jbrinkm

As an alternative, perhaps they can find others in their age range on the roll call beforehand? I even did this with my teens (with parents of other teens) last spring before they went to the teen meet up so it wouldn't feel so overwhelming. My oldest ended up spending most of the free time just hanging out with the kids we connected with on the roll call, even when they went to an activity in the teen club.

I don't know about the bathrooms, but from what I read on here, I believe that the J3 holds more than 2 people and the J4 only has sleeping space for 2.

I ditto this advice to use a TA (a real person from a reputable/recommended agency, not just a booking website). They often have blocks of rooms for less than direct booking would be. I was really hesitant last year to use a TA because I like having control of travel plans, but once I made the leap (at advice on these cruise forums), I realized that I still have a lot of control over my plans but I also have an advocate in my corner. The advocacy is in addition to the better prices/perks I got from the TA. If you book 2 connecting cabins, you can just leave the door open permanently and it doesn't feel like 2 totally separate spaces - more like sleeping in a bedroom next to your kids' bedroom at home. We had connecting for the first time last year and really loved it.

Thanks for the feedback on Quest - I've got a good idea of what it's like now and really hate to derail/hijack the OP thread about Allure!

Hi @jmalsa! Two questions - first, was Quest appropriate for your 15 year old? I've heard how funny it is, but also that some versions can get more risqué than others... And second, you mention your shoes but not clothing for ATVs. We're doing our first ATV adventure in April on Cozumel and have no idea what to expect. Should we wear long pants (googling says engines could be hot)? Is there flying debris? Lots of mud? Should we wear goggles and long sleeves? And just confirming that you think water shoes and/or crocs would be fine for the ATV, as opposed to something sturdier? Thanks!

I'm on the April 2 Allure cruise out of Galveston too! Check in on our roll call if you have time, once you book. I'd also highly recommend a knowledgeable TA - we got a great deal for this cruise by using a reputable company with actual people (not allowed to recommend specific companies on this board but I wish I could...). The group we used had blocks of rooms that they got for a discounted price. My family was on Allure last year for Spring Break from Ft. Lauderdale and we loved it so much that we're doing an almost identical cruise again this year, just one extra night. She's a great ship! I can also answer questions (not about Galveston because we're figuring that our ourselves, but about the ship and the ports).

If you want to be along the Malecon, depending on the size of your group, you could look at Jaime's as well. I believe you will have better access (by boat, for additional $$) to snorkeling there than you would out at Maya Chan. I think Jaime's limits to 35 people so if your group approaches that number, you might have the place to yourselves. It is less expensive than Pez Quatro and many people love it there. We were there at a busy time and had a few issues but it sounds like ours were out of the ordinary. Taking a snorkeling boat out from there is easy - many good dive shops right along that stretch. And Jaime's has paddleboards and kayaks, although limited beach/water space (although would be fine if a less crowded day!).

I won't be able to give personal feedback until April, but we booked an ATV activity at Eco-Park Cuzam on Viator that includes paintball at the park as well. It gets good reviews and isn't too far away from the ports (although taxi needed, not walking distance). We're just doing ATVs and paintball but the park also has zipline and horseback riding and maybe some other activities if you want to make more of a day of it. I don't know if they have their own website, but I *think* they're on facebook and you can read about them on TripAdvisor.

Last year on Allure, our early dining was 5:15pm. On our upcoming cruise, it is at 5:30pm. I like the early dining because I don't like to eat a big meal close to bedtime. And if I'm still hungry an hour or so after dinner, I can go get a small snack somewhere else. The early dining opens up most of the evening entertainment options. AND, it is usually closer to 5:45-6pm by the time you are really eating your main course in the MDR with early dining, which feels like a pretty normal time to eat an evening meal. The only issue we ran into was getting back to the ship in time for our dining slot when we were in port until later than our dining time. We were rushing once (not for the ship, just for dinner) and we stopped by to see if it would throw things off if we still came to the MDR. We were totally fine with eating in WJ if it would cause a problem. But they assured us that it wouldn't be a problem and told us to still come and eat. We were about 30 minutes late and just rushed ourselves through ordering and dinner a bit so we wouldn't back up the MTD crowd. The dining room was still pretty empty - people may have stayed later on the island and/or eaten enough with their AI packages during the day - but towards the end of our meal, they did try to come seat another family at our table. It was around 6:30pm, before MTD even started, and we were getting close to finishing, but the staff member brought them to our table, looked really confused, double checked his paper, asked the family to wait a minute (that was AWKWARD, them just standing there staring at us) and then came back and seated them at a table a few spaces over. I don't know if the wires were crossed, or he wrote the table down wrong, but I felt bad and decided that we wouldn't even bother trying to go late again, even if they did say it was ok and there were many, many open tables still. Luckily on our next cruise, all-aboard is at 5pm every day so no chance of being late for our 5:30 reservation (DH would freak out if we weren't on board by 4pm). That long story to also say that you might want to look at your all aboard times and figure out if you want to leave ports early enough to make an early dining time, if you are considering it. Or just be willing to do a different dining spot that/those nights.

I made a similar decision recently - although it was Odyssey from FLL vs Oasis from (Miami I think) vs Allure from Galveston. We chose Allure from Galveston because the cruise was over $1000 less and airfare wasn't that different for Spring Break (around $600 to Houston vs around $500 to either Florida airport). I was SHOCKED at how high airfare to Florida was in April. Even though we'll probably spend more on transportation from Houston to the Galveston port, it won't be $1000. We love Allure and the Western Caribbean stops and got a 7-night cruise vs. a 6-night cruise. Another time we flew into Miami, rented a car, stayed overnight between Miami and Ft. Lauderdale, and returned the car to the cruise port the next morning. Then we flew back out of FLL - it was the least expensive option for transportation, even with the car rental. You should figure out what is most important for you in your vacation - most cost savings? Best ports? More nights? Features of the ship? Then estimate the costs for each option to compare. Also check with a good TA (a real person, recommended, not just a website "TA") - you may be able to get a better deal on the cruise via group/bulk discounts they pre-purchase sometimes.

It was beautiful! We saw so many little colorful fish of all shapes and sizes, just along the shoreline. The edge is rocky (although you have nice sand by the Cabana) so you have to walk in via somewhat slimy steps, might consider those flipper socks if you don't like that, and also to protect your feet a little. You're probably going to want to use your flippers since there is some current. Also the waves are a little strong getting in, so hold on to the rail! But once you are in, the snorkeling is wonderful!!

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The percentages don't always make sense either - there is sometimes a delay in updating. I'd just look at the total price rather than percentages. There are a few threads about good prices for each option (although maybe not exactly each excursion, but rather the drink packages and internet) but if you can't find it, you can ask if something is a good daily price for that item.

There is another, cruise-line specific blog site that I'm not allowed to link to (or even mention?) that may be what you are looking for - there's a specific tab that shows the cruise compasses.

Aha! So the new cups have the chip built into the bottom of the cup again like it was in the old cups?

I was joking. My kids are not party animals at all and are very compliant with our family rules. They were often in earlier than 1am, just on their own. There were just one or two nights where they were getting pizza with their peers after midnight and I have trouble sleeping if they're not back. I really wanted them to enjoy their independence on the ship, on vacation, because they don't even go out at night at home.

Can someone post a picture of the chip-sticky-packet on the bottom of the new cups? I really hate the idea of dragging around a cup on the ship but also really want to use the Freestyle machine (first time with beverage package). I'd love to do what that kid did in the video and have the chip with me and use the clean cups that are in the dining facility, but it also sounds like it might not work as well with the new sticker chip?

Teens: -Mine were 12 and 15 on our last cruise. They absolutely loved being fairly independent on the ship. Just make sure you work out your communication system ahead of time. -The teens may want to be able to view the schedule for the day on a device of some sort using the app (don't need Voom for the app). Your 14 year old can set up their own account but the 12 year old will need to view someone else's account because they have to be 13 to have their own. -The meet up may be in the afternoon. I've been seeing 2-5pm on sailings (and it was for Allure last April) -Check in on your roll call to see if there are other teens with similar interests beforehand. Having a friendly face to go to the teen meet up together might be helpful for your kids, especially if they are more shy/introverted. -I'd also add for teen rules to never, never sit on a railing or lean over a railing. -Decide ahead of time if they will have charging privileges, what they can buy (i.e. arcade, drinks), what their limit is, and then keep an eye on any charges.

As a parent of teens, I wanted the curfew to be midnight because I was ready to go to bed 🤣 I know I could have made them come back sooner (and some nights they did, especially if we were getting up early for a port excursion) but RCCL would have made it easier for us old, tired parents if they made it midnight... On the other hand, as long as they were being respectful, it was nice for them to be able to hang out until late in a relatively safe space (no drinking, no driving, no private parties).

I've been reading this whole thread with "Tell Me Something Good" playing in my head (the 70's funk song by Rufus & Chaka Khan)...

We had a fabulous time on a Spring Break cruise in April - so much so that we booked again for this spring break. We thought the food was fine, with some things being very good and other hit or miss. Always lots of choices so if we didn't like something, we'd just go find different food that we did like. I did chime in on that "annoying waitstaff" thread because it was something different than what we'd ever experienced in the past, but it certainly didn't ruin our cruise or our meals. It was just a small irritation in a sea of wonderful experiences on the ship! I haven't experienced Anthem or Coco Cay so cannot reflect on those. Entertainment was fine! No matter what entertainment exists anywhere, there will be some who like it and some who don't. It's free, so easy to walk out if you don't like it and go try one of the other gazillion options instead. We found several options we really liked, and even the stuff that was so-so was fun, even if it was just to make fun of. IT and Customer Service are mostly complained about BEFORE the cruise but are often less of an issue while you're cruising. There are occasional issues onboard, but I've found them to be handled fairly well in my personal experience. Just go with an open mind and enjoy whatever is offered as best you can! 🤣

Just keep an eye on the charges! There have been reports on here that the arcade spending limits don't work in the arcade. For several months, there has been a youth C&A deal where if $50 is spent in the arcade, there will be a $25 credit added to the account on the last morning. It has been on the papers found in the room not offered ahead of time. I cancelled my cruise planner purchase before our last cruise and decided to go that route, but my teens ended up not even using the arcade so it was a moot point, except that I was happy I hadn't kept the planner purchase.

We were at Jaime's in April and to be honest, I wasn't thrilled with the place. We are visiting Costa Maya again next spring and I've already booked Maya Chan to try it out instead. I think Jaime's does a great job for what it is - beach access along the Malecon. It was crowded when we were there. It may have been more enjoyable if there had been fewer people, at a less busy time of year. Pros: the food and drink were delicious, the staff was amazingly friendly, there is a rooftop pool (small) with amazing views, the swings by the bar are fun, there are some beach toys (paddleboard, kayak), you have access to snorkeling boats if you want to go out, and it wasn't too far from the port. Cons: service was agonizingly slow for us, it felt very cramped with the number of people and how close together everything is along that strip, the seating/shade was not all equal, it was difficult to enjoy the water - again, because there is not a lot of space in the allotted water square in front of the club, we were constantly asked if we wanted to buy things (not harassed, just asked and people moved on when we said no, but constant all day). In the hours we were there, I think we each ended up with 2-3 drinks and one plate of food, and we had to go to the bar for the second round of drinks. I was disappointed that we weren't able to enjoy more food & beverage for our $50pp. The people next to us joked that that was how to make a profit on a AI - to just not serve anyone anything. Plus you end up paying for taxis each way. For my family of 4, that added $16 each way to the price, even though it was not that far. At Maya Chan, each party gets a bed and hammock and their own palapa. (at Jaime's we were in a row of 4 with another couple, and then our teens were put two rows ahead of us.) I'm looking forward to the buffet because I won't have to wait to be served. Looks like quite a few more "toys" at Maya Chan and space to be able to use them. My son was trying to paddleboard at Jaime's and could move one or two strokes, then had to stop and change direction to not bump someone or run into the rope. Transportation is included both ways, so the price ends up being the same for both places. I'll reserve final judgement until I've been to Maya Chan but it just seems like you get more for your money out there.

Wow, when we got off of Allure in April, everyone was off before 9am. We were one of the last groups and I think we were scheduled at 8:30am. I'm surprised at how late they have people getting off for this trip (10:30-10:40am!!!) and wondering how that impacts the next sailing...

Surf only has disappeared from some pre-cruise planners as well. Floating theory that this is because of Starlink...