On the Map: Another Cruise Adventure – Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas

Setting Sail from Bayonne

We have three days left on the cruise but I wanted to get this up while I’m still on the ship. – Mark

Some vacations start at an airport gate, and others avoid the hassles of flying altogether. This time had had both.

We live in New Jersey, and whenever we can, we leave from Cape Liberty in Bayonne. It’s only an hour’s drive from our house, so we just ride to the pier with a neighbor we pay to take us there, and walk aboard. Within a few hours we’re checked into our cabin and staring on another cruise adventure—on of my favorite ways to vacation.

Life Aboard “:Indy”:

Regulars call Independence of the Seas “:Indy,” although this was our first time aboard. 2018 she became the first ship in Royal Caribbean’s Royal Amplified program, a multimillion-dollar makeover that loaded her with new features, dining, and entertainment. Sea days aren’t downtime on the ship, although I noticed the daily offerings are as repetitive as they were plentiful. That’s okay, since we didn’t do most of them. Some of the things the ship offers:

Make a splash. The Perfect Storm has two racing waterslides, Typhoon and Cyclone. Next door, the FlowRider surf simulator lets you try boogie boarding or stand-up surfing, usually to plenty of applause (and some spectacular wipeouts).
Bounce above the waves. Sky Pad is a bungee trampoline you ride while wearing virtual reality goggles, high on the stern. It’s one of the most unusual things you can do at sea.
Play games. There’s glow-in-the-dark laser tag, an escape room called The Observatorium, the rock-climbing wall, and Playmakers Sports Bar & Arcade for watching the game back home.
Stroll the Royal Promenade. This indoor main street runs through the middle of the ship, with cafés, shops, bars, and Sugar Beach, a candy store that’s dangerous for anyone with a sweet tooth.
Eat, then eat again. The Windjammer buffet, Sorrento’s Pizza, and Café Promenade are all included, and specialty restaurants are there for a splurge night.
Make a night of it. Once the sun goes down, the ship comes alive with Broadway-style shows, live music, comedy, the casino, and a deck party or two under the stars.

And if you’d rather do none of that, that’s fine too. A lounge chair, a good book, and the endless blue view from the pool deck might be what you’re looking for. I personally love sea days and doing nothing, or close to it.

Ports of Call

Cabo Rojo, Dominican Republic

Cabo Rojo is one of the newest cruise stops in the Caribbean. It’s a purpose-built port in Pedernales province, on the Dominican Republic’s remote southwest coast near the Haitian border, and it welcomed its first cruise guests in January 2024. Ships dock right at the pier, and the terminal has its own pools, a lazy river, restaurants, and shops, so you can have a relaxing day without going far. To be fair, it’s being developed and there’s not much there, but they have big plans for making it a major port of call, which will help with the almost-extinct stops in Haiti. I feel for that country and everything it has endured, but I would not get off a ship there—which is probably why those stops are almost always canceled.

This corner of the country is one of its least developed, with turquoise water, mangrove lagoons, and some of the largest reefs in the Dominican Republic. Book an excursion to Bahía de las Águilas, often called one of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean, where miles of white sand meet almost no crowds. Nature lovers can also look for flamingos and other birds in the lagoons nearby.

Aruba

Aruba sits outside the hurricane belt and gets reliable sunshine. Eagle Beach and Palm Beach are the stars, with powdery sand, calm water, and the island’s famous wind-bent divi-divi trees. Closer to the pier, Oranjestad has Dutch colonial buildings in candy colors, a free downtown streetcar, and plenty of duty-free shopping.

If you want more adventure, take a jeep tour through Arikok National Park, with its desert cacti, rugged cliffs, and limestone caves. Snorkelers can head to the shallow, clear water at Mangel Halto or Boca Catalina. We took a four hour tour this time and would not do it again. It was fun but much too long.

Curaçao

Arriving in Willemstad is one of the great cruise moments. The colorful gabled buildings along the Handelskade waterfront look like Amsterdam painted in Caribbean pastels, and the historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Walk across the Queen Emma Bridge, a floating pontoon bridge that swings open to let ships through, and explore the Punda and Otrobanda districts.

We took a two-and-a-half hour bus tour, which was just the right amount of time. The guide was terrific—they usually are—and we got back just in time for the All Aboard. The tour was arranged by the ship, which means the can’t leave without you. Otherwise be careful with your timing or you’ll be flying to your next destination.

Still to come …

Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic

We’ve been here twice before and enjoy it. It’s the last stop on the cruise and always our beach day. It brings you back to the Dominican Republic, this time on the north coast, on the Atlantic side of the island. Puerto Plata has Victorian gingerbread houses, a lively central park, and Fortaleza San Felipe, a 16th-century Spanish fort overlooking the harbor. Ride the cable car up Mount Isabel de Torres for sweeping views and a botanical garden at the summit, or visit the Amber Museum to see local amber with ancient insects trapped inside.

For the more adventurous, the 27 Waterfalls of Damajagua let you climb, jump, and slide down natural rock chutes into cool pools. It’s a wet, wonderful farewell to the Caribbean.

Docking in Miami

The one big downside: we much prefer returning to Bayonne, but this time we didn’t have a choice. This is what’s known as a repositioning cruise, when they move a ship from one region to another so it can do a season in another area. We’ve done this before, more terrifically last year when we sailed from Rome back to Jersy. This time we get off in Miami and head to the airport for an afternoon flight home. It is what it is.

We have another cruise in January, and then a river cruise next June in Europe, and a cruise to Greenland in the summer, 2028. Cruisers are they own type, and you’ll meet many of the onboard who take one after another. Two a year is fine for us. And we always make friends on the ship. This one was no exception.