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Independence of the Seas

Freedom-class cruise ship · flagged in The Bahamas. Browse upcoming sailings and route previews for this ship.

Image via Wikimedia Commons
Tonnage
155,889
Capacity
4,370
Built
2,008
Length
338.72 m
Upcoming
77

Reviewer read

A strong ship by most measures. No category rates below the middle of the fleet.

Independence of the Seas rates higher overall than 73% of the ships we track. Entertainment is its strongest showing.

Why reviewers choose it

  • Entertainment8.3

    Higher than 87% of ships · 3,579 ratings

  • Activities8.5

    Higher than 86% of ships · 2,036 ratings

  • Fitness8.0

    Higher than 84% of ships · 1,188 ratings

  • Embarkation8.8

    Higher than 80% of ships · 2,936 ratings

Nothing to warn you about

No category on this ship rates below the middle of the fleet, and reviewers named no consistent complaint.

That is what the reviews show, not a guarantee — see what we can’t tell you below.

Everything else, in two lines

Family rates that highly too, but only 58 people scored it, so treat it as a hint.

Eleven are good without being remarkable: entertainment, activities, fitness, embarkation, ship quality, service, disembarkation, dining, cabins, public areas and value. They rate higher than 51% to 87% of ships.

Cabin grade barely matters here. The inside, oceanview, balcony and suite grades all score between 8.70 and 8.80. Pick on price and position, not on rating.

Two places worth knowing about

  • Windjammer The one people argue about55% positive · 656 comments
  • Grease The show people mention most84% positive · 312 comments

Reviewers named 12 places by name. These 2 are the ones where knowing changes anything — the other 10 are all liked by 64% to 84% of the people who mentioned them.

Who says it suited them

First-time cruisers (295 of 326), families with young kids (184 of 241), families with teens (70 of 102), couples (41 of 53), solo travelers (24 of 31) and large groups (21 of 26).

No group described it as a poor fit.

What we can’t tell you

How it suits older travelers
Too few reviewers on this ship described traveling as seniors.
How it handles mobility needs
Too few reviewers mentioned accessibility here.
Whether it's good value today
Reviews describe the fare people paid, not the one you'll be quoted.

Every category, compared

The mark on each bar is where the typical ship sits.

CategoryRatingCompared with other shipsEvidence
Ship quality9.1Higher than 77%2,191 ratings · broad
Disembarkation9.0Higher than 69%1,424 ratings · broad
Service8.9Higher than 70%3,674 ratings · broad
Embarkation8.8Higher than 80%2,936 ratings · broad
Cabins8.6Higher than 60%3,795 ratings · broad
Activities8.5Higher than 86%2,036 ratings · broad
Family8.3Higher than 96%58 ratings · limited
Entertainment8.3Higher than 87%3,579 ratings · broad
Fitness8.0Higher than 84%1,188 ratings · broad
Dining8.0Higher than 65%3,728 ratings · broad
Public areas7.8Higher than 52%1,483 ratings · broad
Value7.0Higher than 51%1,456 ratings · broad

4,175 published reviews · 479 from the last three years · 28,167 individual comments read.

On the chart

Upcoming sailings on Independence of the Seas