Carnival Platinum Cruiser sails on the Allure of the Seas - A review

[Tapi]

OMG..didn't finish your review yet...I got distracted by the picture of your son who is absolutely too freaking CUTE!!!!!!!!!:D

 

Haha, Thanks!

 

Do you mind sharing what camera you used?

 

It's a FUJI finepix 5800 camera. It's more than a point and shoot, but nothing too fancy.

 

Tapi, did your son enjoy himself too?

 

Enjoy is an understatement! He was busy, busy, busy, and thoroughly entertained. Sometimes we felt as if he was having more fun than the adults!

He loved the Baby Splash Zone (it was mission impossible to get him out without some crying involved), the Carousel (he was addicted), and all the Dreamworks shows. Also, in the cabin, they had an Adventure Ocean TV channel, which played Fisher Price cartoons 24 hours a day, which was a blessing to keep him entertained while we were in the cabin. The only thing that took him a bit of time to get used to was the Royal Babies nursery.

[swimmom32]

Wow beautiful..and omg your little one how adorable...cherish it, my oldest is 16 :( thank you for sharing as we have been looking into the Oasis and the Epic for 2012 so we will see since we are booking the Breeze for HS graduation in 2013...:)

[tiggerman101]

Thank you for taking the time to write this up. I was on the fifth sailing of Oasis and back then I felt a lot of people just didn't want to hear the superlatives about it. The ship is a marvel and an astonishing accomplishment in many, many areas. I am sure we will sail Allure in the next couple years. I tell everyone that I loved it, but it isn't the way I would want to cruise everytime. It did help open my eyes to RCCL though. I just booked a fifth cruise on them for next year (and will probably do another short one in January). I love Carnival and am Platinum as well, but I enjoy exploring the other lines also.

[golfadj]

Thank you for taking the time to write this up. I was on the fifth sailing of Oasis and back then I felt a lot of people just didn't want to hear the superlatives about it. The ship is a marvel and an astonishing accomplishment in many, many areas. I am sure we will sail Allure in the next couple years. I tell everyone that I loved it, but it isn't the way I would want to cruise everytime. It did help open my eyes to RCCL though. I just booked a fifth cruise on them for next year (and will probably do another short one in January). I love Carnival and am Platinum as well, but I enjoy exploring the other lines also.

 

I totally agree with you but will wait until pricing is closer to Carnivals.

[pe4all]

Thank you for this review. It was great, and your son is tooo cute! I was thinking of jumping on the Allure/Oasis for an end of summer get-away cruise, but the prices are crazy high! I want to experience RCCL, after so many CCL cruises. May just bite the bullet, and go for it!

[Philly Steve]

Thanks for posting!

 

I wish every cruise ship had a Solarium-type space.

 

The bulk of our cruises has been on RCI ships but our next cruise will be on Carnival, just to change things up. :cool:

[Tapi]

I tell everyone that I loved it, but it isn't the way I would want to cruise everytime.

 

I agree. As amazing as the Allure is, I know that it's not the way I'd like to cruise everytime, or the cruise experience that everybody is looking for.

 

One of the main things that I didn't like about the Allure is exactly because of it's design. We felt VERY disconnected from the ocean during the entire week. The main areas where activities and venues are concentrated (Royal Promenade, Central Park, Entertainment Place) are all enclosed, so there are NO views of the Ocean. The Boardwalk is enclosed on three sides and the ocean is partially blocked by the Aqua Theater as well. Since we didn't have a balcony, if we wanted to catch some ocean views or breezes, we would go up to deck 15 or 16, and even then, you're so high up that you don't get that "close to the ocean" feeling.

 

Central Park specifically, is an awesome area (with thousands of live plants, shops, restaurants, etc), but one where there is ZERO connection with the ocean. I had to remind myself every time I walked around Central Park that I was on a cruise ship! Royal Caribbean went WAY out of their way to make the area NOT feel like being on a cruise ship :confused:. They even pipe in bird sounds during the day, and cricket sounds at night to make people feel as if they are walking down a park on land.

 

So anybody looking for a more traditional cruise experience, or looking for a cruise for the simple pleasure of enjoying the ocean, better look somewhere else!

[tiggerman101]

I felt the disconnect as well Tapi. I distinctly remember standing in Central Park one day and suddenly feeling the ship move. My mind had forgotten I was on a ship and the feeling totally caught me off guard. It seemed like a minor earthquake to me. It was a very odd sensation.

 

My only other negative is that we are people watchers. We love to see some of the same people over and over throughout the course of a cruise. With Oasis/Allure that was simply not possible. The ship was so big, etc that I never got a chance to run into some of the same people that I had met earlier. I simply didn't "bond" with anyone on that cruise. I missed some of the social aspects of cruising.

 

Still, the sights alone were well worth it. Riding the glass elevator from the bottom past the Promenade, then Central Park and finally up to the Pool Deck is breathtaking. I loved the artwork as well.

[halos]

My only other negative is that we are people watchers. We love to see some of the same people over and over throughout the course of a cruise. With Oasis/Allure that was simply not possible. The ship was so big, etc that I never got a chance to run into some of the same people that I had met earlier. I simply didn't "bond" with anyone on that cruise. I missed some of the social aspects of cruising.

.

 

The easy solution for that is to sail with a group :D

 

So anybody looking for a more traditional cruise experience, or looking for a cruise for the simple pleasure of enjoying the ocean, better look somewhere else!

 

 

 

Thanks for that comment. The ship sounds amazing, but what you mention there is SO important to me, personally when I cruise. I cruise specifically for the sea.

 

RCI's smaller ships give you the exact opposite...LOTS of sea, from what I am told anyway...I have only sailed one Royal ship and it was truly beautiful and it was all windows...so you could see the sea from almost everywhere. (I will say that with all those windows, the ship remained uncomfortably hot most of the cruise...that wasn't all that great.)

[KCTravel]

Great review Tapi! We have friends asking us to cruise the Oasis or Allure so appreciated your good info.

Two questions: how were your fellow passengers dressed? Is it the same as Carnival? Also, how was the food overall? I'm a picky eater and Carnival works well for me.

Thanks!

Karen

[Tapi]

Great review Tapi! We have friends asking us to cruise the Oasis or Allure so appreciated your good info.

Two questions: how were your fellow passengers dressed? Is it the same as Carnival? Also, how was the food overall? I'm a picky eater and Carnival works well for me.

Thanks!

Karen

 

Hi Karen:

 

The dress code was a bit different because we had so many passengers from all over the world.

 

During the day, it's very similar to Carnival (shorts, t-shirts, bathing suits, etc). Casual evenings are as relaxed as jeans and buttoned shirts for men (and casual dresses for women), to slacks with a sports jacket and open shirt for men (and semi-formal cocktail dresses for women). Resort casual is a good way to describe the general feel on these evenings.

 

Formal evenings felt a bit dressier. We saw many families from other parts of the world wearing their country's traditional formal wear (India, Japan, etc). One thing that did catch our attention was that, after dinner, more people STAY in their formal wear.

 

There are TONS of places to eat on this ship. Our opinion is that the Windjammer Marketplace (buffet) selections are better and more varied than on Carnival, Adagio Main Dining Room food is about the same as Carnival, and Specialty Restaurants were really not worth the extra money. We tried (for a fee) Chops Grille, Samba Grill, Vintage's, Giovanni's Table, Rita's and Johhny Rockets. Giovanni's Table was our favorite of all of the specialty restaurants. Samba Grill was not worth one extra dime. If you're looking for healthier selections, the Solarium Bistro and the Vitality Spa cafe are both free of charge, and do offer great alternatives to the usual cruise food.

 

This is from my review in the Member Reviews section (the link is below if you want to read the entire thing):)

 

• Chops Grille ($25pp): Located on Central Park, it has the feel of an upscale Steakhouse. While the ambiance was very enjoyable, we were a bit disappointed with the food. It’s not that it was bad, we just felt it wasn’t worth the extra $25pp. Both of us ordered the 10oz Filet Mignon which arrived a bit overcooked and didn’t have much flavor. First courses and side dishes were pretty unappetizing. While our waiter was very friendly, he seemed to be a bit hurried. Not what you’d expect at an “upscale” Steakhouse.

 

 

• Giovanni’s Table ($10pp): This Italian restaurant located on Central Park was our favorite venue of all the specialty restaurants. We tried it for lunch and it was wonderful. Beginning with the Insalata Caprese per due, and finishing with the Tiramisu, everything was VERY good. Pastas were definitely a hit.

 

 

• Rita’s Cantina ($20 for Rita’s Fiesta, which includes alcohol): If you’ve partied at Carlos and Charlie’s, you know what Rita’s Fiesta is about. You share your table with other guests, and are given a plastic wristband, which entitles you to free margaritas. You are given a Mexican sombrero as well as a lighted necklace to wear and keep. Quesadillas, steak fajitas, flan, and churros are served “family style” (in other words, everyone at your table is eating off the same plate). The fiesta is hosted by “Rita” (wonder if it’s her real name) who walks around the room with a microphone encouraging people to get up and dance (and occasionally, make idiots of themselves).Booty shaking competitions are held, and winners are rewarded with free shots of tequila. The DJ did play awesome dance music, and at one point in time, the party spilled into the Boardwalk, as people walking back stared curiously. While it was fun, the whole concept is a bit cheesy and tacky.

 

 

• Johnny Rocket’s ($5pp): We had dinner here after spending all day ashore, looking for something casual and relaxed. Surprisingly, we were happy about our decision. Yes, we could’ve ordered a burger free of charge at the Windjammer, but the burgers at Johnny Rockets are definitely thicker and juicier and taste freshly grilled. And the onion rings are soooo good!

 

 

• Vintages (priced a la carte): Yes, it’s a wine bar, but we went for the Tapas, which were great! Gazpacho, Manchego cheese, Serrano ham, croquettes, and Spanish omelet, are some of the tapas we ordered. Every single one was worth it!

 

 

• Samba Grill ($25pp): The Solarium bistro is transformed at night into a Brazilian Churrascaria. While the ambiance was very nice (we were even entertained by a Samba dancer), we thought that this venue was the biggest letdown of the week. The evening started on the wrong foot after we sat down and waited for about 10 minutes before the Maitre d’ approached our table and asked if we had been served. Immediately he summoned a waiter, who apparently got yelled at right before he came to our table because he was not happy. Shortly after, the gauchos started bringing out the different cuts of meat which unfortunately were not the best. One gaucho literally served me a chunk of fat! We’ve been to authentic Brazilian steakhouses before, and this was NOT one of them. We paid our tab and left Samba still feeling hungry. We ended our “upscale” evening at the Windjammer Marketplace.

[TheCalicoCat]

My husband & I took a RCI cruise (Our first LARGE cruise ship) though I can not remember which one...

 

We had nothing to compare it to, but liked it just fine.

 

I was glad to read about the kids activities on RCI, what we saw/read/assumed looked like 1 hour in the morning in a mom & me style, but we sailed before our son was born, so that was not paramount for us at the time.

 

We waited for our next cruise until our son was 2 & able to go to Camp Carnival. (We chose Carnival because they change diapers & the departure port was Baltimore.)

 

Later this year we are going on CCL again (That Baltimore Port is a winner for us), but when we go to Alaska in 2012, we will try out HAL.

 

So I guess we will be "best value" cruisers rather than loyal to one brand.

[NavarreCruiser]

Thanks for the great review. We have been on 19 RCI cruises and 28 CCL cruises in the last 10 years. We love both lines. Some things are better on one than the other. I'm always saying if I could own my own cruise line I would take this from one and that from the other.

It's so nice to see a fair and balanced review. Thanks again.

[spideyfam]

Thanks for the review. Glad you had a great time.

[JaniceB]

Thanks for taking to the time to write about your cruise. Your son is very cute. Glad you were able to have some couple time on the cruise. The childrens program and activities sound wonderful.

[Gig103]

Thanks for sharing! I plan on reading the full review you linked to later. I haven't even been on my first cruise, but Oasis and Allure definitely look awesome and worth experiencing one of these days.

[KCTravel]

Hi Karen:

 

The dress code was a bit different because we had so many passengers from all over the world.

 

During the day, it's very similar to Carnival (shorts, t-shirts, bathing suits, etc). Casual evenings are as relaxed as jeans and buttoned shirts for men (and casual dresses for women), to slacks with a sports jacket and open shirt for men (and semi-formal cocktail dresses for women). Resort casual is a good way to describe the general feel on these evenings.

 

Formal evenings felt a bit dressier. We saw many families from other parts of the world wearing their country's traditional formal wear (India, Japan, etc). One thing that did catch our attention was that, after dinner, more people STAY in their formal wear.

 

There are TONS of places to eat on this ship. Our opinion is that the Windjammer Marketplace (buffet) selections are better and more varied than on Carnival, Adagio Main Dining Room food is about the same as Carnival, and Specialty Restaurants were really not worth the extra money. We tried (for a fee) Chops Grille, Samba Grill, Vintage's, Giovanni's Table, Rita's and Johhny Rockets. Giovanni's Table was our favorite of all of the specialty restaurants. Samba Grill was not worth one extra dime. If you're looking for healthier selections, the Solarium Bistro and the Vitality Spa cafe are both free of charge, and do offer great alternatives to the usual cruise food.

 

.

 

Thanks for this good info--exactly what I was wondering!

Karen

[Catrin]

Thanks for your terrific review.

 

We follow that thought "If it ain't broke, dont fix it...." when it comes to Carnival... but deep down inside, I always want to try RCCL.

 

It is the price most of the time, with a family of five, CCL is the way to go hands down.

 

Next year is our 20th anniversary, and a special trip for just my husband and I ... maybe we will venture out and try something new!

 

Catrin

[Julienatul]

Loved your review! We too are platinum Carnival cruisers who want to try something different. We are trying NCl Epic next March. Oasis/Allure are on my list also just want to get DS (age 2 ) old enough for the kids program first.