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Come Sail Away With Us!! - allure OTS Live Blog 9/23/2018-9/30/2018


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Hello all. It's been almost 6 months since we took our last adventure on the high seas and we are ever so ready to set sail. I must say that I have been enjoying the live blogs that have been running on the boards as of late.

 

I've been lurking around the boards since I started cruising a few years ago, but I tend to hang out moreso on the board of the next ship that I am sailing. I tend to jump around catching the best deals headed in the direction I want to go. Regardless, this time around we are sailing on the Allure.

 

A little about us. This sailing will be just me, DW(mama), and DD(teenie/lil bits). We are from the Atlanta area and like to sail a couple times a year for vacation. Just recently our school system started having Fall Break. Since this time we have been stalking NOAA and sailing the high seas during hurricane season.

 

Even though I have not had a cruise altered, I was extremely nervous the past few weeks. Mother Nature had some catching up to do and did not waste time doing so. Thank goodness everything worked out cause things could have turned out a lot differently.

 

This vaca we are bypassing the road trip and hopping a plane instead. I love road tripping, but that ride back home just wears me out. I'm up struggling to maintain my sanity while the girls are snacking, singing, and sleeping. Our flight out is tomorrow morning. Looking forward to posting our adventures and interacting with those who hitch up for the ride.

 

I have several post cruise reviews linked in my signature. Feel free to check those out so we can feel more neighborly as you follow along. Well enough for now. I'll chat with yall later!

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Gosh Darnit! I don't know how many times I have started a thread and misspelled the title. If anyone knows a way to fix that please let me know. Needless to say, we are traveling on the Allure OTS.

 

Hit the blue triangle in the top right corner of your post and request that the moderators make the change to the title

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Ooooh! Thanks for live blogging, following along as we are also boarding Allure in two weeks. I would also love any MDR menus you can post, plus kids compasses, and any intel on the headliner act - if you get the chance :)

 

Thanks for taking us along on your fall break! Here’s to smooth seas for you!

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Thanks for bringing us along!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Thanks for following!
Will be following along!!
Liked[emoji106]
Following...we board Allure near end of October. Usually sail September/October and are always super anxious about Mother Nature's plans.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Yes she had us shook for a minute.
Looking forward to following along. We, too, will be on in three weeks. Happy sailing!
I'll try to leave her in mint condition.

 

Sent from my SM-G965U using Forums mobile app

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Ooooh! Thanks for live blogging, following along as we are also boarding Allure in two weeks. I would also love any MDR menus you can post, plus kids compasses, and any intel on the headliner act - if you get the chance :)

 

Thanks for taking us along on your fall break! Here’s to smooth seas for you!

Will try to get that info for you.

 

Sent from my SM-G965U using Forums mobile app

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Man you gotta love technology. Here I am 40k ft up in the skies, traveling a brisk 524 MPH, headed to one of the largest cruise ships in the world, all while live blogging. The only thing that would make this any better would be that I could port the free wifi to my surface instead of typing on my phone. (1st World Problems right?)

 

Side bar - If you have T-Mobile they give you free wifi on Delta flights.

 

Back to your regularly programed broadcast.

 

Things started off kinda rocky this AM, but now that I am airborne nothing really matters.

 

So what happened do you ask. I'll give you one hint. (I live in Atlanta!)

.

.

.

.

Did you guess it??

 

Well here it is - TRAFFIC!!!!!!!

 

20180922_130131.thumb.jpg.49ffcb067ff6849fa3a58cdbd25d0527.jpg

 

Sent from my SM-G965U using Forums mobile app

20180922_132955.thumb.jpg.d2788153940ce23813555114e7b41816.jpg

20180922_132926.thumb.jpg.08e7e12d43febb26ac584a54ddb5da60.jpg

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Forgive the double pics. I'm new to this app blogging.

 

Anyways, I got a grand total of 5 minutes into my drive before I hit tail light city.

 

Screenshot_20180922-100443_Maps.thumb.jpg.5dddb3619d7165ae7fb7ce7922089115.jpg

 

No problem. I know the back roads.

 

"HA HA HA CITY SLICKER" says the DOT. You can't side road your way around this one.

 

Screenshot_20180922-100430_Maps.thumb.jpg.8838b9061acb529d821f13860610e25d.jpg

 

This one was a complete shut down of the interstate. [emoji35]

 

Didn't you people get the memo that I have a plane to catch?

 

 

 

Sent from my SM-G965U using Forums mobile app

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Well I thought I was catching on to the attachment process but yet again I failed.

 

Now would you lookie here. Just getting into my groove and we are starting final decent. I'll have to catch up with yall later as I must finish this 5 course complementary meal and book my Uber before they clip my wings.

 

TTYL!

 

20180922_135652.thumb.jpg.e46db63d17e47148ac96b0c8d6a158aa.jpg

 

20180922_135418.thumb.jpg.15d48df9c4b046125b0dc55af0bb95ae.jpg

 

Sent from my SM-G965U using Forums mobile app

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Public Service Announcement - I do not drink and when I posted those pics they were showing up as double for me at 40k ft. Yall do believe me right?

 

We have now landed and arrived at the hotel. All I can say at this time is that I would definitely do this again the same way. Nice accommodations all the way around.

 

Now where was I? Oh Yeah stuck in traffic. So here we are it's now 10:15 and I am looking at tail lights. At this point, I am supposed to be on the train pulling away from the terminal. My brain is running 100 mph re-guessing all my life's decisions. Should I still take the train or should I drive on through? Finally, I made the decision that I would take the train as long as I got there before the next train left. Just as luck would have it, the interstate was completely gridlocked but the exit lane to the train was free and clear.

 

Buddy, I jumped over there like the flash so much that I almost ran through the stop bar at the ticket kiosk. I am rushing the girls along as fast as we can because the next train leaves in 10 minutes. Needless to say we made it with 2 minutes to spare. Were they feeling me at this point - NO!!! but a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do.

 

Our arrival time at the airport was now 11:21. This gives us a little over an hour to check bags, clear TSA, and make it to the terminal. God Please Be With Us. Guess what. HE WAS!

 

Baggage check had little to no line . Just a one person wait (3 mins). The 30 min TSA line was shortened to like 7 mins including them sifting through my vlogging gear, and our gate was in Terminal A. We made it comfortably to the gate. Regardless these are undue stresses that I don't need. I'm On Vacation Dagnabbit.

 

We waited around for about 20 minutes and then we were boarding the plane. Or should I say stuffing the sardine can? This flight was standing room only. To make matters worse the AC was subpar to say the most. But hey 1.5 hours from now I will be walking into FLL headed to my room overlooking the marina.

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Oooh, stressful start to your travels. Glad you made it ok! What hotel are you staying at? Hilton Marina?

 

Hilton Marina. Some of the reviews I read were not all that great but most all of those were from the 3 story buildings. I am pleased to say this room we are in is just fine. If you look closely you can tell the marina got some age on her but she is just fine to me.

 

Royal has rolled out an update for the app. It is supposed to let you guest-to-guest chat (text) for free...Let me know if it really works...thanks...;)

 

I think that app only works on a hand full of ships. If it does work I will be sure to report back.

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