Five Things I loved About My Cruise on Independence of the Seas

Back in September I sailed on Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas  on a four night Bahamas Cruise. What are five things I loved about Ind?

Solarium
A staple on Royal Caribbean ships is the Solarium which is for ages 16 and up. On Independence its located at the front of the ship on Deck 11. In the solarium you have a pool, lots of chairs, shade and sun but what really stands out here are the hot tubs. They are huge and  they cantilever off the side of the ship so they provide a fantastic view while enjoying your favorite beverage. I spent many of afternoons here to relax the muscles after a fun day in port. 

 Vintages Wine Bar
Not sure if I loved this place so much because of the staff or the people I met there but I think it was a little of both. Located on the Royal Promenade is Vintages Wine Bar where you can get wine, beer or cocktails. Its a nice atmosphere with come very knowledgeable bar tenders and a Sommelier on staff who is a wine expert. Now I am not a wine drinker, mostly drank beer, but it was nice to get a glass of wine and know its more to my taste. You can tell them what you like and they will match it up for you. On select days, they have wine and scotch tastings for an additional cost. Just a great place to relax. 

Perfect Day at Cocoa Cay
Located in the Bahamas is Royal Caribbean's Private Island, Perfect Day at Cocoa Cay.  In 2019 Royal Caribbean did a massive renovation to Cocoa Cay and renaming it Perfect Day at Cocoa Cay. They added a waterpark, private cabanas a freshwater pool and much more.

This was my second trip the island so I wanted to do something different. On this trip I did a Kayak Excursion that took us out towards some of the smaller islands. Highly recommend. Most of my day was spent at Chill Beach which is one of the quieter beaches on the island. For lunch, I had the famous chicken sandwich I missed out on last time and it is fantastic. Get that and a one of the huge cookies and you are set. ​

Sky Pad
On just a few of the Royal Caribbean ships you will find the SkyPad. This is a virtual reality trampoline experience and it is so much fun. You are harnessed in with bungee cords and given the option to wear VR goggles. Once they give you some instructions, you are free to jump and as you jump, you jump in the game in the VR goggles. 

A couple of tips for this. First, make sure you have socks either on or to put on, the trampoline can get pretty hot for bare feet. Second, do it early in the cruise, winds can shut it down so you don't want to wait and then end up missing it. 

Spacious Panoramic Ocean View Stateroom 
This has become one of my most recommended categories on Voyager and Freedom class ships. I first had this category on the Mariner of the Seas and decided I needed to have it on Independence.

These staterooms wrap around the front of Deck 12 with some overlooking the bow and some on  the side, where mine was for this cruise. Plenty of room for the two to three people, the bathroom has a shower with a glass door and the location is perfect because its a short flight of stairs to the Solarium. But the reason these staterooms are so great, is the floor to sealing window. You can lay in bed and overlook the ocean or my favorite view was arriving into Perfect Day at Cocoa Cay at sunrise. 

I think was I like about this clas of ship is it provides some great activities and food options but its not too big or busy. I feel like I am still on a cruise ship, if that make sense. I highly reccomend sailing on Independence of the Seas. She currently sails from Port Canaveral doing varying itineraires but mostly three and four night itineraries to the Bahamas. 

Michael Miller

Freedom to Roam Travel

(904) 534-4318
​
mike@freedomtoroamtravel.com