Suite benefits on the Independence of the Seas

I recently returned from having 3 nights aboard the newly refurbished Independence of the Seas. I was not disappointed. It had been 10 years since I was last on this ship and yes some things had changed but I loved it.

I went with my wife and it was only a mini break but we decided to treat ourselves to an Owners Suite. I probably couldn’t afford to stay in one of these had it been the normal seven night sailing but for a short break we decided to push the boat out, if you’ll pardon the pun.

The cabin was a great size. Of course you’d expect that with it being a Suite but this really was huge. The bathroom was equipped with two wash basins, a shower and room for a bath tun including Jacuzzi jets. Yes, I gave it a whirl!

The cabin had a dining area with a table and 4 chairs. Nice when ordering room service with a full dining menu option to choose from, a nice perk when staying in a suite.

The living room had a large corner sofa and separate chair as well as a T.V that you could rotate and choose to watch either in the living room or in bed.

The bedroom was spacious with plenty of storage and you could keep this room separate by drawing the curtains across so it looked like a separate bedroom, should you be entertaining friends in the dining or living area.

What I liked about the bedroom too was that you could open the sliding door straight onto your balcony as well as a access from the living area.

The balcony was large too. We had two sun loungers as we ll as a table and 4 chairs with little side tables for the loungers.  Our particular suite was Mid ship and on the hump. Prime location if you like being Mid ship. However I am quite partial to the rear facing cabins but the Independence doesn’t have suites like these on the back of the ship.

The Suite benefits have pretty good. The priority boarding was nice. Once on board, you have a butler in the Concierge lounge who will take care of everything for you, any requests that you may have.

The Concierge lounge is a great place to grab a few complimentary drinks in the evening. Every night before dinner we went there and a couple of drinks.

You have a reserved area around the pool exclusive to suite guests, so no need to fight for a sun lounger and they’ll even go get your towels for you. The same in the theatre you have a dedicated area for prime location and viewing of the shows. Again for suite guests. They will open this up to everyone around 10 minutes before the show if spaces are available.

You get a nice Gold sea pass card for easy recognition that you’re a suite guest. Should any ports of call require a tender to shore you would get priority too. Always guaranteed your preferred dining time and table size request when booking a suite.

Believe it or not these little things really make the difference and worth checking out the website for a list of all benefits. I particularly enjoyed having breakfast in a speciality restaurant.

It was a very enjoyable weekend away and I would most certainly recommend a suite if you can. Look out for my next blog and I ‘ll be showing you more of the ship and how it has changed since it’s refurbishment.