Independence of the Seas

Independence of the Seas is the third and last of Royal Caribbean's Freedom-class ships. She entered service in May 2008, christened at Southampton that April. She carries about 3,800 guests at two to a cabin, over 4,500 when full. One design decision explains her. The Royal Promenade is a covered high street running up through the hull, with interior cabins looking onto it. Here that was the point, because for most of her career she was the ship Royal Caribbean aimed at Britain, sailing from Southampton. She now works North America: Bermuda and Canada from Cape Liberty in New Jersey, the Caribbean and Bahamas from Miami.
The 2018 Royal Amplified refit was shaped around that British audience. It added the Perfect Storm racing slides, replaced the H2O Zone with Splashaway Bay, and added laser tag and an escape room. It also added Fish and Ships, a chip shop on the top deck, put there for passengers boarding at Southampton. She still has it. The FlowRider and the ice rink in Studio B hold up well for a ship her age. The Promenade carries a cold sea day, which on her northern itineraries was most of them. The Sky Pad sphere is still aft, though the virtual reality bungee trampoline inside it was retired fleetwide in March 2023.
Cruise Critic's editors rate her four out of five, very good, and name the drawbacks: you pay extra to do everything, and there is little public outdoor space. The second is the real one. She was laid out for a market that did not expect to sunbathe, and it shows in the Caribbean. Deck chairs go before noon. Reviewers also note the older cabins look their age, in blues and greens the refit did not reach.
She suits families with children tall enough for the slides, and anyone content indoors. She suits British passengers who knew her at Southampton and want that ship again. She does not suit people who want a quiet sunny sea day, or anyone expecting Oasis or Icon-class design. She is a 2008 hull with 2018 attractions on top.
That bears directly on choosing a cabin. The Promenade-view interiors on decks 6 to 8 are the Freedom-class trade-off: a window and borrowed light, in exchange for the parades and the late bars below. Deck 6 is the loudest and the least private, because people on the Promenade can see in. Higher is better. Deck 10 sits under the pool deck and the gym, so chairs scrape early, and the aft upper decks sit under the FlowRider and Sky Pad. Some deck 11 interiors share a wall with the fitness centre. Deck 3 sits under the Promenade venues and the noise runs late. Aft cabins on decks 6 to 8 can have obstructed views. One caveat matters more than the rest. We are still mapping her venues. Treat the above as general guidance, not a score.
Open the deck plan before you book. Check what sits directly above and below the cabin you like.