Independence of the Seas is
one of three Royal Caribbean's 'Freedom Class' ships and along with
her sisters, Freedom and Liberty of the Seas weigh in at a huge
160,000 gross-registered tons each and currently hail as the largest most forward looking
passenger cruise ships in the world.
Independence of the Seas
operates as an American resort-style ship but following Royal
Caribbean's decision to home port the ship at Southampton for ex-UK
roundtrip cruises without the hassle
of flying, obviously needed to tweak their offering in-order to
attract a growing contingent of British cruise passengers to compete
with traditional favourites such as P&O - 'Britains favourite cruise
line'!
Firstly, this came in the
form of a £9 million investment with the ABP Port of Southampton at
the City Cruise Terminal to accommodate the worlds largest cruise
ships and provide enhanced passenger facilities including a new,
wider entrance lobby, an enlarged reception area with 50 check-in
desks, and additional security capabilities.
Secondly, to combat Europe's
inclement weather conditions the outdoor pools have been heated to
provide a little more comfort for passengers.
Thirdly and some say most
importantly, provided every stateroom with tea-making facilities.
How else could they crack the UK cruise market?
Life aboard:
At the heart of the ship and
unlike anything else that you may have seen on any other cruise
line is the Royal Promenade, four decks high and the length of two
football pitches - this 'shopping-style mall' offers 24 hour dining, a
Ben & Jerry's ice-cream parlour, a traditional Gents
Barbour's, a variety of watering holes plus a world of
shopping. The Royal Promenade also serves as a backdrop for
colourful parades and parties which are part of the fun cruising
with Royal Caribbean.
Hover over image
for a brief description:
Other unexpected things to be found around the ship include an
ice rink open for lessons and free ice skating during the day
and spectacular shows at night.
A rock climbing wall
200ft above sea level, the Flowrider® - a surf machine
which generates a a thin sheet of water that creates a wave
allowing you to surf or body board, a mini
golf course, a full size basketball court and oh yes a
boxing ring if you want to go a few rounds!
Children and adults alike
are well catered for on this ship, so its great for
multi-generational families, the younger ones will particularly like
the 5,380 Sq ft H2O Zone® - a colourful interactive family water
park featuring a waterfall, various fountains and water cannons etc
whilst the adult-only Solarium and pool might be a welcome bolt hole
to read a good book and relax without the kids.
Dining and entertainment:
The main dining room sports
a grand staircase and massive chandelier and is split over three
decks with each level being named after one of William Shakespeare's
plays: "King Lear," "Macbeth" and "Romeo & Juliet". Here dinner is
served in the traditional two sittings of 6.15pm and 8.30pm.
For casual daytime dining
and for those that prefer not to dine in the main restaurant, the
Windjammer Café is open virtually around the clock and offers a
great choice of food from around the world at various food stations.
Retro styling is the
backdrop for the very popular Johnny Rockets' 1950's style US diner
serving up great burgers and fries all for just $3.95pp.
Hover over image
for a brief description:
Two speciality restaurants where reservations are required seat
around 100 passengers in an intimate upscale
environment and are well worth the $25pp cover charge.
Portofino's is an Italian styled restaurant serving up
traditional Italian favourites such as fantastic
sea food pasta dishes whilst Chops Grille Steakhouse offers
premium US steaks to your liking.
A wide variety of bars and
lounges exist on Independence of the Seas and offer something for
everyone.
An obelisk guards the
entrance to the outlandish Pyramid Lounge which takes you back in
time to ancient Egypt. Nods toward the British clientele on
board include James Bond, who casts his eyes over going's on in the
Casino Royale whilst beefeaters, gargoyles and rooks serve as the
backdrop for the gothic Labyrinth Nightclub.
Passengers familiar with
other Royal Caribbean ships will welcome the old favourites such as
the nautical Schooner Bar, Champagne Bar and Viking Crown Lounge
with its fabulous floor to ceiling windows and panoramic sea views
perfect for pre-dinner cocktails as the sun sets.
Staterooms:
Choose your stateroom from 1
of the 1817 available on board designed in pastel tones and ranging
in size from around 150 Sq Ft upwards, all are equipped with a hair
dryer, mini-fridge, flat panel TV, extensive WiFi capabilities and
connectivity for mobile phones.. Beds can be configured as
either twins or a queen with a pillow top to fit nicely over the gap
and we can confirm that they offer a great nights sleep.
There are 733 interior
staterooms, 1084 with an ocean view and 842 equipped with a balcony.
32 are dedicated as wheelchair accessible.
[Don't forget your US. adapter plug - the UK tweaks did not extend
to the plug sockets!]
Family Cruising:
Royal Caribbean operate an
Adventure Ocean® Youth Programme whereby children are
grouped into seven different age ranges with each group located in
separate areas:
Aqua Babies (6 - 18
months)
Aqua Tots (18 - 36 months)
Aqua Babies and Aqua Tots, offer parents/guardians the opportunity
to join their children for interactive classes developed by early
childhood experts at Fisher-Price.
Aquanauts (3 - 5 years)
Explorers (6 - 8 years)
Voyagers (9 - 11 years)
Specially designed to blend educational activities with just plain
fun. Every cruise is different. But one thing never changes, your
child will get to learn about local customs, do cool science
experiments, and make great new friends. To participate, children
must be fully potty-trained (No pull-ups or nappies) and be 3 years
of age as of the first day of the cruise.
Navigators (12 - 14
years) The Navigators
programme is specially designed just for tweens. It's not some
structured program of classes. You can join activities and
games when you want to, or just chill in our Living Room with your
friends.
Guests (15 - 17 years) As you're almost an
adult, and it's your cruise too - you get the freedom you deserve!
You can join events all day, or come and go as you want. Two
great places are available where you can get away from it all. The
Living Room is a laid-back place you can just hang with your new
friends. And Fuel is the place where the party is. Open 'til 2 a.m.,
you can dance, listen to music, or just hang out there.
You can feel confident
leaving your children on board as All members of staff in
the Adventure Ocean® hold a college degree in education,
recreation or related field and has experience working with children
ages 3 - 17
In room baby sitting is
available from 8.00am to 02.00am.
"Independence
of the Seas is soon to be eclipsed by Oasis of the Seas, currently
in production and due to launch in December 2009 which will be 40% larger
weighing in at 220,000 GRT."
A typical cruise will
include a mixture of Formal, Informal and Smart Casual evenings.
On formal evenings, for
ladies this is the opportunity to wear something glamorous and dressy
such as a formal evening or cocktail outfit. For men a dinner jacket or
tuxedo are the norm, otherwise a suit and tie is fine.
Currency Used
$ US Dollar
Tipping
An approximate daily total
of GBP 4.90 / GBP 6.03 for suite guests) per guest, per cruise day, is
recommended for stateroom and dining room service for adults and all
children.
It is recommended that you pre-pay your onboard gratuities in advance of
your holiday.
Gratuities will be payable
in U.S. Dollars on board.
Additionally, a service
charge of 15% for all beverage bills.
Smoking Policy
No smoking
permitted inside public spaces and inside staterooms.
Smoking is allowed on balcony cabins and on selected
areas of the open deck.
Length
339 m / 1111 ft
Breadth
56 m / 183.7 ft
Cruising speed
21.6
knots
Cruise from Southampton without flying aboard some of the worlds finest
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Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL), P&O Cruises, Princess
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