Independence of the Seas - Nov 17, 2018

BensDaddy

Graduate of Goofy's Flight School
Joined
Dec 27, 2010
Hello all,

My family and I have been Disney die-hards for years. In November, however, timing dictates that we will need to try Royal Caribbean. It’s just the two of us and our 12 year old son.

Any suggestions for tips and tricks to make the most of an RCCL Cruise would be appreciated!

Also, tips and tricks for Labadee Haiti? Where to set up camp, what is not to be missed, etc.

Thanks so much!
 
Also, what do you like in Falmouth, Jamaica? An hour bus ride to Dunn’s River Falls doesn’t sound great. And there doesn’t seem to be anything near the port. What do you think? Stay onboard and enjoy the ship without the lines?
 
My son's favourite port so far is Labadee. We did the roller coaster twice then spent an hour on the water inflatables. We had lunch then swam in one area for a bit, walked back towards the other beach and sborkled for awhile. There is lots to do, or just sit and relax. We just found empty chairs when needed and moved around.

Indie is getting an update with water slides, and a bunch of other stuff. I am sure you will find a lot to do.
 
Independence is a great ship - and with the new updates should be even better. You 12 yo will love it if he is anything like my son was at that age.

Labadee - we prefer the beach all the way to the right after you get off the ship - near the water inflatables. The water slide is pretty lame, the coaster is ok and the zipline is fun. Last time we did the WaveRunner tour - was a blast.

Falmouth is not my favorite stop - last time there we did a family challenge day (or something like that) at one of the local plantations - ziplining, high ropes and ATV/Buggy tour. Was a lot of fun.
 


walked back towards the other beach and sborkled for awhile.

Thanks to everyone who has responded so far!

How was the snorkeling? Did they have equipment to rent or did you bring your own? I’ve heard mixed reviews about whether there is anything to see. We snorkeled at Castaway Cay last year and the whole family loved it.
 
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We had our own masks and didn't use flippers. It is quite shallow. We enjoyed it but I expect experienced people would not have been as impressed. You can rent gear but I am not sure of the cost.
 
Cool. How about Falmouth? Any not to be missed excursions?
 


We sailed on the Independence a few years ago and really enjoyed it. We have sailed on her sister ships as well. Make sure your DS checks out the flowrider on board.
 
Will do! Do you reserve a time for it? Or just come and wait in line?
 
Will do! Do you reserve a time for it? Or just come and wait in line?

They post the times in the daily compass for the boogie boarding and the stand up boarding, just need to show up, sign up (sign waivers if you don't do it online) and wait your turn! Same with the rock climbing which I am sure you guys will enjoy as well.
 
Do you folks think that the all day roller coaster pass is worth it? Or would one ride be enough?
 
Falmouth is a pretty long bus ride to a lot of the tourist areas. We did a catamaran trip out of Montego Bay and did not enjoy the bus ride. There is a nice Margaritaville at the port which has a little pool. We enjoyed lunch there after our trip.
 
Do you folks think that the all day roller coaster pass is worth it? Or would one ride be enough?

My son would tell you that the all day pass is worth it... I found one ride (which was actually two because we both had one but had to ride together due to his age/height) was more than enough. :)
 
I'll be following along this post. After 6 Disney cruises I'm venturing to take my DS14 on his first non Disney. We're booked on this 11/17 looking forward to something different.
 
Joining in here with one kid (DS16) on IOS March ‘19. We have also been Disney Cruisers exclusively in the past. This is the first cruise as a family of 3 instead of 5. The girls are in university now and we figured a cruise was the best option for traveling with just my son. He’s a pretty social and independent kid and will be interested in everything available for the teens. I’d love to hear about your experiences and maybe some tips post cruise. It seems like the ship has a lot to offer and I’d expect that we will make the shift over to RC for future cruises.
 
Staying at the Renaissance pre-cruise, and the B-Ocean afterwards. Anyone have any shuttle services they like for transportation? 90 days to go...
 
Leaving Dallas 60 days from tomorrow. Starting to get excited, but also sad. For me, the planning is half the fun.
 
Leaving Dallas 60 days from tomorrow. Starting to get excited, but also sad. For me, the planning is half the fun.

Exciting your cruise is almost here. Would live to hear all about it as we go in December. DH and I just booked it after returning from being on Mariner (but adult trip this time). From above comment, the new features are there now right (they are in pictures on Royal site)?

How's planning going?
 
Joining this review. We are a family of four with a 15 yo dd and a 13 yo ds. Looking at the Indy and would love to know your thoughts on if this is good for teens. TIA!! Hope you have an awesome time.
 
Thanks, I’ll definitely let you know how our 12 year old likes it. Planning is pretty much done. I think we’ve decided to stay onboard in Falmouth to hopefully enjoy the pools/slides with a slightly smaller crowd. We booked a brunch at Chops. Hoping they have ships tours available to our category cabin without buying the official one. I’d like to see the bridge. Kiddo is looking forward to laser tag. He is disappointed they won’t let him participate in the escape room. Wife is looking forward to the ice show.
 

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