Review: Atlantis Allure of the Seas, 02/06/11

[CruisinMaterial]

While not onboard the Allure, I could understand the problem of cramming that many guys into dance parties. The Solstice class of ships are really laid of and very well designed for Atlantis. I liked how it was put together in 2008 when I did the Solstice. Having numerous friends onboard I've been hearing about how disjointed the Atlantis product was (aside from the news story and the drug, incontinence issues).

 

One friend stated they never got to see the whole ship because there simply wasn't time to. Another said they didn't get off the ship for the main purpose of actually trying to enjoy what the ship had to offer minus all the crazy crowds and stuff that would be going on at night. Service seemed like a major issue for all. I'm astonished to hear that above all because usually the newer ships get the more seasoned personnel onboard them from other ships in their fleets. :cool:

[pke-atlanta]

The main service issue we saw was in the specialty restaurants. I think they were overwhelmed by the volume of people interested in dining there (we only ate in the MDR one time the whole trip - did not enjoy the food and never went back).

 

I confess that we only got off the ship in St. Thomas. The Nassau stop was too early and too short for us to bother with (7AM to 1PM), and we've seen St. Maarten enough. But we did enjoy the ship, and liked that throughout the week we kept discovering places we hadn't seen before. Frankly, the reason we were so excited about booking this trip was BECAUSE of the ship, not the ports of call. For us, the ship WAS the destination. And it appealed to us.

 

From the standpoint of attitude, I heard some on the ship complain about this, but frankly I didn't feel it. In many ways, I thought this crowd was friendlier than the passengers on previous January Caribbean cruises we've done with Atlantis. We've also done Hawaii, South America and the Mediterranean with Atlantis, as well as the March Caribbean trip on Solstice, and I agree those crowds are friendlier. But I have to say we met some nice people on the Allure trip, some of whom we've already been in touch with since returning. (And to put things into perspective, my partner and I are a pretty traditional, monomgamous couple in our mid-40's, early 50's and don't go for the circuit party scene, and we found plenty of others like us on the ship).

 

So I encourage the rest of you not to be scared off by the negative press and to give all-gay cruises a try. They really are what you make of them. And in spite of my own criticism of elements of the Allure trip (no, it was not perfect), we still enjoyed it enough to rebook for next year. As did several of the other nice folks we met on board.

[sfgoguy]

I confess that we only got off the ship in St. Thomas. The Nassau stop was too early and too short for us to bother with (7AM to 1PM), and we've seen St. Maarten enough. But we did enjoy the ship, and liked that throughout the week we kept discovering places we hadn't seen before. Frankly, the reason we were so excited about booking this trip was BECAUSE of the ship, not the ports of call. For us, the ship WAS the destination. And it appealed to us.

 

that most folks on this cruise were there for the ship (and the gay crowd) and not the itinerary. I humorously (but with a bit of sincerity) suggested that Rich charter the ship, sail into warm international waters and drop anchor for 7 days of food and fun. Why pay all those port taxes and fees when probably no one left the ship, anyway? :eek:

 

I'm a fan of the Atlantis product, but not of the Caribbean (been there, done that) and not of a ship this size. The Solstice/Equinox class is plenty big enough for me. I'm glad that there are others who do enjoy it, though. Keeping Atlantis financially viable is important to me as long as Atlantis continues its more "exotic" cruise itineraries.

 

Happy cruising, folks. :)

[hommerun]

Stuff like this would be the reason I have never done a gay cruise.

 

Is the sex really all these cruises are about? How sad.

 

I've heard about gay cruises for a long time and the idea sounds like fun but when I hear about the sex and the drugs and the guys acting like children, I totally lose interest.

 

Perhaps some of you that have been on Atlantis cruises can shed some light... is this the norm?

 

 

I met this really sweet fun handsome guy on the RSVP Hawaii cruise and we hung out, got to know each other, and even had a couple dinner dates. We've stayed in tight touch since then, and recently spent a great weekend together. We live in different cities and timezones but we click well. And so we've setup another weekend "date" here at my place next month. So, I guess we're checking out dating, albeit long distance.

 

I didn't go on the RSVP cruise with any particular expectations. What I received though far exceeded any expectations I might have tried to envision. I experienced stuff! Excitement, relaxation, and immersion in a beautiful tropical paradise; a "boatload" of new friends (pun intended); a bit of heady romance; some welcome spiritual connection; reconnection with an ex; gaining knowledge and awareness culturally and academically; experiencing wonderfully fun athletic excursions - kayaking, snorkeling, swimming with the sea turtles; feeling free an safe and throwing off inhibitions for a day and playing (not sexually) naked and free - one amongst many - straight, gay, local, tourist, shipmates - at Little Beach in Maui; a chance to help another having a difficult time and getting out of myself.

 

And many more things of a similar note. It was fun, and balanced. inclusive and memorable.

 

Yes, the entertainment is nice, the parties swell, the food - ever present and usually good, gym/spa is nice to have, games and costume events are over the top, and the accommodations are well, fun! Different, unique, and cozy. But the human connection was the outstanding element for me.

[travelingfromtulsa]

I met this really sweet fun handsome guy on the RSVP Hawaii cruise and we hung out, got to know each other, and even had a couple dinner dates. We've stayed in tight touch since then, and recently spent a great weekend together. We live in different cities and timezones but we click well. And so we've setup another weekend "date" here at my place next month. So, I guess we're checking out dating, albeit long distance.

 

I don't know about anyone else but this part right here just made me smile. Love seeing happy posts like this! Good luck to you both :)