Live · sailing at 21 kn · SXPHI
Guests
3,836 – 4,603
Crew
1,360
Cabins
1,918
Length
338 m
Space ratio
35
Homeport pattern
Fort Lauderdale
Where she is right now
En route · SXPHI· 8/2/2026, 10:52:44 AM· Course 174°
Position
27.26°N, 64.17°W
Heading
174° · COG 177°
Speed
21 kn
Destination
SXPHI
Our take · opinion
Freedom-class family machine
We book Independence of the Seas when a family wants big Royal Caribbean energy—surf, ice, slides, and a busy promenade—without paying Icon or Oasis-class premiums. She’s 2008 Freedom-class hardware, Royal Amplified, and still built for kids who measure a cruise in thrills per day.
We experience Independence of the Seas as a full-contact Freedom-class resort built for families who measure a cruise in thrills per day. Royal Promenade bustle, Studio B ice shows, FlowRider, Splashaway Bay, and The Perfect Storm slides keep multi-age groups busy from late morning onward. Adults still get the Solarium, specialty dining, and late comedy, but the ship’s personality is lively most hours—plan nap strategy if toddlers are aboard.
Cabin strategy is where we earn our keep on a ship this full, because the wrong bank can undo a good itinerary. Standard balconies are the family volume play, while Promenade View insides trade a window on the action for price and real noise risk. Spa staterooms and suites help when you want quieter decks; ask us for a deck-map pass before you lock a category under the Lido or beside elevator banks.
Dining spans the multi-tier main dining rooms, Windjammer, Chops Grille, Giovanni’s Table, Izumi, Johnny Rockets, and poolside Fish and Ships from the 2018 amplify. Evenings are show-led rather than neighborhood-resort like Oasis or Icon, which is fine if thrills matter more than Central Park strolls. Compare short Bahamas and longer Caribbean sailings on this page, then ask us whether Freedom-class energy beats a newer midsize ship for your group’s ages.
She's for
- Families who want surf, ice, and slides in one ship
- First-timers chasing classic Royal megaship energy
- Multi-gen groups booking Florida short or week-long trips
- Friend groups who treat the ship like the destination
She's not for
- Travellers seeking hush and small-ship calm
- Guests who want Oasis neighborhoods or Icon-scale newness
- Anyone stressed by crowds at peak pool and elevator times
Honest caveat
At full load, peak hours on the pool deck, slides, and elevators need patience—she’s Freedom-class occupancy, not a quiet midsize. We’ll steer you to quieter cabin pockets and off-peak dining so you skip the worst bottlenecks.
The record · ship backgroundLast of the Freedom class
Show ship backgroundHide ship background
The record · ship background
Last of the Freedom class
Show ship backgroundHide ship backgroundIndependence of the Seas is the third and final Freedom-class Royal Caribbean liner, built at Aker Finnyards in Turku, Finland, and named in Southampton in April 2008. At delivery she ranked among the world’s largest passenger ships, with sisters Freedom and Liberty sharing the same broad family-resort brief and ice-and-surf amenity stack.
Upgrades arrived in stages: a 2013 drydock added dining and nursery features, while the 2018 Royal Amplified refit in Freeport refreshed the theater, added Playmakers, an Izumi expansion, Splashaway Bay, The Perfect Storm waterslides, Sky Pad, suite lounge space, and poolside Fish and Ships. Later 2023 yard time at Cadiz covered class surveys and hotel maintenance rather than another amenity rewrite.
Deployment centers on Florida homeports, especially Fort Lauderdale and Miami, for Bahamas getaways and Caribbean weeks. Perfect Day at CocoCay appears on many short programs. Confirm the exact sailing on this page for embarkation port, nights, and current onboard lineup before you compare fares.
Build record
- Keel to delivery
- 2006 – 2008
- Inaugural
- May 2008, Southampton
- Fuel
- Marine gas oil
- Sisters
- Freedom OTS, Liberty OTS
Commerce
Upcoming sailings
40 itineraries · 87 sail dates on Independence of the Seas. Fares are live and change daily.
9 Night Canada & New England Cruise
Bayonne, Newark (Cape Liberty) · 9n · $216/n · Sep 3, 2026
From $1,945 inside
9 Night Canada & New England Cruise
Bayonne, Newark (Cape Liberty) · 9n · $173/n · Oct 1, 2026
From $1,559 inside
9 Night Canada & New England Cruise
Bayonne, Newark (Cape Liberty) · 9n · $236/n · Oct 15, 2026
From $2,127 inside · Balcony $2,802
10 Night Southern Caribbean Cruise
Bayonne, Newark (Cape Liberty) · 10n · $121/n · Oct 29, 2026
From $1,205 inside · Balcony $2,014
| Sailing | Date | Depart | Nights | $/n | Inside | Balcony | Suite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Night Bermuda CruiseCape Liberty, Nj (Ny Metro) | Royal Naval Dockyard,Bermuda | Royal Naval Dockyard,Bermuda | Cape Liberty, Nj (Ny Metro) · 22 dates | Aug 8, 2026 | Bayonne, Newark (Cape Liberty) | 5 | $306 | $1,530 | — | — |
| 7 Night Bermuda CruiseCape Liberty, Nj (Ny Metro) | Royal Naval Dockyard,Bermuda | Royal Naval Dockyard,Bermuda | Royal Naval Dockyard,Bermuda | Cape Liberty, Nj (Ny Metro) | Aug 27, 2026 | Bayonne, Newark (Cape Liberty) | 7 | $260 | $1,817 | — | — |
| 9 Night Canada & New England CruiseCape Liberty, Nj (Ny Metro) | Boston, Massachusetts | Portland, Maine | Saint John,Nb (Bay Of Fundy) | Saint John,Nb (Bay Of Fundy) | Sydney, Nova Scotia | Cape Liberty, Nj (Ny Metro) | Sep 3, 2026 | Bayonne, Newark (Cape Liberty) | 9 | $216 | $1,945 | — | — |
| 9 Night Canada & New England CruiseCape Liberty, Nj (Ny Metro) | Boston, Massachusetts | Portland, Maine | Halifax, Nova Scotia | Saint John,Nb (Bay Of Fundy) | Saint John,Nb (Bay Of Fundy) | Cape Liberty, Nj (Ny Metro) | Oct 1, 2026 | Bayonne, Newark (Cape Liberty) | 9 | $173 | $1,559 | — | — |
| 9 Night Canada & New England CruiseCape Liberty, Nj (Ny Metro) | Boston, Massachusetts | Portland, Maine | Halifax, Nova Scotia | Saint John,Nb (Bay Of Fundy) | Saint John,Nb (Bay Of Fundy) | Cape Liberty, Nj (Ny Metro) | Oct 15, 2026 | Bayonne, Newark (Cape Liberty) | 9 | $236 | $2,127 | $2,802 | — |
| 10 Night Southern Caribbean CruiseCape Liberty, Nj (Ny Metro) | Cabo Rojo,Dominican Republic | Oranjestad, Aruba | Willemstad, Curacao | Puerto Plata, Dominican Rep | Miami, Florida | Oct 29, 2026 | Bayonne, Newark (Cape Liberty) | 10 | $121 | $1,205 | $2,014 | — |
Showing 6 of 40 itinerary groups
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Related links
Sister ship
Freedom OTS
RCI FREEDOM
Sister ship
Liberty OTS
RCI FREEDOM
Homeport
Fort Lauderdale
Sailings from this ship's usual hub
Deals
On Deal Desk
Merchandised fares for Independence of the Seas
Inventory
All sailings
Full calendar for Independence of the Seas