Courtney GTime for another cruise! This is the first time I’ve done two cruises in a year. I hope it’s not the last. Back in January, I took a cruise with my friends. This time I took a cruise with my mom. This is her first vacation since her kidney transplant. She needed and deserved a relaxing vacation away from work and life stresses, so I took over the planning for the trip.
Tackling the Airport
Our flight was at 7AM which meant we had to be at the airport by 5AM and that meant we had to leave the house by 4AM. That meant we had to wake up at 3:30AM to get ready. I actually woke up at 2:30AM because I couldn’t sleep.
We used offsite airport parking to take a shuttle to the airport where we waited for my Mom to get wheelchair assistance. Ever since she’d been diagnosed with kidney failure and other health issues, it’s been difficult for her to walk long distances (and to keep up with my pace) so she always requests wheelchair service at the airport.
The person who assisted us was Jamal. He was very helpful and observant not just for my mom but for those around us who were in the wheelchair line. He answered their questions about flights or how to get to the plane train. I realized too late to get a picture for the blog. Sorry about that folks.
Heading to Miami
When we got on the plane, my mom actually recognized two men from when she went to get a pedicure earlier in the week. After she chatted them up and jogged their memory, she found out they were going on the same cruise! Just a couple of days earlier, when my mom was getting her hair done, the woman ahead of her was also going on the cruise. It’s a small world after all, as they say.
The flight went off without a hitch. I only mention this because it’s usually advised not to fly in the day of your cruise in case of any flight delays or cancellations.
Tip: If you can afford it, fly in to the departing port city at least a day before. You’ll feel less rushed and can even start your vacation early by exploring the city if you’ve never been.
As soon as we landed in Miami, we headed towards the cruise terminal. Mom had wheel chair assistance in the Miami airport as well. The woman who helped us was friendly and made sure our Uber driver picked us up in the right spot before heading back inside.
The Miami Cruise Terminal
The ride to the Miami cruise port was about 30 minutes and it made the Uber $50 because of the surcharge. I didn’t realize Royal Caribbean had multiple terminal spots so I had to pay attention the ship name displayed on the screens as we pulled up. Our ship was Independence of the Seas.
For it to only be about 10AM, the cruise terminal was packed with people arriving and trying to leave.
My mom and I planned to carry our bags on the ship with us but even if we wanted to leave it with a porter, I had no idea where to leave them. We walked right up to the entrance and I didn’t see a porter to take bags.
To add to the stress I was starting to feel, when we were going through security and checking in, I couldn’t find my passport. It wasn’t in the place where I’d last seen it. I started freaking out thinking I left it in the plane or at the airport back home. Thankfully, I checked one more front pocket and found it there. I forgot I moved it up to make it “easier” to grab.
After that mini-heart attack, we checked in and sat in the waiting area to get on the ship. We played UNO to pass the time. I also had us do the safety checks in the app so that would be out of the way.
When it was time to get on the ship, we stopped to take our first photo for the cruise. They gave us a 20% coupon for the photo package. We’d forgotten to buy it before so I’m glad it worked out that we could still get the discount.
Independence of the Seas
Getting on the ship, we started on the promenade deck where we went straight to our muster station to mark that we’d done the safety checks. Finally, we went inside our home for the next 4 days.
My expectations were already set from my cruise in January. There was no fanfare as we got on like they do on Disney or Virgin Voyages cruises but at least there was some music playing somewhere.
Mom and I were both hungry so we went to Sorrento’s Pizza to eat. Normally, people go to the buffet (i.e. the Windjammer) but because of my Mom’s transplant, she can’t risk eating from buffets. She has to have freshly made food or at least food handled by the people who made it. Sorrento’s was the perfect choice. They hand you your pizza or sandwich instead of you getting it, touching it, and breathing all over everything else. Mom got her fill of pizza and I got a slice and a wrap.
We stayed in there for a few minutes looking through the Royal Caribbean app for things to do. Our room still wasn’t ready yet. Mom saw the spa raffle so we headed up with our bags to enter.
Spa Tour and Dining Fiasco
We took a tour of the spa and got a tester massage before entering the raffle. Mom even made an appointment for a manicure. It was right before dinner.
Speaking of dinner, as I looked through the app again, I noticed the dinner time said “My Time Dining.” The same issue that happened in January. Any relaxation I’d felt from the massage was gone.
When I booked this cruise, I specifically asked them to make sure that the dining time would not change from “Early Seating” because my mom has to eat a specific time each night for her medications. They said it wouldn’t change. So imagine how livid I was when I saw that it did indeed change.
I went bounding down to the 4th floor first to try and get help from the dining staff there. They kept saying, “My Time Dining is on the third floor.” and repeatedly explained that I wasn’t supposed to be in My Time Dining. Eventually, I was tired of going back and forth with him and went down to the third floor.
I explained my story again to the hostess who then advised me they can give me a table for early seating but it would be just me and Mom at the table. She showed me where was. It was close to the entrance so honestly it was perfect. My mom wouldn’t have to walk much and it would be just us. Neither she nor I felt like being seated with others for this trip. I told the hostess the table was fine and was able to schedule our dinning for early seating each night.
By the time this was resolved, our room was ready.
The Stateroom
I met mom at the room, texting her ahead of time that it was probably ready. I saw people walking around with souvenir cups and alcohol which you can only get with your SeaPass card which is outside the room door.
The room was what I expected. Nothing too special. We requested the beds to be separated and had a couch. The bathroom was small but it’s always small. Mom wasn’t a fan of the room décor. She thought it was extremely outdated. It didn’t bother me. I was just excited about the balcony.
After checking out the cabin, I put my phone on airplane mode and connected to the Wi-Fi. I paid for Wi-Fi this time using the drink and internet package combo so I had to create a log in for it. Once I finished setting things up and hanging a few of my clothes, we headed back out.
Tip: When going on a cruise, make sure you put your phone on airplane mode before it sets sail to avoid roaming charges on your phone bill.
Sail Away (Party?)
I have to say it felt good not have to carry the bags around anymore. Before going to the sail away party, we got our souvenir cups for the drink packages and I stopped by guest services to request a medical fridge for my mom.
Then it was time for the sail away party (and to grab some ice cream). It didn’t really feel like a party. People were just lounging in chairs, in the pool or just standing around. No dancing, no cheers. Music was playing but everyone was so blasé.
Bored, Mom and I finished our ice cream before heading back to the spa for the raffle and her appointment.
They took her back for her nail appointment early and it seemed like I wasn’t allowed to go with her so I went down to the raffle. Neither of us won anything. By the time the raffle was over the ship was moving.
I went back to the sail away party to see if it had more excitement…it didn’t. Instead of trying to find a spot to sit in on Deck 11 or 12, I went back down to the room and sat out on the balcony. It was private and the perfect spot for sail away. I think this is why people love balconies, it definitely made me want to get a balcony for the rest of my cruises.
Dinner Time
When Mom came back from her overpriced nail appointment it was basically time for dinner. Before we left, we met our stateroom attendant, Sweca. He advised that the attendants only clean the rooms once a day and asked if we preferred the morning or night. Night was better for us and I’ll get into that a little later.
In the dining room, our waiter and assistant waiter were Samson and Dharma. They were both great throughout the entire cruise and always stayed on top of everything.
That night I got a crab cake for an appetizer, pan-roasted fish and potato gratin for the entrée, and cheesecake for dessert. Everything was delicious! However, I was have stomach issues before the trip and throughout the whole trip so I didn’t end up eating as much as I wanted.
Entertainment
In between courses, I ducked out to get the discounted photo package and saw where the ice skating rink was. The first form of nightly entertainment for the cruise was the ice skating show Freeze Frame. It was a decades-based show as they skated through the years. I ended up going by myself. I actually think that was my first time seeing an ice skating show in person and I enjoyed myself! The “Proud Mary” performance was my favorite and I didn’t get any footage of it! I’ll make up for it later but still. I will say there is a lot of flashing so if you’re sensitive to that be cautious.
At the end of the night, I came back to the room and saw a towel animal! I had stomach pain that made me want to collapse in bed but seeing the towel animal made me so happy. That’s just a classic cruise item to me. I didn’t get that in January (until my friend requested it for my birthday) so it was nice to not have to ask.
Embarkation day was super busy but a pretty good day overall. Next week, we’ll get into day 2 of the cruise which is a day at sea.
Are there any questions you have about embarkation day or just cruising in general? Let me know in the comments!
If you want to see video footage, the vlog will be up on the Overthinker Guide YouTube on Tuesday.
