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CRUISE REVIEW
INDEPENDENCE OF THE SEAS Canada, New England Fall 2026 By Richard H. Wagner |
Independence of the Seas
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This was a a 9-day cruise from Bayonne, New Jersey calling at Boston, Massachusetts, Portland, Maine, Saint John, New Brunswick and Sydney, Nova Scotia.
Independence of the Seas entered service in 2008. Despite having had a number of major refits over the years, Independence looks much the same as she did when she entered service. The basic layout, the art and decoration are much the same. There have been a number of changes. For example, the original two-story Gothic disco was replaced by a specialty restaurant on one level and by additional passenger cabins on the other. Similarly, passenger cabins have replaced what was the Diamond Lounge, the computer center, and the library. There are also more cabins up top near the spa. Nonetheless, the intangibles that have traditionally been associated with Independence remain. The service remains excellent – at the top of the Royal Caribbean fleet. This was true in the dining rooms, the bars and lounges, and with the cabin attendants. I would say Independence appears to have a happy crew as that is what usually makes for good service. Independence has a three story main dining room. The lowest level is used for the ship's flexible dining program. The two balcony levels are used for set time dining. I choose the set time dining so that I could have the same table and waiters each evening. The waiters provided very good service and became accustomed to my preferences. The section manger came by each night to ensure that all was going well. The menu changed each evening. Although there was a different theme each evening, for example a taste of Britain, the offerings were not limited to any particular cuisine. Rather, there would be a few dishes relating to the evenings' theme and a variety of other choices. I enjoyed the food. In addition to the main dining room, Independence has several extra-tariff specialty restaurants including Chops (steakhouse), Portofino (Italian), and Izumi (Asian). There is also a Chef's Table offering and Playmakers, a sports bar, which also serves extra-tariff food. Complimentary alternatives include the Windjammer buffet, a pizzeria, a coffee and sandwich cafe, and a fish and chips venue. Independence is a lively ship. During the evenings, there was live music in the public areas, street parties on the Royal Promenade, visiting entertainers and production shows in the theater and a well-populated casino. On certain nights and on one of the sea days, there were ice shows in the ship's rink. There is too much available on Independence to do everything. For this cruise I had an inside cabin. It was one of the newer cabins added during one of the refits. However, it was much the same in design, décor and features as the ship's original inside cabins. Inasmuch as Independence is some 18 years old, the cabin was not as luxurious as the cabins on Royal's newer ships but I found it to be well-maintained and comfortable. Weather is always an issue on cruises in the northeast during the autumn. On this cruise, the weather was summer-like in Boston and Portland, autumnal in St. John and stormy in Sydney. As a result, the outdoor facilities (e.g., pools, surfing simulator) were in use on most days. As we left Sydney, the captain warned that we would encounter high winds that evening. As it turned out, the winds were higher than anticipated – hurricane force. However, this did not bother Independence much. Walking the passenger corridors, I could see that the deck was distinctly slanted to one side. But the passengers were out and about in the public areas. Passengers on this cruise were mostly from the United States with a sprinkling of British passengers. As is often the case on Canada - Ne England cruises, there were few children. |
Above: Independence in St. John
Below: Independence in Boston. 
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Cruise ship review - - Royal Caribbean International - Independence of the Seas - Canada New England 2026