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This is a firm “no” to FOMO. Independence of the Seas® is giving the Caribbean an injection of new adventures on getaways. Launch yourself into a virtual world on the Sky Pad® bungee trampoline experience. Go head to head in a glow-in-the-dark laser tag clash in Battle for Planet Z℠. Score an awesome time and game-changing grub at Playmakers℠ Sports Bar & Arcade. And onshore keep the adventure going strong at a private destination that’s the ultimate blend of thrill and chill — Perfect Day at CocoCay. Come Seek the Royal Caribbean®.
Year Built
2008Year Refurbished
2017Year Entered Present Fleet
2008Country of Registry
BahamasTonnage (GRT)
154,407PAX (basis 2)
3,634Max Pax (inc. Uppers)
4,375Passenger Decks
15Number of Crew
1,360Officers' Nationality
InternationalCruise/Hotel Staff Nationality
InternationalSuites
0Balcony
0Oceanview
1084Oceanview No Balcony
0Oceanview With Balcony
0Balconies
842Interior
733Accessible
20Total Number of Accommodations
1000Royal Suite - 1 Bedroom
Owner's Suite - 1 Bedroom
Grand Suite Two Bedrooms
Grand Suite - 1 Bedroom
Ocean View Panoramic Suite (No Balcony)
Junior Suite
Junior Suite
Suite Guarantee
Sunset Junior Suite
Size approx: 1,400 sq. ft. Balcony: 249 sq. ft. Relish an extraordinary vacation in this luxurious suite. Up to 4 guests. One King bed. One double sofa bed. Private balcony with outdoor dining, seating area and whirlpool. One bathroom with tub, two vanities and bidet.
Spacious Ocean View Stateroom with Balcony
Spacious Ocean View Stateroom with Balcony
Ocean View Stateroom with Balcony
Ocean View Stateroom with Balcony
Spacious Ocean View Stateroom with Balcony
Ocean View Stateroom with Balcony
Ocean View Stateroom with Balcony
Connecting Ocean View Stateroom with Balcony
Balcony Stateroom Guarantee
Spacious Ocean View Stateroom with Balcony
Spa Balcony Stateroom Guarantee
Quad Balcony Stateroom Guarantee
Sunset Balcony Stateroom
Sunset Balcony Stateroom
Ultra Spacious Ocean View Stateroom
Spacious Panoramic Ocean View Stateroom
Spacious Ocean View Stateroom
Ocean View Stateroom
Ocean View Stateroom
Ocean View Stateroom
Spacious Ocean View Stateroom
Ocean View Stateroom
Ocean View Stateroom Guarantee
Quad Ocean View Stateroom Guarantee
Spacious Promenade View Interior Stateroom
Spacious Interior Stateroom
Promenade View Interior Stateroom
Interior Stateroom
Interior Stateroom
Interior Stateroom
Interior Stateroom
Connecting Promenade Interior Stateroom
Interior Stateroom Guarantee
Quad Interior Stateroom Guarantee
Deck 15
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Deck 10
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Deck 9
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Deck 7
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4.4
Cruise reviews reflect the opinions of travel editors and cruisers/ readers and may not represent those of our company.
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I hate it when you have to pay up, to get the premium food. Shouldn’t I get a lobster tail at one meal? Most of the deck space was for kids. Who’s paying for the cruise? Give them their own space, but make sure adults have room on deck. I was impressed by the quality of top shelf refreshments. Nice to get premium liquor, by paying $ upscale price. The excursions were so so. One good, one lame. And last, but not least: if you’re going to ask for our opinions, make changes based upon them.
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FEBRUARY
Royal Caribbean is one of my favorite cruise ships lots to do everywhere on the ship just not enough time to get it all done We did miss one port due to the weather that can’t be helped I guess
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NOVEMBER
I wish they would not charge for departure day when buying beverage packages. You have to be off ship by 8 am We were leary about Labadee Haiti but it turned out to be one of our favorites a little bit of vendor pressure but we just walked away Jamaica also very beautiful
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JULY
the food in the my time dining was average, however, the sushi at Izumi was excellent. the Ice Skating show and Juggling acts were fantastic. the cost to truly explore and enjoy Coco Cay was way too expensive and I think this is why the pools were overcrowded.
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JULY
A great ship to sail on. Georgia Travel Experts was a great travel agency. Trish Mercer handled everything.
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JUNE
<div>This will hopefully be the beginning of many future cruises! The only negative thing that I was not prepared for is that lunch is not included on an excursion in the Bahamas. It is on Cocoa Cay but, we had to pay for our lunch with the dolphin excursion. No regrets either way and overall the experience was still a 10 out of 10 and we look forward to booking our next cruise!</div>
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MAY
The name says it all. My husband never slows down but for 6 hours on Coco Cay he did just that. We spent 5 1/2 hours swinging in a hammock and the other half an hour eating. It was the most perfect day.
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AUGUST
We traveled on tha Independence of the Seas world a weekend cruise. The boarding process was more streamlined than previous sailings. Food and service were excellent, The specialty restaurants were very good. The comedy show was excellent. A very nice experience all the way around.
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JULY
We had a great time. This wasn’t my favorite boat. Buffet food was mediocre and they had very limited alcohol selection. Specialty restaurants were very good and it was a relaxing trip
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APRIL
The food on this cruise ship was outstanding the only item I would say was not really good was the scrambled eggs, however, the different omelets were good.
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FEBRUARY
The crew was fantastic. From bar tenders, waiters, guest services and room attendants, everyone was awesome. The only complaint is that some of the activities, like game shows, were very late.
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JANUARY
Trivia needed a bigger room! The only time I felt crowded on the ship was during trivia. I actually enjoyed that there were not pool-side games every hour. It made that space more relaxing, even with the little kids all around. Not shockingly, the drink quality varied depending on the bartender. Perhaps a bit more training in that regard?
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DECEMBER
I had a great time with the kids relaxing for the weekend.
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FEBRUARY
We had a wonderfull time cruising we’ll do it again
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DECEMBER
Smoking in Casino was intolerable
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DECEMBER
We purchase the dinner package also came with lunch on sea days can’t go wrong at that price. Playmakers, Chops Grille, Giovanni’s and Izumi all included. Food was excellent.
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JULY
We loved our waiters Francisco and Sumardi. The dining room experience was quite positive: variety and quality. Everything was sparkly clean in the dining areas. The dancing and singing shows were quite entertaining, really original.
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JANUARY
Overall the experience was great! The only feedback I have is I would have liked to have known that I was going to spend 2.5 hours of the 6 hour excursion on the road, driving from place to place. This would have caused me not to pick this specific trip and try something that allowed me to have more time seeing the island. Also, I would have liked to have more water stations to fill up my water. Particular staff that made the experience fantastic were our waiters - Jai and Andras.
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NOVEMBER
Fantastic ship, lots to do, friendly staff, great shows. Disappointed in the food. Not as good as in the past.
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MARCH
We had a junior suite which was nice and spacious that also had a balcony. The only downside was that the balcony was constantly covered in salt water which also was on the chairs and table. We weren't able to really sit out on it very much without having to first wipe off the chairs, and even that didn't remove the layer of salt that was on them including the balcony railing. Because of high winds, we weren't able to stop at Labadee, Haiti, so we had an extra day at sea. There were high winds most of the cruise.
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MARCH
All was excellent. A constructive comment: Would like to have had more information on declaration on dollar amounts of what can be brought into the country and through the custom's procedure. It was not a problem for us, but I had wished we had know what to expect before the excursion.
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FEBRUARY
Would highly recommend this ship and cruise. Will go again.
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FEBRUARY
<div>My travel agent was very good in planning and suggesting the ship and cruise. The ship was great and lots to do if you wanted activity or just relaxing. The 18% gratuity per person per day is too high. We spent $32 a day in just tips. Liked the idea of not having to carry cash on ship. Everything got charged to a ship card and then put on charge card at end of trip. This was very convenient.</div>
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FEBRUARY
I didn't know and wasn't aware that I couldn't hand carry my duty free alcohol back through TSA after the cruise. Fortunately, I had a person that was able to take my purchases for me, they drove and parked at the airport. Other than that, exceptional Cruise!!!!!!
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FEBRUARY
Nice boat
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FEBRUARY
We had a great first time cruising with Royal Caribbean. We met some wonderful people and enjoyed everyday being entertained and enjoying our shore excursions. Will be booking again real soon
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FEBRUARY
Great Experience!
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JANUARY
BEST, SHORT CRUISE EVER.
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JANUARY
Judy thank you for planning this cruise. We were pleased to have bus service going and coming back. It made the trip much easier not dealing with a parking situation a special touch.
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DECEMBER
none
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JULY
overall experience = wonderful - had great tours guides and loved the la sacrada familia! thank you for everything - well done
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MAY
overall my wife and I had a great time, except for walking by the smoking section by the pool area. Smell was horrible!
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APRIL
I am an emerald level with Royal Caribbean, I always ask for early departure so I can go straight to work on Monday. THis was the most disorganized disembarkation I have ever had. Not only did I not get to work on time I was 1 hour late! This was a first and hopefully a last, hopefully all the complaints wont fall on deaf ears.
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MARCH
Ship was very nice and fun. Did not hear much on excursions. Captain did not announce we use ship time and several passengers were seen running to the ship but left in Jamaica. Getting off the ship itself was unorganized and took 4 hours. A nightmare. The ship itself was very nice and the shows were good.
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MARCH
We thoroughly enjoyed our cruise and everything about it except for when it was time to leave.
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JANUARY
We had a great time on the Independence. We were very impressed with our stateroom and balcony. It was well arranged, nicely decorated, very clean, and had lots of storage space. The stateroom attendant was attentive and friendly, and did a wonderful job. The ship was large with a lot of people, but it never felt crowded. Good organization! The afternoon and evening shows were very good as were the shore trips to Belize and Cozumel. We can't say enough good things about the food and service in the dining room. We were glad you suggested making dining arrangements and times before getting on the ship - nice to walk right to our table and be seated. Many thanks for all your assistance in planning our cruise. It was just perfect !
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JANUARY
Great trip, we truly enjoyed trip. We plan to visit the eastern ship of the Caribbean in the coming years.
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DECEMBER
None
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NOVEMBER
Overall marvelous experience.
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NOVEMBER
Get a better Port for Debarking
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NOVEMBER
I had a very good time. Grate ship, excellent service, good food. Nice shows. No complains.
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NOVEMBER
Cruising on the Independence of the Seas was a great experience. For the first time, my wife and I with the rest of the family can say we really took a time off for some vacation. The foods were great and the crew was really kind and careful. I will definitely cruise with the Royal Caribbean again.
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NOVEMBER
It was ok. Not much to write home about. The ship is looking dated. The staff seemed like they were new. Several times we noticed dirty dishes piled up in the middle of the day, and some staff were not helpful and were rude. Granted some cruise ship guest were demanding so and sos but still...
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OCTOBER
We are Concierge level-Diamond Plus & have traveled on over 60 RCCL cruises.
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OCTOBER
Great cruise, Chops grill was amazing. Nice ports but wish there was a day in between some of them. Drink package was good but seems like they are still trying to figure it out. Easy boarding and unboarding. All and all will cruise with then again
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JULY
Don't book your spa treatment during port stops, relaxing music was every five minutes interrupted because of staff emergency drill and rooms were way too cold!
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JULY
Overall great experience
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JUNE
Dining room for breakfast was a very slow and unappetizing experience - Windjammer was very crowded most of the morning.
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MAY
Express check out was until 7:30 but at 7:30 they also called the first group. That created a lot of people and long lines waiting to get off.
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MAY
We enjoyed our 8 day journey to Eastern Caribbean out of Ft Lauderdale. Easy on and off ship, crew was always organized, lots of activities. Weather was great, smooth sailing, nice Ports of Call (St Marteen, St Kitts, San Juan, PR, Labadee, Haiti). Had lots of places to eat, so did buffets, main dining room, Johnny Rockets, pizza - also available were steak and Italian specialty but we didn't choose those. Activities for everyone, had a good kids program, several pool, including one just for kids, lots of hot tubs too. Everyone on the crew was great, and very nice 99% of the time, (1% of the time they were merely nice). Lots of bars, entertainment, casino, places to shop and eat.
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APRIL
<div>This was our first ever cruise. What a fantastic experience! It met and/or exceeded our every expectation. Simple question. Where else can you find a hotel with ALL these amentities plus one that takes you to fantastic places & experiences all for around $130 a day? For what was offered and available the price was absolutely reasonable and worth every dime. Definitely hope to do this again. My travel agent made all the planning and preparation for this trip a breeze for which we are very grateful. .</div>
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JANUARY
thank you for a relaxing enjoyable cruise.
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JANUARY
<div>Great trip and coordination.</div>
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JANUARY
<div>Labadee has been updated and improved. The ice show was spectacular, it is a shame that only a limited number of passengers could enjoy it due to size of the venue. Staff was very cordial and professional. My travel agency did a great job in coordinating the event to make everything go well.</div>
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JANUARY
Great Trip
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JANUARY
everything was perfect ship, service, shows, but the food it was ok but not like the excellent food from past cruses
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JANUARY
<div>The voyage was wonderful. We will cruise again with my travel agent's help. Thanks for the memories.</div>
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JANUARY
Would said on Independence of the Seas again.
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JANUARY
The entertainment was great Ice show terrific as were the dancers and singers As will most say the trip was a huge success. We especially enjoyed Labadee this was a truly fun stop. We cannot express our opinion on late night or the club venue's as we did not participate.
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JANUARY
Trip, Food and Service was great would do it again.
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JANUARY
We will go again; you should go too.
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JANUARY
On a cruise aboard the Radiance of the Seas we had lectures by two geography professors preparing us for what we were going to see in Alaska. I would like to see more cultural courses offered such as cooking, art and music pertaining to the areas that are being visited. Also a favorite of women would be book reviews and fashion shows being staged by owners of the shops on board.
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AUGUST
We boarded our large and beautiful cruise ship in Southhampton, England and was greeted by numerous staff that welcomed us and showed us the way to our suite. Our suite was enormous and very clean. Ann Marie was our attendant and she had the most beautiful smile, which she continued throughout the cruise. There was plenty of activities throughout the cruise and the entertainment was great. There were 2 different ice shows in the 16 days and numerous comedians as well as dancing and music. Our concierge was Raj and he was the best at keeping us up to date on shows and making our trip enjoyable. If there is any weakness with this cruise it would lie with the food. Being that we had a suite we were able to enjoy breakfast in the Chops Specialty Restaurant every morning or room service. I was not happy with the buffet at breakfast. Too much shoving and it was difficult to find a seat for 3. Dinner in the dining room was fine as long as you did assigned seating. The Any Time Dining is a disaster. They are not able to handle the passengers who come between 7 and 8. Waiting time could be as long as 1 hour. Was not pleased with that but we were able to join a group at 8:30 who had openings at their table and it worked out fine everynight. The ports were beautiful but time is short in them especially if you do excursions. All in all I will say Royal Caribbean treated us very warmly and we made some lovely friends that made the cruise even more delightful. One big plus was the cruise director. What a ball of talent and boy did he put on three great shows in the Prominade that were incredible. On a scale of 10 I give it a 8 plus.
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APRIL
Food was only so so, ie not as good as Celebrity
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MARCH
<div>The ship was huge. But they kept it very clean. The rooms were cleaned 2 times a day. Guest services were always there to answer all of your questions. The food was awesome. I liked the hand sanitizers everywhere.</div>
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