Have you ever been on a cruise? I have and it was my first cruise ship holiday.





Learn more about my cruise experience.

The Caribbean's Independence of the Seas Cruise Ship taken by Denise Larkin

My cruise experience on the Independence of the Seas cruise ship was very enjoyable. It was a two-night cruise sailing to Le Harve, Paris in France. I had never previously been on a cruise before so it was a big surprise to see how huge this ship was (see above picture).

The Deck on the Independence of the Seas taken by Denise Larkin

Our Arrival

We arrived at check-in at 10 am in the morning and left our suitcases just before we went onto the ship. We were greeted on deck and given a glass of Prosecco each. We were treated like royalty so it was a lovely feeling to walk inside this beautiful cruise ship and see how huge it was.

The Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas Cruise Ship - photo taken by Denise Larkin

Deluxe Drinks Packages

We were told to expect our suitcases after lunch so we wandered around the ship and went straight to the Champagne bar where we had champagne cocktails just before lunch. We had already bought a deluxe drinks package so we didn't have to worry about how much the drinks were going to be charged on our Sea passes. Deluxe drink packages include all beverages and alcohol ie water, tea, coffee, soft drinks.

Main Restaurant on the Independence of the Seas taken by Denise Larkin

Lunch was buffet style and there were lots of delicious foods to choose from. It was all so perfect for us. We ate to our heart's content and felt full. Afterwards, we decided to find deck 9 and our cabin room.

Our Cabin Room

Our cabin room was on deck 9. It was a delightful room with a tv, plenty of wardrobe space and twin beds which do combine together to make a double, but they do that for you beforehand if you tell them what you want. We thought deck 9 was perfect for our first time on a cruise ship because I was told that if you chose a cabin in the middle of the ship it would help with the motion of the ship when it was moving. Of course, we knew the ship was moving later on at night but it was a comfortable feeling and I was glad we were given that particular inner cabin room. We had a kettle with plenty of coffee and tea bags to choose from. The cabin was well equipped with everything we could want and our cabin attendant was always around if ever needed anything more.





The Sail Away Party on Independence of the Seas

At 4 pm we went to the sail away party on the top deck and it was perfect. Music played loudly and the singers were on stage. The atmosphere was buzzing. Waiters walked around with cocktails on their trays. It was bliss. The sun was out and we watched as we sailed away to sea. It was the best experience anyone could have at that point. We lay on a sun lounger soaking up the sun whilst having a cocktail and we watched out to sea as the ship moved. There was a swimming pool and a fun slide for everyone and a huge screen on the deck where they showed a movie every night.





The top deck with a swimming pool and slide on the Independence of the Seas cruise ship - photo taken by Denise Larkin

Dinner Time

At dinner, we were served a four-course meal with waiter service. It was perfect. The first night was informal and we didn't want to take up too much time eating because we had a show to go and see. On our second night, we were entertained by all the waiters and everyone dressed up. The men were in the tuxedos and the women wore fancy dresses. We drank the best wine and felt wonderful as we looked out to sea from a nearby window.





Starter at Dinner time on the Independence of the Seas taken by Denise Larkin

Shows and Entertainment

On our first night, we saw the TakeThat Experience who was a look-alike band. They were very entertaining. There were waiters there who could bring you your drinks so we were very happy with how things were going so far that evening. The entertainment was a wonderful experience for us. On our second night, we saw Grease the musical, which was wonderful and enjoyable and later on we saw a comedian act who made us laugh. There were other things to do whilst the ship was at sea and that was to visit the casino. We sat at the bar there and drank champagne as we watched people gamble (see pictures of the casino below).





The Casino on the Independence of the Seas Cruise Ship - photo taken by Denise Larkin

The casino on the Independence of the Seas cruise ship taken by Denise Larkin





Our Second Day at Le Harve

We visited Le Harve that day and had a walk around and even saw a Cathedral where we visited inside for free. You can take excursions to Paris from Le Harve for the day because the city of Paris is only an hour away. Independence of the Seas docked at Le Harve from 6am till 8 pm at night so there was plenty of time to go on excursions if you wanted to.





The foyer on the Independence of the Seas by Denise Larkin

Inside the Independence of the Seas by Denise Larkin









Breakfast

Breakfast was a buffet service where there was plenty to choose from. It was a perfect morning for food and coffee. Be advised though, that the best time to avoid the crowds is during the early morning!





From the window of the Independence of Seas cruise ship by Denise Larkin





So, we had the most wonderful two nights with the Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas. The price of this two-night cruise was £199 per person full board in May 2018. Delux drinks packages cost extra at £38 per person per day.



















