Allure News Years Cruise recap...with kids

[beachbooles]

I doubt I can remember everything...but here's what I got! (Also, Cruise Critic site is so awesome that I had great stuff to go by before I even got on board! I hope this helps some of you!)

 

Day one:

Left Fort Walton Beach, FL (Panhandle) about 1AM. We were on the ship, easily, by 11AM!

 

Cabins:

We were in by 1PM and were fully unpacked before 3PM! We had two adjoining Balconies, 9694 and 9696. The Balconies seem a tad smaller than the Freedom of the Seas but not enough to be an issue, plus with two you can have the stateroom attendant open the divider and you have a double wide view!

 

Izumi:

Fabulous if you like Sushi and Asian inspired Cuisine. It was our first Hot Rock experience and the kids, ages 11 and 8, loved it. We were very happy with our experience there.

 

Show Bookings:

We had done all our reservations online but once onboard found that Oceanaria had been rescheduled and we were automatically placed into a show that had "no conflicts." We went down to STudio B to figure this out. No problem. We waited about one minute. Due to an excursion being cancelled (1st of 2 cancelled!) We had to go straight there while still in swimsuits with snorkeling gear..but Oceanaria was WAY WORTH THE EFFORT! Wow, what a show.

 

Specialty:

Giovannis:

Amazing! Way better than Portofino on the other ships. The service was amazing, the wine selection on the Allure (and Oasis) is much better than Freedom class. The food was great and different and the waiter was generous in what he would offer and suggest and bring for us to sample. I would have eaten there again, but we were booked up and I really never thought it'd be that good. BTW, we took the kids to this...they also loved it!

 

Chops:

Same as the others. Good service. Good food. Nothing new on Allure except the wine list is better. We were able to use our leftover wine from Giovannis. Nothing WOW about it...but we prefer it over MDR. (no kids)

 

CHef's Table:

AWESOME! A wonderful experience, worth every penny. The food was wonderful and not rushed. The wine flowed smoothly. It was our only dinner with other passengers the whole trip and it was very nice to meet them in such an intimate setting. We did not get the pre-dinner cocktail some have mentioned...but we were very happy. We did get two aprons and a cookbook.

 

150 Central Park:

Wonderful. The Chef comes out to chat with you and answer questions. The food was really great. I found the wine pairings high priced for what we got. I didn't care for one at all, which rarely happens to me! NOTE: the menu does change on Wednesday! When I first booked it, despite so much research I didn't know that and Royal doesn't mention it on their site (or didn't at the time) so I had two dinners, Wed. and Saturday, with the same menu. :( Luckily, we ended up with Chef's Table on the Wednesday and cancelled 150 Central Park, which was no problem. The sad thing was, there was a lady trying to get a reservation there while we were canceling and we couldn't just give her ours and they said they were full for the whole sailing??? huh?

 

Overall, it seemed like their computers were having issues the first day with restaurant stuff.

 

Johnny Rockets:

We didn't make it this time for lunch, but did have the free breakfast there with the eggs made to order, bacon and homefries. Better than the crowded windjammer and quicker than dining room.

 

Samba:

Good and completely different. Way too much meat! We actually had very good and friendly service, contrary to what some other posts say. However, It is not one I would repeat during the cruise, unlike Giovanni or Izumi. Not enough variety.

 

Rita's Cantina:

Cute and tasty but not out of this world. Service was slow, even though the place was fairly empty. The guacamole is not great, just o.k. The Nachos have the liquid cheese, not shredded cheese that is then broiled which is disappointing. The small plates were a good portion for lunch and the Margaritas are the same as anywhere else on the ship. They use the Royal Margarita Mix which is VERY sweet. I ended up talking them through another Margarita without the Royal mix (same thing happened on Freedom.)

 

Vintages:

Fantastic wine selection and tapas. My favorites were the Paella and squid salad. The Croquette was good too. Really, it all was. You can order one tapa or ten so this is a great place to grab a snack or a smaller meal. They are all priced about $2.00 to $3.00

 

 

Complimentary/Included Restaurants

Solarium Bistro

AWESOME. Great healthy stuff here. Gazpacho, all sorts of salads, beans, wraps, miso soups, breakfast muesli, yogurts, cereals. I would love to eat there every day!! They are not open for lunch, as it turns into Samba. That being said, make sure you get there well before closing...they start to convert the tables promptly and seating then can be tight. Of course, you can take your plate anywhere in the Solarium.

 

Hot Dogs:

Couldn't help but have one after smelling them on the Boardwalk...yummy. Maybe not as good as a Chicago dog I once had, but definitely good and a favorite for my 8 year old son.

 

WindJammer:

Crowded, like on the other ships but doable. Always found a spot for the kids to sit adn eat. Usually the bar height tables that face the water have openings. Windjammer is huge so although it may take a minute, we always found a place to sit.

 

Park Cafe:

Great Paninis and Roast Beef Sandwiches as well as a make your own salad station. Really great quality and not your usual buffet type stuff.

 

Character Breakfast:

Call dining from your cabin and reserve this. It's at 8AM and very cute. The food was o.k. Same that you would get at the free breakfast at Johnny Rockets but service was slow as you can imagine everyone seats at the same time for this event. You get three characters each Breakfast. There are 2 in the week. Madagascar is the first one and Shrek is the second. My kids enjoyed it, but not enough to do it a second time.

 

MDR:

Aside from the Character Breakfast we never ate there.

 

Promenade Cafe:

Didn't eat there but looked like it had good cookies.

 

Sorrentos:

Much smaller than Freedom class but seating didn't seem to be a problem as there are so many other options on the ship.

 

Vitality Spa restaurant:

never tried it.

 

I may have forgotten some...so ask me!

 

 

SPA:

Horrible line the first day. I heard people say you could call from the room and book your appointment. They seem to be constantly trying to sell you on more and more so I think their point of the first day is to tour you through the spa to sell you more services. I left the line after moving 2 feet in 30 minutes and called from my cabin. I booked my massage for Nassau day. Lucky, since we never made it to Nassau, that worked out. After the massage the therapist tried to sell me all sorts of products. I thought the method was funny in that she would make me hold them all! I got away with just my massage! It was very good...although I have nothing to compare it to, as it was my first one.

 

Fitness center:

looked awesome but I never used it. I did run around the dedicated track which is awesome. My husband used the treadmills and never had a problem getting one. He thought the place was huge. No Boxing ring, like on Freedom, but not missed. He said the view was not as good. The track on deck 5 was gorgeous and no major issues with walkers or people in the way. People were pretty good about it. There's a water fountain near the end of the "tunnel" near the fitness center entrance, which is great since I need water and didn't want to leave a bottle somewhere.

 

Hints and tips:

For a quiet place, hit the Viking Crown lounge. It's open to all and very quiet and well staffed.

smoking is allowed on half of most things, so if you don't like smoke be aware: 1/2 of casino, top half of Dazzles and one half of pool deck, toward the rail. I think Boleros is all smoking as well.

 

Studio B / Ice Skating:

The kids were never able to skate. The days were limited adn when we went down there to skate they were full to capacity and had no more slots / passes available for them to use the rink. That was a bummer.

 

Adventure Ocean:

On Freedom, my kids loved it. This cruise, not so much. The 8 year old was ok except for the day he had a fever and they called the cabin instead of Chef's Table, which is where he told the staff we were. Basically, he waited over an hour for us to finally get back to the cabin. Our 11 1/2 year old had checked them both out, as instructed, at 10:00 pm. She brought him back and put a cold wash cloth on him and called our 2 way to let us know. I'm not sure why Adventure Ocean couldn't have asked her to contact us or why they didn't call the lounge where we were dining with 14 other people. The ONLY people in that room!

Our 11 year old found that her group was very misbehaved, rough and played the games cheating. She didn't like it at all but went so that we could have our night out. Several nights they opted to hang out in the cabin watching Dreamworks channel while we went out. There were many, many kids but none her age or level, i guess. Just one girl which was a saving grace. We inquired about moving her up a level, but they said with so many children on board it was not a good idea. We agreed, as we saw that many activities are combined 12-17 year olds! Wow...what a spread. She's better off hanging out with her little brother in the cabins, while we dined later at night. The fact that they were bored and not wanting to be there was a big disappointment.

 

 

I've written a book here and haven't even discussed the shows! So, let's just say you ask questions...and I'll try and answer.

[brensr41]

thank you so much for the info on the allure soon and love reading all the opinions. thanks again

[plazamom]

Overall, would you say your kids had a good time?

[beachbooles]

Overall, would you say your kids had a good time?

 

OH YES!! They had a blast...thanked us over and over for the trip. I just had to share the AO experience, because we had to make adjustments. The last 2 cruises they LOVED the kids thing and it was a good mix of family time and date nights for hubby and I. This time, we had to do things a little differently. Luckily, my 11 yr old is in middle school and quite able to handle herself and her brother properly about the ship. They had a radio and could reach us at any point during the day for short jaunts. At night, if not AO, they were in the cabin happy for the downtime. The LOVED the shows, the carousel, the rock climbing and the zip line and the overall experience of the Allure. We booked another cruise before we disembarked!

[plazamom]

That's great. We are booked for August 14th with my 14 ,12 and 11 year olds. They love to cruise and have never cared for the kids clubs. We were on the Norwegian Dawn this summer and let them roam a bit as long as they stayed together. With so much to do on the Allure, I figured they will have a ball, but glad to hear it from a family that's been there.

[beachbooles]

That's great. We are booked for August 14th with my 14 ,12 and 11 year olds. They love to cruise and have never cared for the kids clubs. We were on the Norwegian Dawn this summer and let them roam a bit as long as they stayed together. With so much to do on the Allure, I figured they will have a ball, but glad to hear it from a family that's been there.

 

Oh they will have a blast! My youngest was too short to zip line or Flow ride...so with your kids being older, they will have even MORE to do. There is also a "teen" hangout spot called Fuel and The Living Room. It's technically AO, but from what I saw it is not too structured and more of a way to make friends and hang out and do some sports activities.

[huntr104]

Thanks for the info!! We're going in May of 2012 on Allure and have connecting balcony staterooms on deck 11. So you CAN have them take down the divider to make the balcony one? I was worried that we'd have that divider in our way.

[kahliasmom]

Thanks for the info!! We're going in May of 2012 on Allure and have connecting balcony staterooms on deck 11. So you CAN have them take down the divider to make the balcony one? I was worried that we'd have that divider in our way.

 

Yes. You can have the divider taken down. We did that this cruise. Last year we had a door that connected our cabins.

[beachbooles]

Thanks for the info!! We're going in May of 2012 on Allure and have connecting balcony staterooms on deck 11. So you CAN have them take down the divider to make the balcony one? I was worried that we'd have that divider in our way.

 

You have to ask the stateroom attendant to open the balcony divider. They are locked but once open, it stays open until they do balcony cleaning (St. Marten) and then they access through the balconies and then relock them all when they are done. So, then we had to ask again. Our cabins adjoined inside as well.

 

BTW: I heard two stories of people that left their curtains open on the balconies (as we all do) and were awakened by the cleaner guy staring right in and these couples were not in formal wear! They left notes in our cabins that cleaning would be done and to close the shades...but I guess these folks had two cabins and the notes got put with the kids. Something to keep in mind!

[deniuh]

Thanks for your review. We are sailing this upcoming Sunday so your post is really timely. Would you happen to remember the menu for CP150? We are dining there on a Friday night. Thanks for your candid review.

[RaiderFaninNM]

Thanks for the review, as we are sooooo looking forward to our trip this June!

 

Where are the pictures??

 

Do you happen to have a copy of the 150 menu or remember what was served? Did you make your reservation online before your cruise for 150?

 

Thanks for the info!

[QTMichele]

Thanks for posting! Sounds like a wonderful trip, and is making me very excited for our March cruise. Can't wait to hear about the entertainment. :)

[foxesden1]

Do you have copies of the cruise compass? My email is thatboardsp@yahoo.com

 

Thank you!!!!

 

Also how did the breakfast with shrek and gang go? Did you have to pay pre book?

 

Thanks so much!!!!

[beachbooles]

Thanks for your review. We are sailing this upcoming Sunday so your post is really timely. Would you happen to remember the menu for CP150? We are dining there on a Friday night. Thanks for your candid review.

 

This person (Reddragon) was good enough to put them on their link! (I was not that organized to do so..:)

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1322318&highlight=150+central+park

 

it's on teh second post down the thread titled: Does Anyone know what the 2 menus are at 150 Central Park.

 

Hope that helps!!

 

Also, I thought the pairings was not worth it. For the $150 my husband and I could have gotten a very nice bottle of wine. I felt the wines offered were not as good as i'd have expected. Mainly, one, I didn't like AT ALL...which is odd. Enjoy!

[beachbooles]

Thanks for the review, as we are sooooo looking forward to our trip this June!

 

Where are the pictures??

 

Do you happen to have a copy of the 150 menu or remember what was served? Did you make your reservation online before your cruise for 150?

 

Thanks for the info!

 

I posted a link to another CC member that was way more organized and scanned the menu or took a picture! it's the second post in the thread below.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1322318&highlight=150+central+park

 

As for the reservation, yes, I made it online. I would recommend this as when we went in person before noon on boarding day, there was a lady trying to make a reservation and they were FULL. You can always cancel 24 hours ahead if you change your mind.

[beachbooles]

Do you have copies of the cruise compass? My email is thatboardsp@yahoo.com

 

Thank you!!!!

 

Also how did the breakfast with shrek and gang go? Did you have to pay pre book?

 

Thanks so much!!!!

 

I'm so sorry...I thought i'd be organized enough to keep copies of the Cruise Compass to scan and share...however, I had a hard time just hanging on to my copy! I would tear the page and fold it in half and read it while I ate, drank, whatever...and by the time I'd get back I didn't have it! I never would make it back down to Guest Services for another copy. I do think some other people have been better at this. I'll try and find the link and repost it later on.

 

As for the breakfast: We booked it by calling the dining number on our cabin phone. We did the first breakfast, on the first scheduled Sea Day and it's at 8AM. It was Madagascar. The second one should be Shrek. Ask them when you call. There is no charge and they seemed to have a lot of room, as it's in the dining room, but you do have to call and reserve and they scan all your sea pass cards at arrival. It was very cute with the waiters dancing each time they introduced a new character and the characters when to each and every table so you could take pictures. Very easy going...Enjoy!

[green eyed lady]

So Samba grill is open for lunch? That's disappointing :( I loved the Solarium Bistro on Oasis for lunch everyday. I thought it was only converted to Samba for dinner. :rolleyes:

[beachbooles]

So Samba grill is open for lunch? That's disappointing :( I loved the Solarium Bistro on Oasis for lunch everyday. I thought it was only converted to Samba for dinner. :rolleyes:

 

No, sorry, I may have misspoken somewhere...Samba is at Solarium Bistro location, but for dinner ONLY.

 

However, I believe they close by 3PM to prepare the tables for Samba. Get there before then, because they shut it down just as you are reaching for something!!

 

This was a point where I was slightly frustrated because they were dressing the tables with tablecloths and we were getting Solarium Bistro fare and seating was limited because you couldn't eat at the dressed tables and they weren't clearing tables fast enough for people to sit at a clean table because they were all busy dressing the tables... I hope that makes sense. :)

[green eyed lady]

No, sorry, I may have misspoken somewhere...Samba is at Solarium Bistro location, but for dinner ONLY.

 

However, I believe they close by 3PM to prepare the tables for Samba. Get there before then, because they shut it down just as you are reaching for something!!

 

This was a point where I was slightly frustrated because they were dressing the tables with tablecloths and we were getting Solarium Bistro fare and seating was limited because you couldn't eat at the dressed tables and they weren't clearing tables fast enough for people to sit at a clean table because they were all busy dressing the tables... I hope that makes sense. :)

 

OK glad to hear Solarium bistro is still open for lunch :D That was my favorite place and I eat early...like noontime...so that will work out great for me ;)

[RaiderFaninNM]

I posted a link to another CC member that was way more organized and scanned the menu or took a picture! it's the second post in the thread below.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1322318&highlight=150+central+park

 

As for the reservation, yes, I made it online. I would recommend this as when we went in person before noon on boarding day, there was a lady trying to make a reservation and they were FULL. You can always cancel 24 hours ahead if you change your mind.

 

 

 

THANK YOU!

 

This place sounds so tempting as the last time we did anything like this was at Agua at the Bellagio about 7 years ago and we both still remember it! We are so looking forward to it

[dans0202]

Thanks for the review

I have booked for the week before Xmas 11 months from now.

We were just on the NCL Epic and my kids had a similiar experience to yours in the kids club.

Just a few questions about the kids club.

What were the hours the kids could attend without an additional fee and do you remember how much free time was granted to allow them access to the video game systems.

Also do you remember the height limit for the zip line and flow rider.

Were there maximum heights / weights for the big kids / dads

Thanks

Dan

[Tinkerdevil]

Thanks for your review. We are sailing this upcoming Sunday so your post is really timely. Would you happen to remember the menu for CP150? We are dining there on a Friday night. Thanks for your candid review.

 

You should join our meet and mingle here: https://secure.royalcaribbean.com/ccEntry.do and join us on our board http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1119254&page=27 . We have a lot of people!

[beachbooles]

Thanks for the review

I have booked for the week before Xmas 11 months from now.

We were just on the NCL Epic and my kids had a similiar experience to yours in the kids club.

Just a few questions about the kids club.

What were the hours the kids could attend without an additional fee and do you remember how much free time was granted to allow them access to the video game systems.

Also do you remember the height limit for the zip line and flow rider.

Were there maximum heights / weights for the big kids / dads

Thanks

Dan

 

I believe they could go from 2pm until 10 pm for no charge. Lunch time was a nominal fee (never used it). Dinner was included. I think there was a session before lunch as well. We only used it from 7PM to later than 10PM some days. After 10PM it's $5/hour per child. However, They only stayed if they were having fun and their "friends" were there. Our 11 year had privileges to sign out her brother and herself. (since last year she could too) She would sign them out at 10pm and go back to the cabin and we'd call or go by and check on them then. This worked out well, as they could sleep and be ready for more adventures the next day.

 

I will have to ask them about video games. I know they could not go to the arcade but did that on their own. I'll get back to you.

 

As for heights: Florider: 52 to boogie board and 58 to stand up surf.

Zip Line: 55 inches to ride? I'm sorry, I can't remember. I know my daughter is 56 inches and just made it. However, she was only 74lbs and they said no the first time. They weigh you with harness on. We waited two days, she drank more water! put on 4 layers, jeans adn heavier shoes...:) The guy asked her, aren't you hot in that jacket? She said yes, with a smile. He asked why doesn't she take it off? She was honest and said cause then she won't weigh enough!! So, they laughed, reweighed her. 75 lbs on the dot!! And she zipped with a big grin! TAke heavy shoes if you are worried.

 

Weight limits I think was 250lbs? It's more geared for adults, but there is a guy at the end to "catch" or stop you so I can see where being heavier than him would be a problem. Plus, i'm not sure what the harnesses are rated for. I don't believe there was a height LIMIT on anything..just a minimum.

 

hope that helps...how was the Epic? :)

[CAVE MAN]

Hi Beachbooles.

We live just down the road from you, in Niceville. So happy you enjoyed your cruise. We are going January 30th. Thank you so much for your review, anything one learns before they board sure makes things easier. Which show would you say don't miss.

Again thank you, Blessings, Carlotta

[beachbooles]

Hi Beachbooles.

We live just down the road from you, in Niceville. So happy you enjoyed your cruise. We are going January 30th. Thank you so much for your review, anything one learns before they board sure makes things easier. Which show would you say don't miss.

Again thank you, Blessings, Carlotta

 

How about that! Escaping the cold up here on the Emerald Coast, huh? :)

 

Don't miss Blue Planet. If there is one NOT to miss it's that one.

 

Chicago was good. Oceanaria was amazing and so different.

 

I would try and see them all, and we did! We saw both Ice Shows (well, I missed one but my kids and hubby saw How to Train your Dragon....that one, you just go and don't need to reserve) Ice Games was different and great as well. Oceanaria is the big one at the Aqua theater, which you need to reserve. There was another Dreamworks one that you can just show up for at Aquatheatre as well as the parade. It's one parade but done twice. They claim that if you see it from different ends of the promenade, you see different things. I recommend you arrive at Schooner at least an hour early and have drinks and stake your claim!

 

The only thing we did NOT see was teh Headliner, Abracadabra. I guess it's an Abba coverband? We had reservations, but blew it off to do something else.

 

I agree, that the more we know before we board the more fun the experience is!! Hope you all have a great trip!!!