trainer.stan

Wednesday 16th October Up early today for our arrival into Vigo and as we opened the balcony doors we found it was still dark and also raining but we weren't to surprised as we expected it to be similar to the UK but it wasn't going to stop us going ashore. We headed up to the Windjammer for breakfast and found the selection on offer to be great and like you Matt I love the omelette station in fact it was a much better than the buffet the MDR offered yesterday. After breakfast we set off to explore Vigo on our own as we found RC trips were not that great. Vigo has a new shopping mall right next to the ship with some great shops, free Wifi and a good little store for supplies like chips and sodas and other essentials you may need all far cheaper than the ship. We found that even in the rain Vigo is actually a surprising little gem with good local restaurants and cafes plenty of big name stores and things to do. If Oysters are your thing then visit Oyster alley where you will find some of the best local seafood in Spain. At around 13:00 we headed back to the ship and as we got close the rain stopped and the sun came out. Once on board we decided to go the dog and badger for lunch and was disappointed to find that they don't serve food even though RC brochure and website said they did so we went to the Windjammer.
 
After lunch we went up top for the sail off which was at 14:45, it was brilliant the sun was warm and the view of Vigo was awsome. The rest of the day was spent hitting the gym and exploring more of the ship, the flowrider looks cool and I will have a go at some point during our cruise and also try the rock wall and mini golf. There is so much on offer on the ship that I don't know how we are going to fit it all in. Dinner this evening was at Johhny Rockets and to be honest I was disappointed as the burgers were ok but not great and quite small, the chilli chese fries were very lacking of both the chill and the cheese and the strawberry sundae was very average as they had used canned strawberries and really cheap ice cream, COME ON JOHNNY ROCKETS SHIP UP OR SHIP OUT. After dinner it was the usual for us Casino , drinks and bed. Although today we didn't seem to have much luck with a couple food choices this is still the best cruise line we've been on are having such an amazing time we already don't want to get off. Tomorrow we are in Lisbon Portugal

Tuesday 15th October Our first day at sea began with breakfast in the MDR after which we went down to the promenade for the the free raffle draw in the perfume shop which my wife had got tickets for and was stunned when her ticket number was called out :). Her prize was fantastic it was a hamper worth $250.00 in which was perfume, after shave, a huge bottle of champagne, chocolates, a bear, and other ship memorabilia. We then explored this amazing ship a bit more and went to the gym, the gym is absolutely awesome with everything you could ever need. After the gym we headed down to Cafe Promenade for some coffee and a snack as we didn't want anything to heavy as tonight was our first formal night and we had booked a table at chops grill. Our first impressions of what we have seen on the Independence today is that she is one amazing ship and the staff and crew are so friendly and very helpful. The quality and standard of the food is so far well above any of the other cruise lines that we have sailed with. We had booked a Balcony Cabin on the 9th deck close to the back of the ship and are very happy with our choice. The room is a good size with a big comfy bed and a well equipped bathroom and although small looking the shower cubicle is ok size wise and has a great power shower. Storage space is fine with a good size wardrobe and plenty of draw space and the balcony is a good size with 4 chairs and a table. In the evening we headed up to Chops in our formal wear and I have to say my wife looked stunning. Well what can I say about Chops Grill, oh I know ! wow wow and double wow, it has to be one of the best steaks I have ever had and as for the service it was 5 star. We then headed down to the casino for a few drinks and some fun and I have to say it's one of the best casinos at sea. Tomorrow we are in Vigo Spain and we are looking forward to seeing this ancient historic port.

Monday 14th October Would you believe woke up at 4am as we couldn't sleep, think this was down to excitement and looked out of the window and the Independence had already docked. We decided to start to slowly get ready and head down to breakfast at 06.30. At 09.30 am our taxi arrived and we took the 2 minute drive to the cruise terminal with the hope of checking in early. Luggage drop off was a breeze and to our amazement we were allowed to check in straight away at 09.40 and then allowed to board the ship at 10.45 (WELL DONE RC). As soon as we got on board we were wowed by the ship and after a quick visit to guest services, yes you guessed it straight up to the Windjammer for lunch and yes Matt you were so right the honey stung chicken was awesome.

As our room wasn't going to be ready until 13.00 we decided to check out the ship and went to the Spa to register for the raffle with the hope of maybe winning a free treatment. The announcement arrived that the cabins were ready and up we went to see our room and to our amazement our luggage was there and we were able to unpack before the 15.45 lifeboat drill. After a short visit back to the room we then went up to the spa for the draw of the raffle unfortunately it was not our lucky day. Evening meal was a breeze as we decided on the Windjamer again as MDR menu was not to our liking and was really impressed with the selection offered. After dinner we made our way up to the Viking Crown lounge for drinks and met a really nice couple after which we hit the casino and then to bed.

Our first day and impression of Royal Caribbean has been fantastic and we are so glad we chose this ship.

Day one has been awesome can't wait to update you on our next day.

but I got a GREAT upgrade . . .lol . . .and I loved my cruise . . .but, (note to self) . . . . don't EVER pay another booking fee. . . . Matt said so!

Orbitz isn't really what I'd consider a TA.  I know they are technically ones but they fall under a different category.  At any rate, you should not have to pay any booking fee to use a TA.  Ever.

Hi, my name is Susan and cruising is in my blood.  I have taken one cruise last year on my birthday, and next  year on my birthday I will taking the Navigator of the Seas.  This will be fun.  I have also "cruised" on the USS Nimitz from 1995-97.  Trust me this will be much more fun!

Personally I've become of the opinion that I don't want land based restaurants on the ships to make the ships more unique.

Cruising must be a mid-Michigan thing... I too live around the corner from Tyler over in Grand Ledge.
 
We should probably form some sort of support group....  :)

Hi, We live in the Shetland Islands, Scotland and started cruising with RCI on the Freedom in 2009, we were married on the beach at Ocho Rios during the cruise.  Since then we have been on the Navigator, Mariner, Brilliance and Allure (100th voyage) with cruises booked on the Independence and the inaugural cruise on the Allure. Love all things RCI.

Hi, I'm Mason. I'm 33 years old and live in Perth, Australia. I'm a travel agent and cruise specialist, so I love my job! I'm going on my first RCI cruise in just under five weeks and am so excited! We're doing a 13 night cruise to the Pacific Islands & Fiji on Rhapsody of the Seas. At the top of my cruising bucket list is a cruise on Oasis around the Western Caribbean. I would love to visit Labadee!
One of my nerdy little hobbies is collecting cruise ship models (the sort that are sold onboard). I am madly trying to collect the entire RCI and Celebrity fleets.

It would depend on what expensive means to you. A pina colada is around $6.25. Beer ranges from $4 to $7 depending on what brand it is. Frozen drinks range in price from $5 to $12 depending on size, whether or not you can keep the glass, as those drinks are more expensive. A martini is normally $8 or $10. If you want top shelf liquor it will be more expensive. Also you'll be charged a 15% bar gratuity automatically on top of the drink price. 

Exactly! I don't spend thousands to go on a cruise and worry about a hundred I might spend on alcoholic beverages!

I find the prices fairly reasonable. Considering you can go to an amusement park and find a crappy beer for like $8.50. $7 for my Absolut tonic INCLUDING tip? Fine by me.

For me it is not a holiday if it's not at least 7 nights. The more 7 night cruises I do the longer I want to be onboard. I'm slowly working my way up. I could stay onboard for 35 days, but my wife would miss the cats. *rolls eyes*

The only thing that I would say has gone in the "wrong" direction (strong word--unnecessarily) is the food in the MDR. They've put less focus on that menu to really push the Specialty Restaurants. I'm not sure about other cruises, but I feel that RCI adds some amazing and innovative stuff on their ships, MOST for a fee. Starbucks at Sea? $$. Johnny Rockets! $$. Pets at Sea! $$. They have lots of "firsts" but charge for so many. Remember when the food on cruises used to be the MAIN selling point? And it didn't include a sitting fee? And a corking fee? And a fee for that after-dinner specialty coffee?

Hi my name is Kenneth my wife and I live in SoCal we have been cruising with Royal since 2003, we are Diamond members. 

Hello, my name is Tyler and I'm from Lansing, Michigan. My wife and I love cruising and cruise normally once every two years. I'm a "loyal to Royal" and keep up to date on everything that Royal Caribbean does. We love to travel but love Walt Disney World and cruising the most!

I'm afraid that Quantum is a bit too gimmicky. They're trying for "new" and "innovative," but I"m not sure how great the North Star and Sky Diving thing will be. But they'll give it a try. The virtual balcony thing is a great innovation I'd like to see. That being said, I agree with Matt. "Best" is a subjective term. As it stands, Allure and Oasis might not be defined as the "best" by many passengers. They may be the largest, allowing for a variety of amenities, but sometimes smaller == luxury == more attention to detail == better service. 
 
The sheer size of the Oasis class will remain in-tact and a call-to-fame.

Looks like 'Vantage of the Seas' is a favourite overall and between 'Ovation' and 'Pulse' as the 2nd favourites :) 🚢

Our next cruise is on Rhapsody of the Seas 11 Feb 2014 - to celebrate my wife's birthday and our 25 Wedding Anniversary.

Hi trainer.Stan
 
I have got round this by using another email address and adding a number to my user name so that people can see its me posting on both the message board and the questions.
 
Hope this solves your problem.

Sorry for the confusion, the login for the message board is not the same as the login for the Questions section of the site.  They are two different pieces of software, so unfortunately you will have to create another login for that area of the site.
 
I will look into ways to create a single user database for the entire site.

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I saw the question and thought "Oh this is easy!" And then I thought about it some more and realized I keep going back and forth  :lol:
 
I think at the end of the day, I pick a cruise based on itinerary but the ship is a major factor.  As an example, my next cruise is to Southern Caribbean and I picked that for the itinerary more than than anything.  But when we sailed on Oasis and Freedom, we picked those cruises for the ship first.
 
So I'll cheat and say "it depends"  :P

I never said it would be a restful sleep :D