Help Us Swim to RCCI Allure of the Seas

[lazey1]

DB&SIL twisted our arms saying we had to try out their favorite line and next thing we know we are booked on the newest, most humongous ship ever.:eek:

 

Tell us what the differences are between RCCI and HAL other than the size of the ship and consequently more entertainment venues.

 

Thanks for all the help and soothing of nerves you can give us.:)

 

Jane & Gary

[goatgoat]

We are sailing on HAL for the first time in Nov. but we have done several cruises on RCCL, NCL, Princess and Carnival. Nothing to compare to, but I will say RCCL has always been our favorite. We found entertainment, food and service to be consistently very good to excellent. The staff was always friendly and attentive. The entertainment was the best of all the ships we have sailed. Normally, I would say you should anticipate a slightly younger median age on RCCL, but given the price point for the Allure, that may not be true. I doubt the Allure will be a "kiddie" ship. (The shorter, less expensive cruises tend to attract young families and singles with a little more limited budget.) I would be very surprised if you are not extremely pleased. Please give us a review.

[madelinerose]

Here's a video of Oasis of the Seas, Allure's sister ship, taken by CC member, Radio. There are also photos on Radio's site. See for yourself. ;)

 

http://www.cruisingwithradio.com/video.php?vid=19

[Cruzman]

I cannot offer you any comfort. My attitude has been, and continues to be, that I do not want to even be in the same port with a ship that large. Think about it; six thousand passengers debarking from one ship all at once.

[Luna]

I cannot offer you any comfort. My attitude has been, and continues to be, that I do not want to even be in the same port with a ship that large. Think about it; six thousand passengers debarking from one ship all at once.

 

Well, we didn't find that to be the case. We were on the Oasis in January and when we got to Nassau, there were 3 other cruise ships docked - a Disney ship, a Carnival ship and the MSC Poesia. We headed over to Senor Frog's (as I'd never been there in my several times to Nassau) and had absolutely no trouble getting a table. Oh yes, the dock area was mobbed, but once you got away from there, it wasn't bad at all.

[Luna]

Sorry, Jane, I didn't really answer your question. I've only been on 1 HAL cruise, so I don't know how helpful I can be, but I'll try.

 

You won't find the little touches like real washcloths in the public restrooms for drying your hands (that was in 2007, don't know if other ships have that or even if Maasdam still does it). You will find a lot more kids on Allure than we had on our N.E./Canada cruise on Maasdam, but the kids program keeps them pretty busy. As far as the food goes, well, while I'm not truly a vegetarian, I don't eat most meats, so my selections may be different from yours. Generally speaking, there are some foods I like better on RCCL and some I like better on HAL. IMO, Chops can't even begin to compare with the Pinnacle Grill, though. And, finally, Allure being so much bigger, there's a lot more entertainment - both scheduled and by people watching ;)

[GeriatricNurse]

DB&SIL twisted our arms saying we had to try out their favorite line and next thing we know we are booked on the newest, most humongous ship ever.:eek:

 

Tell us what the differences are between RCCI and HAL other than the size of the ship and consequently more entertainment venues.

 

Thanks for all the help and soothing of nerves you can give us.:)

 

Jane & Gary

 

Hope you just love children because there will be tons of them onboard RCCI!:eek:

[kazu]

I watched the Oasis review on the Discovery Channel. She looks like a nice ship. There were some very positive things said. I don't know if I could do a ship that large, but I may be being unfair. (I think the Nieuw Amsterdam is big). I did see that they had a lot of restaurants, so it looks like you have a lot of choice. They documentary did not specify if they were free or at a cost though.

 

You are in for a new experience. Enjoy and let us all know how it compares.

[vickiw0318]

I personally do not think you'll be overwhelmed by children on a 12/12 sailing. School is in session. Or, at least that's been the experience of this frequent RCI cruiser.

[startwin]

It's like comparing apples and oranges, but I've sailed many times with HAL and twice with RCI and like both for different reasons. HAL is "home" to me, but we had great service and entertainment on RCI, though I'm not sure I would like the huge ships so much. We've been on the Mariner of the Seas, which is 3600 pax, loads of kids but that wasn't a problem at all. The ship is so big people are pretty spread out.

 

Go and have a great time!

[Karm]

You will have a great time on the Allure. We love Holland, but when the family decided to go on the Oasis, we went along. At my age I was worried about the size of the ship. However, the ship is exceedingly well designed and I had no problem whatsoever navigating to all the wonderful shows. It is always wonderful to be around children again and they were all having such a good time that they were well behaved. The only wait was at the elevators at time - something that even happens on the little ships. The ship is a totally different experience. There are many places to eat - some at extra charge, and many not. We are off on our next cruise with Holland and their port intensive and unusual places to visit. However, don't think of this as a huge ship - just a totally different experience. You will have a wonderful time. (Be sure to reserve your show times on the internet before you go as it will make your experience more relaxed.)

[scopewest]

My boss's parents went on the Oasis, and she said her father was worried about whether he'd like it. They came home and immediately booked the Allure for next March. Boss says her father can't wait.

 

Yes, 6,000 is a lot of people, but since when is 1200 people not a crowd?!? Enjoy your cruise and come back and let us know about it.

[Lady Chew]

We were on the Oasis in April ... she is a beautiful ship.

 

You may not like RCl as much as you like HAL, but you probably will be perfectly fine and enjoy your cruise, especially if you are with family who are enjoying themselves!

 

In spite of the size of the ship you very rarely feel crowded. A few times we had trouble finding a table in the Windjammer (the Lido? on HAL - the buffet) but never took too long to see a spot open up. The first night it was crowded going into the MDR but the other nights were fine. A couple of times there were crowds waiting for the elevator (just after a show, for example) ... other than that it's hard to tell there are that many people about.

 

We were very pleased with the overall service.

 

We loved LOVED LOVED the Solarium, the adults-only pool. It is quite lovely, the no kids rule was enforced, and they have a very nice breakfast/lunch buffet that becomes a sit-down restaurant for dinner (don't remember if you pay, we never had dinner there)

 

Enjoy your cruise on Allure! I hope to persuade Mr. Chew to give in to the Allure next spring!

[AlexandNessa]

I have not been on Oasis, but I can tell you I was underwhelmed by all things RCI when we sailed Mariner. Here are some low lights:

• No grill at the pool. (Not sure if this will be the case on Allure, but we sure missed just grabbing a burger or chicken sandwich at the pool).
  
• No greeting whatsoever upon embarkation. We were literally sent to the correct entrance by a pit-stained port agent. When we went to wait at a bar for our room to be ready, no one asked if we wanted a drink or anything. No one directed us where to go for lunch, etc. Very odd as we are used to having staff greet us on HAL and Disney. What were in abudance were folks hawking soda and wine packages and tours of the spa.
  
• Limited lunch choices in the Windjammer. I got sick of salad because their burgers/chicken were not made to order, but rather cooked and then left out under heat lamps.
  
• Many more announcements made than on HAL and Disney.
  
• Lots of sexy leg, hairy chest, cannonball contests on RCI.
  
• We found the bar staff to be severely lacking. My husband would go to the pool bar every day for a Coors Lite. By Day 2 on HAL and Disney, the bartender would greet him by name and have a Coors Lite ready for him when he sat down. By Day 5 on RCI, the same bartender would still ask "Can I help you?" A little thing, but I had some not so warm experiences myself. We also didn't like having to sign after every drink. If my husband and I were sitting down to have a few drinks and we weren't on the same pace, they made us sign. No open tabs like on Disney or HAL. That won't bother some, but it bothered us.
  
• I did not do breakfast in the dining room, but my parents did, and they said the menu was the same every day. Never changed from day to day.
  
• When we entered our room for the first time, the info book was opened to the page of "code of conduct" and left on our table. I thought this was chance, but my parents also had the same thing. I don't know why that annoyed me so much.
  
• We sailed concierge on both HAL and RCI. RCI you are sailing club level, no extra service like on HAL with concierge. And yet, you get envelopes to give the club staff tips at the end of the week. The club lounge was always full (free drinks). If we took advantage of free drinks, we tipped as we went along. The head concierge didn't do a blessed thing for us.
  

That's just off the top of my head. We did enjoy Johnny Rockets and Portofino and Chops. Standard fare was just OK, but food is of course subjective, and YMMV.

We did not have an awful cruise by any means, but the cruise was awfully lackluster compared to Disney and HAL, and we will not be sailing them again.

[startwin]

Ah yes, I have to admit, I really missed the Terrace Grill - no such thing on the Mariner. However, we didn't have the lack of service that you experienced, so I guess it's all hit and miss.

 

Unlike your experience, we actually were greeted when we got onboard, and directed towards the Windjammer - but I didn't want to go there:(. We loved the Cafe Promenade, and enjoyed lunch there a few times, and people watching. What I did like about the Windjammer is that it is split up into several stations, so no long lines. And no trays, just like HAL. My husband walks with a cane, and there was often a staff person to help him carry his food and drink back to the table - but not always.

 

We seldom saw our room steward and I left a note a couple of times when we needed something. He must have been lurking around somewhere because our room was always magically made up no matter what time we got back there in the mornings:D

 

The solarium, which is adults-only, was one of my favourite spots.

[lazey1]

Thank you to all of you who are responding. It seems to be a mixed bag but generally more soothing than not. I hope that others will continue to chime in.:)

 

I am having a great deal of trouble trying to navigate RCCI's web site. I think I am in the right place, then either I get a notice that whatever is unavailable or it switches to Oasis of the Sea.

 

Karm, how do you reserve the shows on the internet? Is there an itinerary that shows name, date, time and location of the shows? If yes, when would you expect the itinerary to be posted? :confused::confused::confused:

 

The solarium looks lovely but unfortunately I sunburn very quick. Is there some shade there? Are the pools and hot tubs open at night?:confused::confused:

 

I am sure I will think of more questions probably about 3:am when this senior needs her beauty rest.

 

Jane, and Gary too

[Luna]

Jane - You can't really swim in the Solarium pool. In my mind, it's not really a pool at all but a soaking tub.:rolleyes: We, too, like to use the pool and hot tub at night (that's why I was so disappointed that the HAL pools close so early). On the Oasis, we didn't use them a night because we were too busy with shows and lounges. We usually try to avoid the shows in the show lounge. Invariably there's always one singer singing off key. However slight it is, to me it's like fingernails scraping on a blackboard. I've found this on RCCL, NCL and HAL! I figure, hey, there's a *reason* these people aren't singing on Broadway:p

 

Regarding the shows: Don't miss the ice show and the Aqua show. They're both very good. If you've seen a real live Cirque du Soleil show, don't bother with the Cirque type show. If you haven't seen the real thing, you may be impressed. You can make your reservations by going to your reservations page on the RCCL site. There you can look at and book shore excursions and book your show times.

[RoadTripFanatic]

I have not been on RCI so I can't help with comparing. I'll just say this. I've been on many cruise lines. You just have to keep an open mind when you are boarding the ship. Just like all ships under the "cruise line that you love" are different you have to remember each line has it's own quirks. You will have a fabulous time!! :) Oh and I will confess.... HAL does have the best food of any line. I'll say it. So keep that in mind when you think the food just isn't the same. It's true. :)

[scopewest]

The only person who can tell you if the food on your cruise is "good" is you :)

 

My complaint is that it still has calories :)

[Karm]

On the Oasis, embarcation is very easy. There are a choice of places to go to wait for the staterooms to be open. We went to the Central Park area and had one of their great roast beef sandwiches (no extra money.) Regarding breakfast, one may eat in a variety of places - even Johnny Rockets for no extra money. We have also seen many Cirque shows, but still enjoyed the shows on the Oasis. It is a different experience, but quite wonderful. The ship is a wonder to behold. I think people should experience the Oasis before making judgements regarding her.

[matondo]

Just an FYI....HAL removes all calories before serving their food. If you clothes do shrink on the cruise it is you not the food.:p

[olefin32]

We've sailed RCl Voyager couple times. Once at spring break and once at Christmas so we could be with our family. Only complaint, there were many kids and unruly teens but that was probably because of those dates.

 

We didn't think the food was as good as HAL. If you want a good hamburger it will cost you at Johnny Rockets. On HAL you can get all that at the grill by the pool for no added cost.

 

But we enjoyed our RCL cruises.

[Lady Chew]

There are a few shaded areas in the Solarium on Oasis, that's one of the reasons we liked it so much!! The loungers are very nice, too, not those vinyl slats, but nice cushions.