Independence of the Seas Boarding Day! Royal Caribbean Blog Group Cruise with Matt Hochberg (Day 1)
Source: Our analysis of the creator's lived experience, based on what they said in this video.
Creator's Key Takeaways
I am here at the City Cruise Terminal in Southampton, England for my first ever cruise from Southampton.
This is actually my second time on Independence of the Seas. I'm excited to be back on the ship.
It was not great. Uh, first of all, it took us 2 hours. table of four. Two hours to finish our meal.
I always love the ice skating shows on Royal Caribbean. I think it's the unique entertainment offering aboard a cruise ship.
Creator's Tips & Advice
🆕New to Cruising? This Creator Addresses:
Questions This Creator Answers
Topics Covered
Port Highlights
Scale: 0–5 strips in half-step increments. 0 = “meh”, 5 = “bacon bliss”. Aggregated from creator-review sentiment, weighted by channel expertise.
About our Bacon Score methodologyYouTube Video Description↓
Welcome to Day 1 of my Independence of the Seas vlog series! 🚢 This sailing was extra special because it was the June 2025 Royal Caribbean Blog Group Cruise hosted by Matt Hochberg. If you follow Royal Caribbean Blog, you already know how fun and high-energy these group cruises are — and this vlog takes you along from the moment we arrived in Southampton. In this episode: • Southampton embarkation • First steps onboard Independence of the Seas • Lunch at Windjammer • Exploring the upper decks and sailaway vibes • Hitting the Crown & Anchor Diamond Lounge • Royal Caribbean Blog meetup in the Viking Crown Lounge • Dinner in the Main Dining Room • “Freeze Frame” ice show • Comedian Roy Walker (British TV legend!) This is the start of a full cruise vlog series covering everything from ports to shows to food to the overall experience onboard Indy. If you enjoy Royal Caribbean Blog vlogs, cruise tips, trip reports, or just seeing what boarding day looks like on one of Royal Caribbean’s most fun ships, I hope you’ll follow along! 👉 Get a quote on your next Royal Caribbean Cruise Line vacation: http://getbyzach.com 👍 Be sure to give this video a thumbs up and SUBSCRIBE to the channel for more cruise vlogs! Follow Us: http://facebook.com/GETbyZach http://instagram.com/GETbyZach Zach is an independent contractor for MEI-Travel (mei-travel.com) #royalcaribbean #independenceoftheseas #royalcaribbeanblog #cruisevlog2025