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

[Tapi]

Well, after 12 Carnival cruises (9 of them consecutive during the last 6 years); this Carnival Platinum cruiser was feeling a bit "Carnivaled" out. Our last cruise on the Fascination had been less than stellar, so for our next cruise, we decided to try something different. We chose to sail on the largest cruise ship in the world: The Allure of the Seas

 

Was the Allure that much better than anything we've ever tried on Carnival? Was it worth the extra money? Did the cruise live up to its hype? Are we done cruising on Carnival? For the answers, just keep reading.... :)

 

I have posted a detailed, lengthy review in the Member Reviews section which can be accessed by clicking here: Allure of the Seas - by Tapi

 

I'll summarize some of the main points of my review and add some pictures in this thread:

 

First of all, there's NO denying that the Allure is an AMAZING ship. There's NO way to compare her with any ship in the Carnival fleet, so any direct comparison would be unfair. She's an absolute engineering marvel. But sailing on this class of ship is not cheap. What we paid JUST for our 17 month old son on the Allure was almost as much as what it cost us TOTAL for a family of three to sail on Carnival last December. This better be one GREAT cruise!

 

PRE CRUISE AND EMBARKATION

 

We stayed at the Hilton Ft. Lauderdale Marina. It's a modern hotel located only 5 minutes away from the port. It has wonderful views of the Intracoastal as well as Port Everglades.

 

Lobby Area

View from our balcony

 

There were over 5,800 passengers on our sailing, so I was expecting long lines and lengthy delays on embarkation day. I was pleasantly surprised because we went from curbside to boarding the ship in 10-15 minutes! We didn't stand in line ONCE during the entire cruise. Not for food, not to go ashore, not to get back onboard, not for debarkation on the last day. It was an absolute pleasure!

 

CABIN

 

We chose a Boardwalk View Stateroom. The cabin is very nicely appointed and smartly designed, but it does feel much more cramped than anything we've ever had on Carnival. With our son's crib open, there was very little space. We would ask our cabin steward to fold away the crib every morning, just to have some room. While we had a cool view of the Boardwalk and the Aqua Theater, we missed having an ocean view. More reason to explore the ship!

 

The cabin

 

Bathroom

 

THE SHIP

 

As mentioned before, the ship is incredible. Not only is it wonderfully designed, it's very tastefully decorated. I was surprised that it felt LESS crowded than smaller ships. Entertainment is decentralized, so passengers are spread out. We learned our way around very quickly. There are NO dead ends, or the need to climb to a different deck to bypass the galley or other areas blocking passenger flow. If you get lost, there are touch screen monitors all over the ship which will quickly show you the way.

 

Royal Promenade

 

One of our biggest disappointments on our last Carnival cruise was the incessant smell of cigarette smoke. Not on the Allure! It was nice to sail on a ship that smelled clean instead of stale cigarettes. The smoky casino, which on Carnival is normally located in a very public location by the atrium, is thankfully tucked away down on Deck 4 on the Allure. There are only a handful of smoking venues on the ship, and smoking is NOT allowed inside cabins (although you're allowed to smoke on balconies, but we did see some ashtray tower contraption designed to contain as much smoke as possible placed on some balconies.

 

 

TO BE CONTINUED....

[Tapi]

FELLOW CRUISERS

 

Royal Caribbean INTERNATIONAL definitely lived up to its name on this sailing. There were many, many cruisers from all over the world. At any given point in time, I'd be walking down the Royal Promenade and I would hear English one minute, Italian the next, Portuguese a few feet down, etc., etc. In fact the Cruise Compass was available, in Spanish, English, Italian, Portuguese, and German. There was also a HUGE percentage of cruisers from Asia. With so many cultures traveling together, some clashes among passengers might have been expected. However it was totally the opposite. Passengers were polite, well mannered, friendly, and mindful of other passengers aboard. It was a complete pleasure.

 

FOOD

 

There are 24 eateries throughout the ship. 24! Yes, there are many that do charge a service fee, but there are plenty of complimentary options. Just like on Carnival, there is a complimentary main dining room, buffet, burgers & hot dog grill, and pizzeria, in addition to two cafe's as well as healthy options at the Solarium and Vitality Spa.

 

Main Dining Room

 

We did try several "specialty" restaurants, ranging from the upscale Chops Grille, to the casual Rita's Cantina and Johnny Rockets. Carnival fans will be happy to know that, in our opinion, we found the Steakhouse on Carnival to be FAR superior to anything we tried on the Allure of the Seas.

 

Chops Grille

 

KID’S ENTERTAINMENT

 

Traveling with a 17 month old who is not quite old enough to participate at Camp Carnival, proved to be a bit of a challenge on our last Carnival cruise, since they didn't even offer babysitting until after 10pm. At times, it was hard to keep our son entertained, and several evenings we ate at the buffet because our son wasn't feeling "patient enough" to sit at the main dining room.

 

We now know why Royal Caribbean charged us so much for our son. On the Allure of the Seas, they kept him BUSY! The Royal Babies & Tots program begins at the age of 6 months and they do provide tons of things for the youngest members of the family. There are TONS of supervised activities sponsored by Crayola and Fisher Price. There's also a free play are which is available all day long. Outdoors, there's a dedicated Baby Splash Zone with temperature controlled pools specifically for babies still wearing diapers. Day care is available at the ship's nursery beginning at 8am until midnight (which allowed us to enjoy dinner and then go to one of the many entertainment venues offered on this ship).

 

Baby Splash Zone

 

The Allure also features the Dreamworks Experience with parades, shows, breakfasts, and appearances of characters like Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, and the cast from Madagascar. Also, there is a special ice skating show based on the movie "How to Train Your Dragon". The Carousel on the Boardwalk was a hit with our son. Also, different Family oriented Carnival style afternoons were offered with face painting and balloon figure makers. Except for the nursery (which charges basically the same as babysitting on Carnival) everything is included in the cost of the cruise.

 

Our son quickly became addicted to the Carousel

 

ADULT ENTERTAINMENT

 

There is just NO comparison. The Solarium (Royal Caribbean's version of Carnival's Serenity Deck) is absolutely wonderful! Peaceful, beautiful, and truly an oasis at sea. The Solarium Bistro was only a few steps away, offering complimentary healthy breakfast and lunch.

 

Solarium

 

Night time entertainment was on a class of its own (at least as far as entertainment at sea is concerned), One day we attended an aquatic show at the Aqua Theater, the next day we attended an ice skating show at Studio B, and the next day we would be watching a Cirque Du Soleil style show at the Amber Theater. Chicago, The Musical was also playing, but we skipped it since we had already seen it on land.

 

The list of venues and activities available for night time entertainment was very extensive. I had read that on Royal Caribbean, the ship "dies down" after 10pm. Not on this ship. Several times, we would pick up our son at Royal Babies close to midnight, and we'd be walking back to our cabin through a packed and lively Royal Promenade.

 

TO BE CONTINUED...

[Tapi]

PORTS OF CALL

 

This is one cruise which is about the ship and not the destinations. Labadee, Haiti is a beach day, Falmouth, Jamaica is still under construction and working out its issues, and we had already been to Cozumel many, many times. Not much really to write about the itinerary:

 

In front of the ship in Labadee, Haiti

 

Police presence in Falmouth, Jamaica

 

Carnival ships in Cozumel, Mexico

 

AN UNEXPECTED EVENT

 

On our last day at sea, our ship was diverted and stopped while we rescued 9 Cuban nationals trying to work their way to US soil aboard a small boat. They had been adrift at sea for 8 days! The rescue was performed efficiently and safely, and these 9 individuals were handed over to the Coast Guard. Our prayers are with them...

 

 

So was sailing on the Allure worth it? Absolutely, YES. It's truly a “once in a lifetime type” of cruise experience and it does live up to its hype.

 

Was everything on the Allure better than on Carnival? Absolutely NOT. While the superlatives on the Allure are MANY, there are things that Carnival does better at a fraction of the price. Among them:

 

• Baskets with complimentary toiletries in the cabin.
  
• Bathrobes in standard cabins (you need to be at least a platinum cruiser or better on Royal Caribbean to get one).
  
• Better fitness center. (On the Allure, while the Vitality Spa facilities are stunning and beautiful, the actual fitness center looked like an afterthought, small and a bit claustrophobic.)
  
• Better specialty restaurant experience. As mentioned above, Carnival may be a budget minded cruise line, but I consider their specialty steakhouse to be FAR superior to anything we experienced on the Allure of the Seas. Harry’s Steakhouse on the Carnival Liberty, to this day, is the BEST dining experience I’ve ever encountered on any ship. Polished, unhurried service, superb, juicy steaks, and memorable side dishes & desserts.
  
• While the TV channel lineup seems to be better on the Allure, there were two channels that I truly missed during the entire week: The moving map, and the bridge cam. Since we had a Boardwalk View cabin, I felt a bit anxious not knowing where we were or what was going on outside. We did have a “From the bridge” channel, but it only showed the same videos over and over of the captain talking about the ship, not actual views.
  

Will I ever cruise on Carnival again? Yes. While the experience on the Allure was absolutely amazing and something worth trying at least once, there's no denying the value that Carnival delivers at a fraction of the price. I'm VERY glad I have the "bragging rights" to say that I sailed on the largest cruise ship in the world during its Inaugural Season, but next time I spend this much on a cruise, I’d like to explore a different part of the world (In fact, our next cruise will be to Alaska aboard Holland America, and it will cost us substantially less than this cruise on the Allure!).

[karena1]

We were on the Pre-Inaugural for Allure and loved it. So a gorgeous ship, so much to see and do. Already had Oasis booked, and cannot wait for next April when we get to be on Oasis for an entire week.

[Darkwolfe]

Great review going there Tapi. Excellent pictures!

[B_Mc]

Great review - thanks!

[B_Mc]

double post!

[Aquahound]

Tapi - Thank you for your take on the Allure. I'm glad to see someone else experience it for themselves. As you now know, pictures and reviews just can't do it justice. You have a beautiful family. Thanks again! :)

[will773]

Great review from a different perspective. LOVE the picture in front of the ship in Labadee.

[SuchAVirgo]

Thank you for your review. We have been thinking of trying out the Allure this January. You may have convinced me :)

[Merion_Mom]

Utterly totally completely ADORABLE.

 

 

Our son quickly became addicted to the Carousel

 

[time4u2go]

Thanks for the nice review.

 

I'm very surprised they don't have a "map" channel or a bridge cam channel on the TV. I thought at least the map channel was pretty much standard on all large ships these days. That's something I always look forward to seeing. :(

[Tapi]

I'm very surprised they don't have a "map" channel or a bridge cam channel on the TV. I thought at least the map channel was pretty much standard on all large ships these days. That's something I always look forward to seeing. :(

 

I was too. I kept checking out the channel lineup and the interactive system, looking for either the moving map or the bridge cam, but I never found either one. I kept telling myself, it has to be somewhere! :confused:

 

We sailed in very smooth waters, so the ship didn't rock one bit. It was SO smooth that I couldn't tell ONCE if we were moving or not. I'm one of those cruisers that likes to feel a bit of motion to make me feel like I'm on a cruise, so no motion, combined with no moving map or outdoor cam was a bit of a dissapointment.

 

The Boardwalk view was fine to let some sunshine in, and to watch what was going on at the Boardwalk and Aqua Theater, but if we sail on this class of ship again, I'll ensure we get at least an ocean view window.

[WeLove2CruiseRCI]

Great review Tapi. I would suggest trying a smaller RCI ship like the Mariner or one in that class and book a balcony or larger. Cost is not much more than Carnival. The service is the best!!

[WeLove2CruiseRCI]

Also to add an FYI, Holland caters to a much older cruiser, 60+. We have friends that are dedicated Carnival cruisers and tried Holland because of the price and in their early 30's and 40's were about the youngest people on the ship. They also said the shows are geared towards that older age group.

[cynt]

Tapi - GREAT well rounded REVIEW!!

[steeners81]

Great review and I definitely agree about Harrys on the Carnival Liberty. I have been on 12 cruises on 5 different lines (NCL, Celebrity, RCCL, Carnival, and Premier) and that was the best specialty restaurant I have been to.

[Tapi]

Also to add an FYI, Holland caters to a much older cruiser, 60+. We have friends that are dedicated Carnival cruisers and tried Holland because of the price and in their early 30's and 40's were about the youngest people on the ship. They also said the shows are geared towards that older age group.

 

Thanks for the info. Choosing Holland America was a bit of a struggle. We've been planning a cruise to Alaska for a very long time, and my parents (who are in their 70's) are coming along, so hopefully Holland America will be a good fit for them.

 

We needed some specifics (roundtrip from Seattle, and a Sunday departure in September). This narrowed it down to NCL, Princess or Holland America. (RCL and Carnival don't sail from Seattle on Sundays). Since our son will still be under the age of 2 when we sail in September, we also looked at which cruise line provided the most for him.

 

During our research, we were surprised to learn that Holland America is actually the only one of the three cruise lines listed above that offers private babysitting for guests under the age of two. They will also schedule parent supervised free play time at Club HAL, and we can even order diapers, wipes, and baby food in advance (he doesn't eat baby food anymore, but we were surprised that they do offer this option). Holland America is also the only cruise line that charged us $0 for our son! (plus taxes of $118 of course)

 

So it seems like Holland America might be a good fit for us after all. I'll know in a few months...! :)

[digital_curator]

 

So was sailing on the Allure worth it? Absolutely, YES. It's truly a “once in a lifetime type” of cruise experience and it does live up to its hype.

 

Will I ever cruise on Carnival again? Yes. While the experience on the Allure was absolutely amazing and something worth trying at least once, there's no denying the value that Carnival delivers at a fraction of the price. I'm VERY glad I have the "bragging rights" to say that I sailed on the largest cruise ship in the world during its Inaugural Season, but next time I spend this much on a cruise, I’d like to explore a different part of the world (In fact, our next cruise will be to Alaska aboard Holland America, and it will cost us substantially less than this cruise on the Allure!).

 

Thank you for your great review. I haven't sailed Carnival before but I have been tempted by their prices. Which is your favourite Carnival ship?

 

I haven't sailed Allure/Oasis either, though they are on the top of my "to try" list.

 

Don't totally judge RCI on these ships though, as there are some differences, many of which are on your negatives list.

 

Was everything on the Allure better than on Carnival? Absolutely NOT. While the superlatives on the Allure are MANY, there are things that Carnival does better at a fraction of the price. Among them:

 

• Baskets with complimentary toiletries in the cabin. I don't know why RCI doesn't do this. We sailed on Celebrity and I loved having the toiletries. Totally agree with you on this.
  
• Bathrobes in standard cabins (you need to be at least a platinum cruiser or better on Royal Caribbean to get one).
  
• Better fitness center. (On the Allure, while the Vitality Spa facilities are stunning and beautiful, the actual fitness center looked like an afterthought, small and a bit claustrophobic.) The fitness center on other ships is excellent, with gorgeous views of the sea from most of the machines. I have heard complaints about this from regular RCI cruisers on the Allure too. It is better on other RCI ships!
  
• Better specialty restaurant experience. As mentioned above, Carnival may be a budget minded cruise line, but I consider their specialty steakhouse to be FAR superior to anything we experienced on the Allure of the Seas. Harry’s Steakhouse on the Carnival Liberty, to this day, is the BEST dining experience I’ve ever encountered on any ship. Polished, unhurried service, superb, juicy steaks, and memorable side dishes & desserts. How would you compare the regular meals? I know that food is subjective but would be curious to know what you think.
  
• While the TV channel lineup seems to be better on the Allure, there were two channels that I truly missed during the entire week: The moving map, and the bridge cam. Since we had a Boardwalk View cabin, I felt a bit anxious not knowing where we were or what was going on outside. We did have a “From the bridge” channel, but it only showed the same videos over and over of the captain talking about the ship, not actual views. We have always had the bridge cam/map on our RCI cruises, which we especially loved when we have had Promenade rooms. Not sure why they don't have it on Allure but you will find it on other RCI ships.
  

Cheers,

[jakesmom04]

Will be cruising on the Allure. Thanks for all the info and great pictures

[tfrcal]

Maybe it is different based on your room class but we were first time cruisers on the Allure a few weeks ago and we had toiletries and robes in our room. We were in a Broadwalk balcony.

[dorinel]

I can relate about being Carnival.......ed out and wanting to try something new. :D I decided about a year ago that I wanted to try something different, so I booked a new cruise line, a longer cruise, and to an area that I was always interested in but didn't want to visit by a land vacation.

 

Thanks for the great insight and I was glad to see someone else (besides me) that was in the market for a new experience.

 

PS Your family is beautiful.

[Tapi]

Which is your favourite Carnival ship?

How would you compare the regular meals? I know that food is subjective but would be curious to know...

 

The Carnival Liberty is our favorite ship in the Carnival fleet, and I think that its a good ship for someone trying Carnival for the first time. As you may know, Carnival's decor varies by ship, and ranges from toned down to bright, retina burning crazy. The Liberty is much more toned down and tastefully decorated. Its inspired in European artists. It's part of the Conquest class of ships, which will give you a very good feel for what Carnival has to offer.

 

While 110,000 tons may seems small when compared to Oasis or Freedom class ships, the Carnival Liberty is in my opinion a prefect sized ship. Not too small, not too big. :)

 

About the food, we thought that the Windjammer Marketplace offered tastier and more varied options than buffets on Carnival. Main dining room selections seemed to be equal, and pizza seemed to be equal. Healthy options on the Allure seemed to be much better.

[digital_curator]

Thanks! Your info is very helpful. I like the more subtle decorations (I would like to keep my retinas intact:D) so it sounds like the Liberty might be an option.

 

Cheers,

[klingoncruiser]

Very nice review. Thanks for posting. Always good to try other cruise lines.