Allure review (7/3-7/10) Pajarito!!!

[bradley22heat]

Just got off the Allure yesterday and what a ship!! Here goes my review....

 

For background purposes, I am 41, DW 36 and 2 boys (7yrs. & 7mo.)

 

Embarkation

=========

Like everyone says embarkation was a breeze. Arrived at port around 11:20am and was on ship in about 20 minutes. Ship was completely booked full (over 6200 on board) and no problems whatsoever. Just have all of your paperwork in order and you will move through the process very quickly!

 

After we got on we went right to kids club to sign up kids for programs. They open and noon. Make sure to do this then!!! When we took our 7-year old for the open session that night, parents were waiting in a line about 40-50 deep to sign up their kids.

 

We had lunch at Park Cafe. This turned out to be our favorite lunch spot during the cruise. We ate lunch there 4-5 days. Had numerous roast beef sandwiches (very good), and tried many of the salads. My wife tried a few of the made to order sandwiches and she liked all of them.

 

We went to our stateroom after lunch (1pm) and then took off for the pools. The 7 year old loved the small circular pool that went around and reminded me of a toilet! Kids!!!

 

While he was swimming, I decided to stock up on beer for a few days. The coolers that posters were talking about were prominently displayed at all of the bars and drink servers were walking around with them. The deal with the cooler is you buy 8 beers at regular price ($4.25-$4.75) and get the cooler free. Then each time you buy another 8 beers, you get 1 free. I ended up buying 16 beers total during the cruise.

 

Food

====

Back to food....we ate in the main dining room on 4 nights. Like many previous posters have said, the food in the dining room was good, but it was not spectacular. Didn't have any problems with food not being hot or anything like that. Wait staff was similiar to the food. They were good, but not overly spectacular. We cruised on Disney recently and they seemed to be more attentive and more personable with us. Maybe it was just the waiters we had, but no big complaints.

 

We tried 2 of the specialty restaurants. Went to Rita's Cantina for the Fiesta Party. This is a pretty good deal. You get 3 margaritas and more food than you can possibly eat. One tip...don't fill up on the appitizers, because they bring a big plate of fajita's afterwards. The wait staff also puts on a bit of a show and gets people up and dancing. It was a fun night. As long as your not expecting the best mexican food you've ever tasted, you'll have a fun night.

 

Also tried Giovanni's Table for dinner. Wait staff was very attentive and gave us some good recommendations. Again, we had plenty of food between the two of us and this was the best meal of the cruise for us.

 

For Breakfast, we went to the character breakfast on the first sea day. Be sure to book this early if you want to do this. It is a lot of fun if you have kids. We had Shrek, Fiona, and Puss and Boots. All came by our table to take pictures with the kids.

 

We also tried Johnny Rockets one morning. Typical diner food. Nothing special.

 

Our favorite breakfast spot was the Solarium. Nice spread of fruit and very good oatmeal if you like that stuff. Was a nice change of pace after what we were eating for lunch and dinner each day!

 

We also tried Sorrento's (my 7-year old's favorite). Pizza there was good, not great. My favorite lunch spot was the Dog House on the Boardwalk. I tried all of the sausages, with the German being my favorite!

 

Entertainemnt

===========

We saw all of the main shows on the ship and we liked all of them! Chicago was very good. Not quite Broadway quality, but about as good of a show you will see on a cruise ship. Definltey worth going to. For all of the shows you need to book reservations long before you get on the ship. I know a lot of people don't like having to do this, but if you do, you will get to see all of the shows and won't have to wait in a stand-by line. We reserved all of our shows online and got to the site about 30 minutes before showtime. This worked out great because we got great seats for all of the shows!

 

The next best show was Ocean Aria. Some amazing diving and trampoline work. Don't miss this one!

 

The 2 ice shows were also worth seeing. The Ice Games show was good, but it started to drag after about 30 minutes. They could have ended it 10-15 minutes earlier. The other ice show was How to Train Your Dragon. No reservations for this one, so get to the ice arena (Studio B) about 30 minutes early.

 

The Headliner show was the Nelson's (Ricky Nelson's sons). They did a tribute show to their dad by playing his old hits. They also mixed in a few of their songs from the 80's.

 

Our least favorite show was Blue Planet. It had some good moments in it, but overall it was average in my opinion.

 

One show that you shouldn't miss was the Love and Marriage Show hosted by Cruise Director Ken Rush. My wife and I were laughing so hard throughout the whole thing. If you were on this cruise all I have to say is "Pajarito"!!!! This was Ken's "word of the cruise" the rest of the week!!!

 

The other activity we partook in twice was ice skating. My son loved it! They have 30-minute sessions where they allow 50 people to skate. We went the first night and had no problem getting right on the ice. The second time we tried, we had to wait 30 minutes for the next session. No big deal! The rink is small, but it's fun to get out there on the ice for a few minutes!

 

Kids Club

=======

Royal Caribbean does a great job with their kids clubs. My 7 year old had a blast there! He went to about 4-5 sessions during the cruise. They had a pirates parade, they put on a circus, and attended a puppet show. Definitely get the kids involved in their program.

 

As for the 7 month old, we attempted the nursery twice, but after about an hour we were called (they give you a phone) because he wouldn't stop crying. Oh well. It is a nice deal however for $8 an hour.

 

One other thing for young ones is that you can "check out" a bag of toys for the week. Our 7-month old loved his new loot! The toys were free to check out!

 

Ports (Labadee, Falmouth, Cozumel)

===========================

In Labadee my wife and I both went on the Dragon Coaster with our 7 year old. It does cost $19, but it was a lot of fun! You can buy additional rides on the island for $10. If it is not busy, the operators will let you go again for nothing as well! Just be nice to them!!

 

My 7-year old and I also went to the Arawak water park. It is $15 per person for a 1-hour session. They have inflatible slides and climbing rocks as well as trampolines. An hour is enough time since you have to swim to each inflatible. There is nowhere to stand because the water is too deep. You wear a life jacket, but you must be able to swim to enjoy this.

 

Falmouth

=======

This port will have potential when finished. Still a lot of construction going on. Not much to walk to around the port. We took the free shuttle to the Rose Hall shopping area. Decent shopping area. Will take you about an hour to get around it. You can bargain in all of the shops here!

 

Cozumel

=======

The Allure is too big to dock at the port in the downtown area, so you need to take a 3-mile cab ride that will cost you $7 if you want to go to the main shopping area. This is all we did here. Didn't do any excursions since we had a 7-month old in tow!

 

In conclusion

==========

You won't be disappointed if you go on this ship. It is amzing to walk the ship and just marvel at all is has. There were numerous times we forgot we were on a ship in the Atlantic. It felt more like we were at a local mall when on the Promenade deck or in a park when in the Central Park neighborhood.

 

You will have plenty to keep you occupied for the entire week. There were a number of things we never got to do (have to go back again!) and we went hard for 7 days!

 

The advice I would give you before you cruise is pre-book all of your shows and any specialty restaurants you want to go to. This way you will be sure to get in when and where you want.

 

Also, like I said, if you have kids, get to the kids club on deck 14 right at noon on embarkation day so that you can get signed up and won't have to wait in a line later that night.

 

The other observation I had was how that with over 6200 passengers on board for our cruise, we never felt cramped or crowded. The ship is laid out so well that it seems like it's half that amount on board!

 

I highly recommend anyone thinking about going on this ship to give it a try. You wont' be disappointed!

 

Please ask if you have any questions. I appreciate those who cruised on the Allure before me that left posts, so I want to do my part to help as well!

[Darkwolfe]

Very well done!

 

If you have pictures to share, by all means feel free! :)

[ALSEAU]

bradley22heat thanks for taking time to share.

[QTMichele]

Great comments!

 

What did you eat at Giovanni's?

 

Shhh... Don't tell Marion mom about the Nelson brothers! ;)

[Craving A Cruise]

Sounds like you had a great cruise!!

 

Thanks for sharing all those helpful tips.

 

Karen :)

[BonTXNY]

Great comments!

 

What did you eat at Giovanni's?

 

Shhh... Don't tell Marion mom about the Nelson brothers! ;)

 

I had the same thought about the Nelson Brothers. ;) Bet Carol will see them again on her upcoming Allure cruise. Carol, if you're reading this get revved up for one of your 'LIVE' threads.. please, please, please. BTW, Michele, I always enjoy your posts too :)

[livingis2me]

Thanks for the review!

 

Ron

[fdthird]

Sounds like a great trip. The Allure is a wonderful ship to cruise on and I'm glad your family had a good time!

[bradley22heat]

To answer the question about Giovanni's. My wife and I had the antipasti and foccaccia bread for apps. Our pasta choice was the Pasta Crab Ravioli (excellent). Entree, I had the Tenderloin (very good as well, but served with fries which was kind of weak), wife had chicken breast stuffed with ricotta and mushroom (she liked as well).

 

Dessert was tiramisu. Very good meal and worth the extra $15 (now $20 I think).

 

Hope you enjoy. Please ask if anyone has any other questions about the ship or anything else. I will give my honest opinion on any experiences I had.

[Mel23]

What stateroom did you have and was the bed near the closet? Thanks!

[kath00]

Thanks so much! Great tip about the kids club sign ups. We'll have 3 kids with us (my 2 plus friend's child) so I definitely put on my to do list to sign up right away.

 

Katherine

[bradley22heat]

Hey Melissa,

 

We were in an oceanview balcony room. Stateroom #9216.

 

Yes closets were up against bed. Just enough room to stand in between the bed and closet. Not the best design, but we managed. With 2 adults and 2 children, plus a pack-n-play set up we did some crawling over the bed to get places!!!

 

We managed and had a great cruise!

[bradley22heat]

Katherine,

 

Your welcome about the kids club tip. Yes do this right at noon if you can. Will save you standing in line later that night if you want to put your kids in the club. They have an open play session from 8:30pm-10pm the first night!

 

Have a great time!

[Merion_Mom]

Great comments!

 

What did you eat at Giovanni's?

 

Shhh... Don't tell Marion mom about the Nelson brothers! ;)

 

It's ok, Michele.

 

They're on MY cruise in August!!!!! :D :D

[Mel23]

Hey Melissa,

 

We were in an oceanview balcony room. Stateroom #9216.

 

Yes closets were up against bed. Just enough room to stand in between the bed and closet. Not the best design, but we managed. With 2 adults and 2 children, plus a pack-n-play set up we did some crawling over the bed to get places!!!

 

We managed and had a great cruise!

 

Thank you so much! I'll be only a few doors down, but one deck higher. Knowing your room # and configuration confirms my calculations that our bed will be by the balcony! I know that I'd get annoyed rather quickly if I had a hard time squeezing into the closet when needed. :D

 

Merion Mom, I know you're excited to have the Nelson Bros on our cruise! I read somewhere on CC how much you like them. I hope we enjoy them just as much! Only 6 1/2 weeks to go! :)

[es-tefi]

hi there, i was also during that cruise!!

please if you or anyone knows or has a video of the love and marriage gameshow where all the pajarito stuff was born, please post it!!!

 

thanks

[Merion_Mom]

Thank you so much! I'll be only a few doors down, but one deck higher. Knowing your room # and configuration confirms my calculations that our bed will be by the balcony! I know that I'd get annoyed rather quickly if I had a hard time squeezing into the closet when needed. :D

 

Merion Mom, I know you're excited to have the Nelson Bros on our cruise! I read somewhere on CC how much you like them. I hope we enjoy them just as much! Only 6 1/2 weeks to go! :)

 

[QTMichele]

It's ok, Michele.

 

They're on MY cruise in August!!!!! :D :D

 

:D I'm beginning to think you're stalking them. ;)

[QTMichele]

To answer the question about Giovanni's. My wife and I had the antipasti and foccaccia bread for apps. Our pasta choice was the Pasta Crab Ravioli (excellent). Entree, I had the Tenderloin (very good as well, but served with fries which was kind of weak), wife had chicken breast stuffed with ricotta and mushroom (she liked as well).

 

Dessert was tiramisu. Very good meal and worth the extra $15 (now $20 I think).

 

Hope you enjoy. Please ask if anyone has any other questions about the ship or anything else. I will give my honest opinion on any experiences I had.

 

After a day of cereal, hotdogs and a Snickers bar, this sounds phenomenal!!!

 

I had the ravioli... Would like to try other dishes - and plan to do so in February! :) thanks for elaborating.

[QTMichele]

I had the same thought about the Nelson Brothers. ;) Bet Carol will see them again on her upcoming Allure cruise. Carol, if you're reading this get revved up for one of your 'LIVE' threads.. please, please, please. BTW, Michele, I always enjoy your posts too :)

 

Thx! :)

[BillOh]

J Went to Rita's Cantina for the Fiesta Party. This is a pretty good deal. You get 3 margaritas and more food than you can possibly eat. One tip...don't fill up on the appitizers, because they bring a big plate of fajita's afterwards. The wait staff also puts on a bit of a show and gets people up and dancing. It was a fun night. As long as your not expecting the best mexican food you've ever tasted, you'll have a fun night.

 

Ok, you convinced me, its on my to do list for my 2nd Allure cruise

[msuspartanbigten]

Hey Melissa,

 

We were in an oceanview balcony room. Stateroom #9216.

 

Yes closets were up against bed. Just enough room to stand in between the bed and closet. Not the best design, but we managed. With 2 adults and 2 children, plus a pack-n-play set up we did some crawling over the bed to get places!!!

 

We managed and had a great cruise!

 

Bradley, thanks for the review!

 

We are staying in #9222 over Thanksgiving. My concern was that being between the two humps, the view forward and back wouldn't be as good as being in front or behind the humps. Did the humps obstruct your views at all??

[betmust]

Thank you for taking the time to write your review. I enjoyed reading it. I am sailing on the Allure in March and read everything I can.

Could you tell me more about the food at Rita's fiesta? I am not a big Mexican food person but would like to try it - son and husband eat some and it sounds like fun. I will go if I could get one or two things I'll eat. No shrimp - chicken or beef is ok.

Again, thank you...

[bradley22heat]

To answer the question about the view out of our room, we had no problems with humps. Were able to see all we wanted to from our balcony.

 

As for Rita's Fiesta, they bring appitizer plates with numerous things on them. Quesadilla's, and different fried rolls stuffed with either chicken or shrimp. The main course was fajitas with chicken and beef. No shrimp in the fajitas. Worth going just for the fun you will have with tablemates (about 8 to a table), and the 3 drinks that are included!!!

 

Have a great time and pleaese ask if you have any other questions!

[Pandy92545]

thanks for this very informative post!! im cruising her for the first time in oct and i am so excited!