About Independence of the Seas

The Independence of the Seas started sailing in 2008 . Former names: none. The Independence of the Seas is registered in Nassau, Bahamas. The Independence of the Seas has 1918 cabins. 44 percent of the staterooms on board have balconies.

You can expect between 3836 to 4603 passengers on a typical sailing. This means that at the higher number (usually peak and holiday sailings) Independence of the Seas has a space ratio of 33.5 . (A space ratio less than 33 means that you may find the ship crowded in areas. A space ratio greater than 39 means that there should be plenty of space for each passenger.) When this ship isn't sailing at capacity the space ratio can be as good as 40.3.

The Independence of the Seas has 1360 crew members on board. There are 3 passengers for every crew member on board. There are no self serve laundromats on this cruise ship.

There are 15 decks on this ship. The highest deck number is 15. The number of decks with passenger cabins is 9.

The following ships share the same class as this ship. This means the basic design and layout of the ship is the same. For the most part the cabins will be identical among these ships, but may be decorated differently.
2006 - Freedom of the Seas
2007 - Liberty of the Seas
2008 - Independence of the Seas

There are 31 special needs cabins on this ship. These cabins have been modified for accessibility purposes.


The ship last drydock was in May 2018.

Most modern cruise ships need to be dry docked for inspection, maintenance and class surveys every five years and once they reach 15 years of age they need to be dry docked at least twice within a five-year period. Dry docks typically last up to 14 days at a cost of up to $2 million per day and involve regular maintenance including hull cleaning, exterior painting of the structure, inspection of pipes, restoration of exterior deck flooring, and installation of enhanced HVAC filter systems

The abbreviation Royal Caribbean uses for this ship is ID. This is the 3rd ship in the Freedom class, built in 2008.

There are 1918 staterooms on board, with the largest being the Vista Suites.

Dining options on board include:

Romeo and Juliet Restaurant- main dining room, level 1
Macbeth Restaurant- main dining room, level 2
King Lear Restaurant- main dining room, level 3
Windjammer Cafe Lido- buffet restaurant
Chops Grille- specialty, reservations recommended
Giovanni’s Italian Kitchen- specialty italian
Izumi- asian/japanese specialty
Johnny Rockets Restaurant- ala carte burger
El Loco Fresh- fast food mexican
Sorrentos Pizzeria- complimentary pizza
WipeOut Bar- burger bar

Nightly entertainment can be found throughout the ship. The ships Centrum offers after-dinner dancing, and the Alhambra Theatre offers grand production shows for all ages. The Studio B Lounge is an ice-skating rink that offers ice shows, cooking demos, and game parties. On Air Club is a karaoke and sports bar, Schooner Bar is a piano bar, and there is also a Casino.

Adults can spend some relaxation time at the Solarium lounge which offers a bar and pool area. In addition to that, the Spa and Fitness center has 7 jacuzzis, and 3 swimming pools.

Kids and teens will have plenty to do on this ship with their own age-appropriate clubs and supervised activities. There is also a video games arcade, H20 Zone waterpark with racing waterslides, Adventure Beach, Sports Court, Rock-climbing wall, Mini Golf Course, Escape room, and Flow Rider. There is also an outdoor movie screen.


In 2015 new cabins were added to Deck 12 forward including many panoramic cabins. Panoramic cabins offer full windows with outstanding views. A movie screen was also added to the pool area, Vintages was upgraded.

During Drydock April 3 to May 5 2018 a trampoline park, water slides, Splash Away Bay, Izumi, escape rooms and laser tag added. Panoramic cabins added to deck 12 forward.