Tony W's Trip Report

Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 2010-09-02 11:16
Ship: 
Independence of the Seas
Duration: 
14 nights
Cabin: 
Interior, Promenade View

First, the ship. Incredibly large. Brilliantly designed. Excellent cabins (oh sorry - staterooms).

Next, staff/crew. With only very minor exceptions everyone was fantastic. Our holiday/vacation was top of their list of importance. Dinner crew and stateroom attendant particularly impressive.

Finally the entertainment. I'm not usually a fan of "shows" but I njoyed al those I saw and was never short of something to do.

What was your motivation to take a cruise?: 
Holiday with kids. Both teenagers and wanted them to have plenty to do without the usual "kids club" rubbish. Was not disappointed.
What was a highlight of your cruise?: 
Meals excellent, trips excellent but the highlight for me was the "Independence of the Seas Orchestra". Many congrats to Ben & the team. Quite brilliant.
What did you dislike about your cruise?: 
On a fifteen deck ship, the lifts (elevators) need to work far better than they do. Regularly stood for minutes watching lifts not moving and finally ok to the stairs. Particularly disliked being told almost daily how I should be tipping people 15%+ and preparing to hand over several hundred pounds in tips to a select few. Why can't I decide for myself? What about all the backroom people (kitchen staff, dancers, musicians, etc). If the dinner staff and stateroom staff are so underpaid as to NEED the tips then please let us know so we can be disgusted.
Did you do any excursions?: 
Yes. Several. All good if a little expensive and I could always do without being dropped at a dimly lit shop which someone has decided we should visit.
How was your cabin?: 
Excellent.
How was the food on the ship?: 
Excellent.
Would you cruise again on this ship?: 
Yes