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Northern Europe Mini Cruise Trip Report Part 1 (Southampton to Hamburg)

CruiseHols - Videos
CruiseHols - Videos
πŸ₯ˆExpert
πŸ‘οΈ 346 viewsπŸ“… 7 months ago⏱️ 19:00
What This Creator Said
Creator RecommendsFull Ship ReviewπŸ₯ˆExpert Creator
❀️ Best for CoupleNorthern_europe · Fall · 3 nightsFrom SouthamptonVeteran Cruiser

Source: Our analysis of the creator's lived experience, based on what they said in this video.

Creator's Key Takeaways

I have always kept an eye on the line. Sadly, their prices have either been far too high or they have just not sailed to where I wanted to go to.

It would be the independence of the seas that I would cruise on. And while she is not the biggest or newest ship in the Royal Caribbean International Fleet, she has everything you associate with the line.

The staff at Southampton were incredibly friendly and efficient, and it proved to be a great start to our first ever cruise with the line.

I think the biggest issue was just the size of the ring, and that limited what they could do. But the 45minute show flew by and drew a packed crowd.

Creator's Tips & Advice

βœ“Do some research on port destinations to save time and avoid confusion.
βœ“Book shuttle tickets for Hamburg in advance and choose a time slot.
βœ“Consider walking to the St. Pauli district if the weather is nice.
βœ“Book attraction tickets online instead of through the ship to save money.

πŸ†•New to Cruising? This Creator Addresses:

What to do on a day at sea β€” Relax and enjoy the ship's amenities like table tennis, mini golf, and shows.
How to navigate a new port efficiently β€” Plan a basic walking route in advance to save time.

Questions This Creator Answers

QWhat is it like to sail on Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas?
QWhat can you do on a day in Hamburg during a cruise?
QHow is the embarkation process at Southampton?

Topics Covered

Entertainment Shows3 Happy BaconService Crew3Β½ Happy BaconShip Condition2Β½ Happy BaconEmbarkation3Β½ Happy BaconDining Buffet2Β½ Happy BaconPort Destination3 Happy BaconExcursions2Β½ Happy Bacon

Port Highlights

Hamburg3 Happy Bacon
Top: Shuttle to city ($25 each)
Rotterdam
Southampton3Β½ Happy Bacon
How to read the Trip Bacon Score
Happy Bacon β€” creators loved this aspect
Sad Bacon β€” creators took issue with this
Meh β€” no strong opinion either way

Scale: 0–5 strips in half-step increments. 0 = β€œmeh”, 5 = β€œbacon bliss”. Aggregated from creator-review sentiment, weighted by channel expertise.

About our Bacon Score methodology
YouTube Video Description↓

Hello and welcome to the 1st part of our Northern European mini cruise trip report onboard the Independence of the Seas cruise ship. In this part, we focus on our departure from the Horizon Cruise Terminal at the Port of Southampton, our first day at sea on Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas and our day exploring the cruise port of Hamburg, in Germany. Hamburg has a long maritime history and that still plays a major part in its attraction for visitors but there is so much more to Hamburg that that. We sailed onboard Royal Caribbeans Independence of the Seas in October 2025 from the Horizon Cruise Terminal at the port of Southampton and arrived at the Steinwerder Cruise Terminal (Hamburg Cruise Center Steinwerder) in Hamburg. For more details about our trip, please visit https://cruisehols.co.uk/our-northern-european-mini-cruise-onboard-independence-of-the-seas-trip-report/ #Southampton #Hamburg #RoyalCaribbean #IndependenceoftheSeas #Germany #TripReport #Cruise