Independence of the Seas, Europe
Knowing that it was only three nights we decided the cabin choice didn't need to be extravagant. We booked an ocean view stateroom and we were allocated cabin 3632. I found the cabin to be well equipped and comfortable.
Embarkation times were 11:30-16:30. As we live close by we opted to arrive at 15:00. We were pleased to be told by the port staff we had arrived at the right time, there were no queues and we waltzed through very quickly and totally hassle-free. When it came to disembarkation there were no grumbles again; we were first off (at 6.30am!)
The food was excellent, we ate mostly in the a la carte "Macbeth" main dining room. This is a three-tier beautiful dining room. We did venture to the "Windjammer" buffet restaurant on two occasions which had a huge array of foods available. My friends had not cruised before and were amazed at the opportunity to eat 24 hours a day, a particular hit with the group were the pizza and sushi. The service provided in the bars was impeccable. Having purchased the ultimate drinks package, our group worked our way around most bar. My personal favourite was the "Schooner" bar where they had a live pianist playing.
Our first port was Zeebrugge. We took the transfer provided by Royal Caribbean straight to Bruges. We had all been here before, so we enjoyed a wander round the shops and admired the lace and chocolates that were in abundance. We ended up finding a wonderful beer bar and spent the afternoon tasting Belgian beers. Our second port of call on the three-night cruise was Le Havre, where two of our group travelled to nearby fishing village Honfleur. The other four of our group including myself took a tour of the Second World War landing beaches, truly breath-taking and thought provoking. I would recommend this trip to anyone.
There was such a choice of entertainment, we didn't know where to start! We went to the Broadway style show in the Alhambra theatre, this was a production of Grease - as I had anticipated it was excellent. We also did a few quizzes and would have done ice skating, archery etc. had we had more time. One evening we took our Miami Vice cocktails (half strawberry daiquiri, half Pina colada) into one of the amazing cantilevered whirlpools. I also enjoyed the late-night comedy show they had on board.
I would definitely cruise with Royal Caribbean again. The service was great as were the facilities, cleanliness and choice of entertainment. Until next time!