Finally, I hope to never hear the words "Washy, washy!" again, no matter how politely and friendly they're spoken.
AWARD-WINNING AWE-INSPIRING ACCOMMODATION
Redefining the cruising experience one room at a time. Our staterooms are an alluring escape from the non-stop action that our cruise ships are known for. From our spectacular views to our deluxe amenities, a stay with us is like nothing else at sea.
TASTE THE BOLD
Savour every bite of batter fried goodness poolside at the new Fish & Ships℠ seafood spot. Take your taste buds on a trip to the Far East at Izumi, where fresh Asian-inspired flavours are literally on a roll. Or indulge in prime cuts of meat and steakhouse classics at Chops Grille℠. Whatever you’re craving, you’ll find plenty of delicious ways to fuel up between adventures onboard.
FISH & SHIPS℠
Order up batter-fried favourites at Fish & Ships℠ – the new seafood spot that’s just within splashing distance of the pool.
IZUMI
Say “Konnichiwa” to a reimagined favourite. Sushi, sashimi and more, all made to order with intense flavours, the best ingredients and impeccable presentation. Now that's fresh.
CHOP'S GRILLE℠
For more than a decade, the chefs of Chops Grille℠ have proudly presented quality, hand-cut prime steaks at this hallmark Royal Caribbean restaurant.
GO ON A WINNING STREAK OR LOAD UP ON EPIC SWEETS
You’ll find endless new surprises onboard just waiting to thrill you – whatever your age. At Playmakers℠ Sports Bar & Arcade, both kids and adults will have a blast making their own legendary plays at the arcade – all while tucking in to match-day favourites like wings, popcorn shrimp and burgers. Just make sure to save room dessert at Sugar Beach℠, where over-the-top ice cream creations and sugar-coated surprises will make even the most seasoned sweet tooths feel like kids again.
PLAYMAKERS℠ SPORTS BAR & ARCADE
It’s always game on at Playmakers℠ Sports Bar & Arcade, where you can catch your home team live on 50 screens or face off against your friends. With a menu of game day favourites and icy-cold draughts on tap, anything you order is a winner. Like the signature Playmakers Burger, the buffalo wings or the four-scoop Touchdown Sundae.
SUGAR BEACH℠
Treat your sweet tooth to every sweet under the sun – plus a few sugar-coated surprises. Sugar Beach℠ is stocked to maximum candy capacity with all your favourite confections.
Enrichment programs or classes cover a wide range of topics, from wine tasting to arts and crafts.
MAXED OUT ON THRILLS
Forget everything you thought you knew about cruising and get ready for next level thrills at every turn.
THE PERFECT STORM℠
Grab a buddy and plunge through three storeys of twisting, turning thrills to the bottom of the dual racer slides Typhoon℠ and Cyclone℠. The conditions are just right – for The Perfect Storm℠.
Treat yourself to some TLC onboard Independence of the Seas®, with an incredible selection of health and wellness options, from luxurious spa treatments to high energy workouts.
Royal Caribbean knows the simple truth of family travel. If the kids are having a brilliant time, everyone else usually is too. That is why its holidays are packed with ways for little ones, big ones and every age in between to jump in and join the fun. Our ships have endless thrilling activities that our young sailors never forget, a dedicated space for teens to hang out and make new friends, and enough great food options to impress even the fussiest taste buds There are award-winning kids and teens clubs, family friendly dining spots, entertainment for all ages and plenty of chances to make a splash together.
